Mayoral Debate January 3rd

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Election Results 2012

E L E C T I O N   R E S U L T S 

Santa Monica election results smvote.org

Los Angeles County races www.lavote.net

CA State-wide races at vote.sos.ca.gov

ENDORSED CANDIDATES LIST-CONGRATS TO WINNERS!

Endorsed by our NWPC L.A. Westside Caucus     Gleam Davis   Santa Monica City Council

Endorsed by the NWPC Los Angeles Coordinating Council     Jackie Lacey   LA District Attorney

Endorsed by NWPC California   Holly Mitchell CA State Assembly (D-47)

Endorsed by NWPC National Judy Chu  Congress (D-27)

Julia Brownley Congress (D-26)

Dianne Feinstein Senate (CA)

See Full Election Results here

A Congressional Campaign Manager's Election Day

    Victoria Pynchon, Contributor 
  
Lindsay Bubar and her fiance strolled down the sidewalk together holding hands, he in a business suit and she . . . well, I’m not going to dissect her wardrobe because press attention to women politicians’ attire is one of her pet peeves. “That’s so cute,” I’m afraid I said, “the two of you holding hands on your way to vote. What do you do?”

Lindsay, it turns out, is an extremely rare woman in a field that is almost entirely male. She is Congressman Henry Waxman’s campaign manager and the President of the West Los Angeles Chapter of the National Women’s Political Caucus.

I interviewed Lindsay this morning after she returned to Waxman’s campaign headquarters and I’ll tell you about her career, her political ambitions and, yes, her upcoming wedding, as the day goes on. Right now, I want to turn you over to Lindsay as she gives us her first dispatch on election day.

9:30 a.m., Pacific Standard Time, Los Angeles, California, Congressman Waxman’s Campaign Headquarters, Lindsay Bubar 

Things are strangely quiet. Most volunteers and staff went to the polls this morning before coming in to hit the phones, and most are still standing in line waiting to vote.
That’s a good sign for us, and all Democrats throughout the state of California. If we turn out our base, we will win, and lines at the polls on the Westside of Los Angeles certainly indicate the base is out.

Most of the energy right now is coming from social media- posts from people who have voted, the passion behind their vote and reminders to their networks. It’s quite inspiring, and extends the sense of community on Election Day beyond your local polling place.

Social media has played an important part in this election, and you continue to see that today. At Waxman Headquarters, we are prepping for our day-long phone bank and answering voter calls, something we expect to continue throughout the day. 

Stay tuned for updates from Lindsay as well as the way Lindsay made her way into the political arena. You’ll be happy to hear that sponsorship played a significant role in her success.

Networking, Timing and Sponsorship 

There’s no established Campaign Manager career path. Lindsay’s history as a fund-raiser, however, put her in contact with the people who would help her succeed in a behind-the-scenes political career while simultaneously giving her the skill set necessary to run a national political campaign.

When I asked Lindsay how she got the Waxman job, she gave me three good reasons – networking in the political arena; really good timing; and, sponsorship.
Just looking at Lindsay’s networking list exhausts me, but that’s why politics largely runs on the energy of the young.

In the last three years, Lindsay has been a Project Partner in the Truman National Security Project, a member of the Running Start Advisory Board; President of the National Women’s Political Caucus, LA Westside Chapter; Board Member of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters; and, Political Director of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats.
Networking within these organizations, Lindsay met the woman who would mentor and sponsor her entry into higher levels of political participation.

While working with the California League of Voters, she met and subsequently took over California State Legislator Betsy Butler’s role as President of Los Angeles West Side Chapter of that organization.
Butler didn’t just show Lindsay the ropes as any good mentor does, she put her own political skin in Lindsay’s game. Butler recommended Lindsay to serve in directorial roles in political organizations with which she was affiliated. Eventually, Butler put her own political career in Lindsay’s hands by hiring her as the manager of her own state legislative campaign.

“Betsy saw my potential and ability long before I did,” Lindsay told me, “and encouraged me to take leadership roles whenever and wherever they appeared.”

Election Day Progresses With Lindsay’s 11:30 a.m. Report from Waxman Campaign Headquarters

Lots of calls at the office this morning from excited voters! A mix of people ready to celebrate tonight, those anxious for results and some with problems at their polling place.
Regardless of why they’re calling, it’s energizing to hear from people who are so passionate about re-electing Congressman Waxman. It’s not every day you get to vote for someone who is arguably one of the most effective member of Congress, and it is clear that people are honored to cast their vote for Rep. Waxman today.
Not as if I need it, but these calls remind me why I am so honored to work for the Congressman. He is a fierce advocate for equal pay, passing a comprehensive Violence Against Women Act, protecting a woman’s right to choose and ensuring that all women (actually, all Americans) have access to quality and affordable health care.
We are all good hands with him in Congress, and it’s great to know that thousands of voters are standing with him today.

