Posted on 10/22/2004 5:43:25 AM PDT by TFine80
Text that appears in UPPER CASE identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
MR. KERRY. MR. PRESIDENT, WOMEN HAVE MADE GREAT ADVANCES IN AMERICAN POLITICAL LIFE IN RECENT YEARS. LAST YEAR WITNESSED A HISTORIC TURNING POINT -- THE NOMINATION OF GERALDINE FERRARO BY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR THE OFFICE OF VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. TODAY, 2 WOMEN SERVE AS MEMBERS OF THE U.S. SENATE, AND 23 WOMEN ARE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THESE NUMBERS INDICATE PROGRESS, BUT THEY ALSO INDICATE HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO BEFORE WE ACHIEVE TRUE EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY.
AN INDICATION OF JUST HOW FAR WE STILL HAVE TO GO IN ELIMINATING SEXIST ATTITUDES IN THIS COUNTRY APPEARS IN THIS MORNING'S EDITION OF THE WASHINGTON POST. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF DONALD REGAN, WHO IS WIDELY REPUTED TO BE THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN THIS ADMINISTRATION AFTER THE PRESIDENT, IS QUOTED WITH REFERENCE TO THE VIEWS OF WOMEN ON THE GENEVA SUMMIT MEETING. MR. REGAN SAID:
THEY'RE NOT...GOING TO UNDERSTAND THROW-WEIGHTS OR WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN OR WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HUMAN RIGHTS. SOME WOMEN WILL, BUT MOST WOMEN ... WOULD RATHER READ THE HUMAN-INTEREST STUFF OF WHAT HAPPENED."
I WONDER WHETHER MR. REAGAN'S FORMER AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, JEANE KIRKPATRICK, WOULD AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. I WONDER WHETHER MY DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUE ON THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, SENATOR NANCY KASSEBAUM, WOULD CONCUR IN MR. REGAN'S STATEMENT. I WONDER WHETHER THE OUTGOING SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MARGARET HECKLER, WOULD AGREE WITH MR. REGAN'S STATEMENT. I WONDER WHETHER SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION ELIZABETH DOLE OR JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR AGREE WITH SECRETARY REGAN'S STATEMENT. AMERICAN WOMEN ARE LEADERS IN EVERY PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE DEBATED IN THIS NATION TODAY FROM EDUCATION TO SOCIAL JUSTICE AND NUCLEAR STRATEGY.
THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS SHOWN AN UNPRECEDENTED INSENSITIVITY TO THE RIGHTS AND THE CONCERNS OF WOMEN. IT HAS CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED THE VIEWS OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICAN WOMEN ON ISSUES SUCH AS THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, AND A WOMAN'S RIGHT OF CHOICE. UNDER THE GUISE OF FAMILY VALUES, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS SOUGHT TO PROMOTE THE VIEW THAT A WOMAN'S PLACE IS ONLY IN THE HOME.
WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF DONALD REGAN'S COMMENT IS A REVEALING EXAMPLE OF THE ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN WHICH PREVAILS AT THE TOP LEVEL OF THIS ADMINISTRATION. HIS COMMENTS ARE AN INSULT TO AMERICAN WOMEN EVERYWHERE. I CALL UPON MR. REGAN TO RETRACT HIS COMMENTS, AND TO APOLOGIZE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR HIS LACK OF SENSITIVITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, MR. REGAN'S COMMENTS ARE ALL TOO TYPICAL OF THE ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN THAT WE HAVE SEEN DISPLAYED DURING THE PAST 5 YEARS OF THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION. LET THEM SERVE AS A REMINDER TO ALL OF US OF HOW FAR WE STILL HAVE TO GO IN ELIMINATING SEXISM IN OUR GOVERNMENT, AND IN OUR COUNTRY.
The irony about Afghanistan was just too much. But I wonder what the gender gap will be this year.
Don?
Chief of Staff.
Oh, sorry I thought it was a type-o.
No - because Ferraro lost.
Q: Why don't women need a watch?
A: Because there is a clock on the stove!
Bush has done more to advance women's rights around the globe than the combination of 50 years of feminist work...
LOL! Love it! As iron sharpens iron...
Hey I didn't say it, he did.
“You go to a woman? Do not forget your whip.” -- Nietzsche
Unfortunately, this is demonstrable. Despite high turnout, women voters are consistantly about half as likely to be as informed and aware of the issues as male voters.
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