The Campaign’s Biggest Challenges

When I asked Lindsay what had been her biggest challenges in running the Waxman campaign, she named two – both of them among seven reasons women don’t run listed by the Men Rule white paper.
Those two challenges were negative campaigning and campaign’s impact on her personal life. Regarding the negative campaigning, Lindsay stressed her belief that Waxman was “arguably one of the most important people in Congress” protecting women’s rights and the environment from harm. “It’s hard,” she said “to fight against the people who are running just to be elected by attacking my candidate who actually cares about what he does, about the real politics affecting the lives of ordinary people.”

These difficulties would come as no surprise to the Men Rule authors who wrote,

Ultimately, we identify seven factors that contribute to the gender gap – either by directly impeding women’s political ambition, or by making the decision calculus far more complex and complicated for women than men: 1. Women are substantially more likely than men to perceive the electoral environment as highly competitive and biased against female candidates. 2. Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin’s candidacies aggravated women’s perceptions of gender bias in the electoral arena. 3. Women are much less likely than men to think they are qualified to run for office. 4. Female potential candidates are less competitive, less confident, and more risk averse than their male counterparts. 5. Women react more negatively than men to many aspects of modern campaigns. 6. Women are less likely than men to receive the suggestion to run for office – from anyone. 7. Women are still responsible for the majority of childcare and household tasks.

Hot in the Kitchen
When I first read this list, I must admit I was dismayed by it, thinking that women need to toughen up if they expect their rights to be protected. Sure, there are politicians who protect women’s rights because they care and others because they need women’s vote, but at day’s end, if women can’t stand up to protect their own rights, no one else is likely to do it for us as the last four years have proven.
Then I paused to ask myself whether the problem was women or the male-dominated cut-throat, win-at-any-cost political system itself – a system that has proven its inability to accomplish much of anything for the very reasons women don’t want to be a part of it. Stalemate, demonization, and the stubborn refusal of one “side” to even listen to the other, much less find a way of governing from the center rather than the polarized edges where quicksand abides.
Could it be that an influx of women into the political process and the halls of power might change the dynamic that now keeps too many of us out?
Before answering that question, let’s check in with Lindsay for her hourly update from Waxman campaign headquarters. 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

It’s just about lunch time and volunteers at Waxman Headquarters are borderline giddy with excitement! After many long months of hard work, everyone is enjoying this final day at the office today. Don’t get me wrong, lots of hard work is still being done, but everyone is so happy that Election Day is finally here.
And, it’s a plus for me that the office is filled with women! It’s great working for female candidates, or on campaigns with women in leadership roles…you tend to have more women volunteering. No offense men, we love you too, but a campaign office full of women on Election Day is pretty incredible. Particularly this year, when women’s issues have been such a critical part of this election.
The stakes are high for women this year, but when women vote, women (and the men who respect us) win. So ladies, if you still haven’t been to your polling place, please vote. Our daughters and granddaughters are counting on you

3 p.m. Update from Lindsay Bubar

As the first polls start to close on the East Coast, the conversation at Waxman Headquarters has shifted to the Presidential race. Even though Obama’s team has been vigilant about fighting the many voter suppression laws put on the ballot by conservative state legislatures around the country, the effort to keep liberal-leaning voters out of the polls today is still strong. From electronic voting machines in Pennsylvania switching votes for Obama to votes for Romney, to people waiting in hour-long lines being told they need IDs to vote (which they actually don’t need), the effort to disenfranchise young people, people of color, seniors and poor people is real.

I encourage everyone to stay strong, know that it is your right to vote, and don’t let these efforts dissuade you from letting your voice be heard. Many Americans risked their lives for the right to vote. Let’s stand on the shoulders of our ancestors and exercise our right they fought so hard for. 

If you’re in California and you have any problems at your polling place, please call with your concerns immediately to (877) 321-VOTE.

Will There Be A Bubar Presidential Ticket?

Having worked so hard to encourage women to run for office, I had to ask Lindsay whether there might ever be a Bubar for President campaign.

“Of course I’ve thought about running for office someday,” she told me, adding that “politics is extremely challenging for women. They get scrutinized in ways men never would, but it would be hypocritical of me to let those obstacles stand in my way, wouldn’t it?”

Perhaps. More importantly, what does Bubar believe she could bring into the political sphere that another couldn’t. Modestly, she defaulted to what women bring into public life – the way we build consensus and a passion for our work that arises from how high the stakes are for women – contraceptives, abortion, bodily well-being, and, wage gap.

“It may sound cliche,” she admitted, “but I really want to make a difference in the world. I want to stop violence against and the suppression of women. I care deeply about access to high quality education and health care for everyone. I think those are concerns that women will always bring to the table where they might be seen as just ‘women’s issues’ to many men.”


Family and Political Life

Family cannot be far from Lindsay’s mind as she and her fiancee, David Graham-Caso, plan their wedding.

David is the President of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats and Communications Director for the Office of Councilmember Richard Alarcon.
They’re both looking forward to having a family, Lindsay told me, and David is incredibly supportive – an “absolute #1 cheerleader.”

At first, she didn’t think she’d have enough time to pursue her own political aspirations and raise a family as well. But that’s where role models and mentors come in to play again.

Wendy Gruel, who is running to be the first female mayor in Los Angeles has a family, says Lindsay, and she’s encouraged Lindsay to go for her dreams and a family at the same time. On her Facebook page today, Gruel posted a picture of herself voting with her young son, Thomas. It reminded me of the recent HBO documentary on Ethel Kennedy, always surrounded by her children and always at some Congressional hearing, Senate debate or a foreign policy tour.

The authors of Men Rule conclude their exhaustive study of women’s willingness to serve in political office with the benefits Lindsay cites as those that would animate a political candidacy of her own. “Despite their low numbers,” the authors opine, “female elected officials make a difference in the issues they prioritize, the bills they sponsor and cosponsor, the output they generate, and the extent to which they mobilize their constituents.”
We’ll close this piece with Lindsay’s last thoughts of the day and hopes for the future.

Lindsay’s Final Thoughts as the Campaign Comes to a Close at 5 p.m. on Election Day

As the day slowly comes to a close, I have the election butterflies. In fact, I think my nerves are already shot. There is so much at stake tonight, and I have invested my life in 2012 to help elect some incredible leaders. Congressman Waxman and Assemblymember Butler are two of the best, and I have been more than honored to work with them both.
When I started running Butler’s campaign in September 2011, I had no idea where this journey would take me. I left my secure job, took a risk, and jumped on board one of the most hard-fought races in California’s primary election. I am grateful to Betsy for serving as my mentor, pushing me to reach past what was comfortable and give me the opportunity to shine. One of the things that drives me in my career is the hope that I can do for other young women what Betsy did for me. 

Being asked to come on board the Waxman campaign was surreal. I heard about Henry Waxman my entire life and closely followed his great work. As an environmentalist, his work is legendary. Jumping from a State Assembly race to a National Congressional race, with the fate of Congressman Waxman’s career in my hands, was nerve-wracking. I would be working with high-level National consultants, including many who helped elect and advise President Obama. And, not surprisingly, all were men. I wasn’t just in the big leagues, I was playing with the big boys. For a 30-year-old woman who some might consider an election novice, I had a lot to prove. I did what I knew how, and jumped in head-first. And the lessons I learned on this campaign, about politics and life, are invaluable. 

I learned that as a young woman in politics, you have to push beyond what men do. You have to work harder, faster and smarter. And you’re expected to do it all with authority (while not being too pushy) and grace (while not being too soft). Some might say that women in politics are set up to fail. And again, I did what I know how, and kept pushing.
And it all paid off. The roller-coaster ride of the campaign has been an incredible challenge, one I will be forever grateful for. But more than that, I hope I have paved the way for other young women whose voice we desperately need in politics. Women bring a critical perspective and life experience to the table, and our world would be a better place if we had equal representation in politics. I hope my story, my risks, my experience, gives other young women hope that there is room for them in the political arena. 

And most of all, I am looking forward to the next step in the journey. Aside from all of the political lessons, one of the most important I have learned is how critical it is to have a supportive partner and support system. On December 1, I am marrying the love of my life, and his support throughout this year has gotten me through the challenging days. I thank the women, like Wendy Greuel and Kirsten Gillibrand, who prove every day that family and politics can work, and that everyone can create a balance that is fulfilling and works for them. 

I don’t know what my next step in politics will be, but I do know I will continue to work hard every day so young women and girls are left with a better world, filled with the opportunity to thrive and fulfill their full potential.

Thanks so much, Lindsay, for sharing your election day with ForbesWomen readers. We wish you all the best as we too turn to the final election coverage of the evening.

ARTICLE URL
--
 Lindsay is the current President of NWPC LA Westside.

How and Why Women Define the 2012 Presidential Election Outcome

By Sylvia Cochran | Yahoo! Contributor Network 

"The group that is probably most important at this time is white suburban women. These are women who are typically concerned with family issues and economic issues," Dr. Holley Tankersley from theCoastal Carolina University told WBTW News 13. Referring to them as "Walmart Moms," the political science professor asserts that partisanship is secondary to issues affecting the family and economics. What else do women want from the American president?

How many women make up the electorate?

Fifty-two percent of likely voters are female, while 48 percent are male says Gallup. It is noteworthy that the number of female voters is steadily decreasing by 1 percent over each of the past two elections.

Whose message resonates more with female voters?

An earlier Gallup gender gap analysis highlights that 54 percent of women favor incumbent President Barack Obama, while 46 percent are likely to vote for GOP candidate Mitt Romney. Nevertheless, these figures show a gradual decrease in support for the Democrats, while they denote a slight uptick in support for Republicans. In 2008, 43 percent of female voters favored John McCain, while 57 percent were in favor of then-candidate Obama.

Do women have radically different political needs than men?

Gallup disagrees. While female voters mention abortion, jobs, health care, the economy and equal rights when asked about specific issues important to women in the 2012 presidential election, their issues of importance did not differ significantly from male voters when asked in general terms about important election issues. The major difference between male and female voters is the importancewomen place on health care, which gives President Obama a likely edge.

Why is the female voting bloc unpredictable?

The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers notes that although women usually vote at higher rates than men do, they make up 60 percent of voters who are still undecided toward the end of October. Yet there is another undercurrent within the female voting bloc that makes it difficult to anticipate how gender will play a role in the presidential election: marital status. Voter Participationhighlights that 39 percent of unmarried women do not register to vote, even though they are eligible to do so.

What turns off female voters?

Concerned Women for America took umbrage at an Obama campaign e-card advising women to "vote like your lady parts depend on it." The Washington Examiner noted that the offending card was deleted by the campaign. The so-called "waitress moms" -- females working out of economic necessity without really getting ahead -- resent that the Romney campaign has promised to undo Obamacare, the New York Times explains.

Read Post on Yahoo!

Reminder

Message from the 2012 Project - Contest Details

Don't miss the chance to enter our Pick the Number of Women Elected to Congress Contest.

Deadline to submit your contest entry is tomorrow, Friday at 5 p.m. EST, 

so you still have time!

There are currently 73 women in the House and 17 in the Senate. After the election, we're aiming for 87 women in the House and 20 in the Senate, which means women would be at 20 percent of Congress. Imagine that.

How many women do you think will win on Tuesday? Entering the contest only takes a minute: Click here for contest entry form and details

  

Check out these fabulous prizes:

• 1^st Prize: $250 Gift Card
• 2^nd Prize: Nestle Nespresso Coffee Machine
• 3^rd Prize: Lifetime TV Gift Basket, including an iPod shuffle 

To make the most educated guess, consult The 2012 Project Election Tracker.

Next week, we'll be in touch with details on how to follow women's progress on Election Night. We're in the homestretch now -- make sure you don't miss all the fun!

 

P.S. For news about women, philanthropy and business, sign up for the Vitamin W newsletter here: http://vitaminw.co  We're one of several nonprofits Vitamin W supports. 

Post from MsRepresentation -- 14 days before the election!

Mission Possible: Protect Lady Parts
Well that’s strange. It appears that women’s issues are super important to women.

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Mission Possible 2: Protect the Country
But that’s not all women care about—we’re also able to wrap our dainty little lady-minds around the economy, jobs, and foreign policy issues, too!

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Ain’t No Sunshine with Prop 6
Hey Florida ladies, if the government stripping away every right you have as a woman isn’t your idea of a good time, I’d suggest you vote no on Prop 6.

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Whose Senate Is It Anyway?
This much is clear: the fight for Senate control hinges on women this November. No big deal, guys; deciding who has control of the world’s greatest deliberative body is all in a day’s work for a woman. Women will also decide the Presidential election, and since that's pretty much hinging on Ohio, you can consider MsRep’s flight booked!

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Awkward...
Recent polls show that the gender gap is large and in charge this year, reaching near-record highs. Pourquoi, you may ask? Um, women are prob not too fond of GOPers saying, “You can’t die from childbirth” and “You can’t get pregnant from rape.” ‘Cause the weird thing is…you can.

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Don't Get MsRep Wrong
It totally sucks that there’s such a ginormous gender gap. Women shouldn’t have to choose their party based on who’s telling them how their bodies work; we need women on both sides of the aisle! Which is why we need a heck of a lot more rockstar pro-choice Republicans at all levels. Exhibit A: Kay Hatcher, the Republican State Representative from Illinois who is a big believer in women being in charge of their damn selves.

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Decisions, Decisions
North Carolina: You’ve got a pretty tough choice ahead of you. Mandated ultrasounds with a side of abortion bans, or a healthy serving of the right to choose what’s best for your body. Sleep on that one.

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LOL, SCIENCE
Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, evidently a devout ToddAkinist, has once again decided that if he says words then they’re obviously true! But oops, it didn’t go over too well: After he claimed that abortions should never be legal since women totally don’t even die during childbirth anyway, a doctor was all “Dude. No.”

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Working Hard or Hardly Working?
Do Utah women work half as hard as men? Because they’re being paid half as much, with many of states not too far behind. It’s almost as if there needs to be a law to protect against this sort of thing. Oh wait.

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Bustin’ Her Chops
Cheri Bustos is gaining some serious momentum in Illinois! It was only last month that she found herself behind in the polls, but is now up by two points. Lock in your vote for Cheri ASAP; early voting started Monday!

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Dear Todd Akin
Sometimes, when thoughts pop into our head, we don’t immediately broadcast it to the universe—as our interior monologue is not, in fact, a live C-SPAN ticker. This ability might prove to be particularly helpful to you the next time you want to compare women to dogs.

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Kim For the Win
You don’t even have to live in Montana to know that Congressional candidate Kim Gillan is the bees-knees. This article gives props to the neighborhood activist that has now risen to the Democratic leadership of the Montana Senate. And, just to top off the awesome, Planned Parenthood has recently endorsed her.

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Don’t Hold Back, Tkacyzk
Assemblyman George Amedore’s refusal to vote for equal pay is “deeply disturbing,” as NY State Senate hopeful Cecilia Tkaczyk has so delicately put it. Boom! Not quite finished tellin’ it like it is, she also said that “as state senator, [she] will stand up to extremists...and ensure that women’s health is no longer a partisan issue, but a basic human right." Well, sign MsRep up for a few of those.

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Kicking Ass and Taking Names
New Hampshire hopes to make history this election cycle with its three pro-choice women candidates running for office: gubernatorial nominee Maggie Hassan and House hopefuls Carol Shea-Porter and Ann McLane Kuster. People, we cannot stress this enough: Hassan is the only pro-choice female running for governor. In. The. COUNTRY. She’s also running against this guy, so, yeah. There’s that.

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Operation: MsRepresentation
Every group of friends has a know-it-all—making sure it’s you this election cycle is just a click away. Sign up for Operation: MsRepresentation and receive daily deets so you’ll always know what’s up!

National Event for NWPC: 2012 EMMAs

Last Thursday, October 4th NWPC was thrilled to present awards to ten outstanding journalists across America at the 25th Annual Exceptional Merit in Media Awards at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College in New York City. The ten awards, as well as one President’s award, were presented by actress Ellen Burstyn and EMMAs Emcee, Salon.com Editor-at-Large, Joan Walsh.

The ten awards were given to “Girls Like Us” by Rachel Lloyd, “Afghan Women Tolerate Beating for Cell Phones in Emerging Market” by Simon Clark (Bloomberg News), “How a Blogger Blocked Sex Slavery” Abigail Pesta (The Daily Beast), “Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton” by Cam Simpson (Bloomberg News), “Preexisting Condition: Female” by Jenny Deam (Prevention Magazine), “Dishonorable Conduct” by Jan Goodwin (Good Housekeeping), “In Friendship We Trust” by Sheila Weller (Good Housekeeping), “The Secret That Kills 4 Women a Day” by Liz Brody (Glamour), “Stalking a Silent Killer” by Carole Zimmer (Bloomberg News), and “Necessary Roughness ‘Pilot’” by USA Network. Jennifer Newsom’s documentary “Miss Representation” won the 2012 President’s Award.

“This year’s EMMAs winners’ stories, blogs and books all focus on issues that impact the lives of women,” said Linda Young, NWPC President. “There is something we could all learn from each and every winner’s submission; we were also pleased to see such a broad representation of topics this year.”

For more information on the 2012 EMMAs winners visit: www.nwpc.org/EMMAwinners.
The EMMAs were first awarded in 1985 and created by the 2012 EMMAs Chair and NWPC past-President Irene Natividad. Over the past 24 years, the EMMAs have been presented for outstanding coverage of issues of importance to women, often bringing to light issues that might otherwise be glossed over or omitted.

Thanks to all who attended and helped make the event a success!

October 16 Watch Party

Full Information

WHAT | Second Presidential Debate Watch Party

Join us for an exciting debate watch party. This is an informal event. Come watch the second Presidential Debate. Have a drink or appetizer. Stay the entire time or just come for part of the show. All NWPC L.A. Westside members are welcome to join us. No Entry Fee.

.

WHERE & WHEN | Smith House Tap & Grill on Oct 16

Tuesday Oct. 16 at 6:00 PM Smith House Tap & Grill (website) Address: 10351 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025 (map below) Street parking available, as well as valet parking at the restaurant. No host event.

.

RSVP or Questions? | nwpcla@gmail.com

Sunday October 14

Reality Check from SheShouldRun.org

Women are 50% of the population. 

We need a Congress that is actually representative of the people.

Women are watching to make sure that parties and PACs 

do not abandon women candi- dates at a critical moment.

As the election enters its final days, parties and PACs will face some tough choices 

on where to spend their money. It is critical that those choices reflect a commitment 

to increasing the number of women in office.

Slides created by SheShouldRun.org 

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Words Matter

By:  Lindsay Bubar &  Nomiki Konst

Posted: 09/19/2012 

The 700 Club, a live television show hosted by Pat Robertson, is watched daily by approximately one million viewers, many who turn to the show for guidance, advice and support.


After a broadcast last week, Robertson's millions of viewers now think it is acceptable to beat their wives. You heard that right. Pat Robertson suggested that one of his viewers, having some challenges in his marriage, should beat his wife.

Here are his comments, as summarized by the Huffington Post:

On Monday's broadcast of Robertson's television show "The 700 Club," he answered a question from a viewer named Michael about how to repair his marriage to a woman who "has no respect for me as the head of the house." Robertson's response: "Well, you could become a Muslim and you could beat her."
...Unfortunately, Robertson didn't stop there.
"I don't think we condone wife-beating these days but something has got to be done to make her."

Robertson quickly attracted criticism from the Muslim community, and rightfully so. Suggesting that it is commonplace and accepted in the Muslim community to beat your wife is incredibly offensive and simply not true. In response to their outrage, CNB (the network that airs Robertson's show) quickly edited out the offensive comments and released a statements saying they "regret these comments." While it is nice to see they took action, we are saddened to see their response did not match just how offensive and dangerous Robertson's comments were.

As a feminists and women's rights activists, we see Robertson's comments through the lens of women who are frequently reminded how far we have to go toward gender equality. With all of the recent attacks on women's health and choice, we are discouraged by the regression our country has made in our slow march toward full equality for women. We speak out about the issues with our friends, at women's events and have written about the importance of gender equality in politics. But these comments feel different than other offensive headlines that have motivated us to act out in the past. These comments are horribly dangerous.

Statistics paint a terrifying picture. Somewhere in America a woman is battered, usually by her intimate partner, every 15 seconds. Almost one-third of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner, and less than half of domestic violence incidents are reported to police. Not only is violence against women by an intimate partner much more common than most know, but it is also severely underreported, so most women who go through that terrible experience never get the help they so desperately need, which often leads to violence again in the future.

The progress toward solving this epidemic of violence against women is a large task. We must create a society where women who are victims of violence feel supported, are able to detect the signs and know where to turn for help. But when a popular talk-show host, considered by many to be a moral leader and watched by millions for advice, sends the message that violence is a solution to relationship problems, the task seems almost impossible.

We appreciate CBN for coming out in opposition to Pat Robertson's comments. However, it was not a faceless broadcasting corporation that recommended a man harm his wife to demand respect -- it was Pat Robertson. The apology should have come from Robertson. The appropriate action for CBN to take would be to suspend his program to demonstrate that they do not tolerate that sort of dangerous ignorance on a program proudly bearing their network logo. Pat Robertson should not be back on the air unless it is to offer a heartfelt apology and to host a program exclusively about violence against women, including ways women who are in violent relationships can get help.

That is what we ask of CBN today. We hope the network realizes that tolerating violence against any woman creates a society where every woman is at greater risk. Words matter. Robertson's words are inexcusable. It is time to change the conversation and protect millions of women.

Follow Lindsay Bubar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LindsayBubar

Follow Nomiki Konst on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NomikiKonst

Actress Ellen Burstyn To Head 2012 EMMA's Gala

September 13, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION: Pat Lynch, VP Communications 510-333-0509

Award-Winning Actress Ellen Burstyn To Head 2012 EMMA's Gala Washington, D.C., September 13- Oscar and Tony Award-winner Ellen Burstyn will head the 2012 Exceptional Merit in Media Award (EMMAs) Gala presented by the National Women's Political Caucus which will be held in New York City on October 4th. Ms. Burstyn won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She also won both the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her performance in "Same Time, Next Year."  Ms. Burstyn won an Emmy as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in LAW & ORDER: Special Victims Unit for Episode "Swing", most recently finished the first season of the hugely popular limited television series POLITICAL ANIMALS on USA.  The EMMAs were first awarded in 1985 and created by NWPC past-President Irene Natividad. Over the past 27 years, the EMMAs have been presented for outstanding coverage of issues of importance to women, often bringing to light issues that might otherwise be glossed over or omitted. National Women's Political Caucus President Linda Young said that "Having Ellen here with us for the EMMAs is so exciting, knowing too, that she can share many experience of her career about the role of women in films and plays, and the changes that she has seen during her career in the way women characters are depicted.  We are thrilled that she is going to be with us to head up the Awards Presentation to the 2012 winners." Ellen Burstyn will be heading the EMMAs Thursday, October 4th, at HunterCollege's Kaye Playhouse in New York City beginning at 6:00 p.m. For ticket information, please call (202) 785 1100 or visit www.nwpc.org/EMMA. Find NWPC on facebook at www.facebook.com/nwpc.fb, and follow us on Twitter at @NWPC_Updates .  ###  NWPC is a nationwide, multi-partisan organization that was established in 1971 to recruits train, support and elect progressive, pro-choice women. NWPC has endorsed and supported over 50,000 progressive women candidates.

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Article From Jezebel Aug 22, 2012

From: Jezebel

Rape Fatigue and You: 

When There’s Just No Anger Left

By: Erin Gloria Ryan
       Original Article

Since around 2pm on Monday, I've felt like a contestant on a sadistic Japanese game show, donning an American flag bikini and a blindfold, covered in glue and standing in a phone booth, trying to catch dollar bills with my flailing arms as an industrial strength blower propels cash around me at high speeds. But instead of cash, I'm trying to process and react to a veritable blizzard of ignorant, rape-related bullshit flowing unabated from the mouths of conservative lawmakers in America. Reading story after story of how, say, a cranky old coot of a doctor peddling medically dangerous misinformation has somehow informed half of the American public's views on women's health care, or how, say, another dude — always a fucking dude — is saying that he doesn't think that pregnancy from statutory rape or incest is really A Thing since he personally doesn't know any pregnant kids or how, say, the GOP is condemning this sort of Wingnut Real Talk while quietly inserting a mandatory ultrasound hat tip/constitutional amendment that would force all rape victims to carry their assailant's child to term into their official party platform has worn me down.

I am at full rape capacity. I am officially in the throes of rape fatigue.

The first time I had to get up and walk away from my computer, shaking my head in disbelief, was when I first found out about Akin's morning show shenanigans. Really!? "Legitimate rape" victims don't get pregnant because of some unknown mechanism in the female body that "shuts that whole thing down?" My Twitter feed exploded with jokes about how Akin envisions that the female anatomy contains an army of scrubbing bubbles, about how legitimate murder shouldn't cause death, how the doctors Akin spoke with must think that the uterus has the personality of a Schutzhund champion. A uterus dentata, if you will. But rather than sharing in the embarrassment and chastising Akin for talking yang about crap he had no business talking about, the knee jerk reaction from the conservative loudmouths I hatefollow for their entertainment value was to defend Akin, or point out how Biden saying that dumb thing about chains was SO MUCH WORSE. Yes. Let's protect our own fragile illusion of perpetual correctness above all else. BEING SHOUTY IS ALL WE HAVE! NEVER STOP SHOUTING!

Akin's statements didn't surprise me, but the depth of his ignorance and the extent to which people with a lot more power than I have back him up did, no matter how many times it's reiterated to me (Remember this? Or this? Or this?). I'm not jaded enough to accept this as par for the well-manicured, men-only course, but should I be? Sure, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, John Cornyn, Sean Hannity, and a host of "unnamed GOP officials" paid lip service to disapproving the sentiment, but then went ahead and ratified an official party platform that promotes a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortions with no exception for rape or incest and wrote in an Official Bro Fist Bump for states who require women seeking abortions to receive a penalty dick mandatory ultrasound before terminating their pregnancies.

And yesterday, Todd Akin's grinning carcass had the gall to issue a 30-second apology for using the "wrong words in the wrong way." He has daughters, after all, and a wife. He loves women. He's likely talked to literally dozens of women in his life whom he did not subsequently stone. Also yesterday, Iowa Rep. Steve King backed Akin up, telling another local news outlet that he'd never heard of a child getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest. Sounds like someone needs a dressing down from Oprah, who was raped at age 9 and impregnated by a relative at age 14. Or maybe this Mexican 10-year-old. Or not. It's not secret, after all, that Steve King really does not like Mexicans.

Paying attention, digesting, and reacting to every dismaying War on Women news item that hits my inbox or reddit or endless alarming "PLEASE SEND MONEY NOW. WE NEED YOU - Michelle" emails that I still get from the Obama campaign after donating during 2008 can start to wear down on a person after awhile. Earlier this year, I pitched a "depressing new state laws governing or related to your ladybits" post to my editor, thinking it would take me about a week to research. There was so much shit to wade through that it took me almost a month. Along with scores of other women, I watched, agape, when Congressman Darrell Issa hosted a panel on birth control featuring all religious men whining about how allowing women to purchase birth control with their health care plans violated the men's religious freedom. I watched the entire multi-hour web stream of the hearing, thinking that maybe these men were just being deliberate assholes, that this was the newest realm of the urban hipster. Choosing to be religious and using that choice to interfere with women choosing not to be pregnant. Hipsters love irony. And when Virginia lawmakers pushing for mandatory transvaginal ultrasound laws were quoted saying, basically, that pregnant women had already been penetrated vaginally once, so it makes perfect sense for the state to require they be penetrated again, I winced so hard I think I strained something. Remember the time when Terry England of Georgia justified his support of a bill that would force women pregnant with nonviable fetuses to carry them to term with the fact that he was a farmer and sometimes livestock delivered stillborn baby farm animals and it was very, very sad? I did, until the memory was temporarily displaced by the next crappy thing a man who is actually in charge of stuff said. I was so fed up with Todd Akin's assholery yesterday and so distracted by the fact that he used a picture of a backlit fetus on the page he used to panhandle for signatures supporting his decision to stay in the race that I missed the fact that he misused YOUR, which is the sort of thing that pedants like me typically receive with gleeful schadenfreude.

Once, during a radio interview, I was asked if the War on Women was a real thing. I laughed like an overacting Bond villain. Ha! Ha! Ha!

When part of your job is delivering bad news, part of your job is constantly reading bad news. And, implicitly, occasionally drinking an entire bottle of wine on a Tuesday or taking a long, aimless walk that takes you all the way across the Manhattan Bridge and into the section of Chinatown that smells like an army of zombie fish. It's sitting at your family's dinner table during your summer vacation, unable to think of things to talk about with your own father that don't involve female anatomy or the regulation thereof. It's falling asleep in front of an episode of Arrested Development you've already seen 1,000 times because the scene when Tobias ascends the hill dressed as a mole makes you temporarily forget the cloud of ugh.

But even though I wish it would, it doesn't stop. Rep. Todd Akin still leads Claire McCaskill in the polls by a point and refuses to drop out of the race. Voters — millions and millions of them — will still cast their ballots for people like Akin and Iowa Rep. Steve King this election, even though they've made it their business to deregulate the hell out of banks and regulate the shit out of women. I hate to sound like a crotchety YouTube commenter who just watched a clip of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo for the first time, but what is wrong with this country? We have so far to go before we're even close to where we need to be for human beings to coexist in a state that is not terrifyingly precarious for one or more historically disenfranchised groups. This story and the garbage avalanche that has followed feels like stepping outside of my apartment one morning and realizing that I had traveled through time to 1955. Or 1200. I feel like a teacher who just gave a long division test only to discover that most of her students don't know how to subtract.

As President Obama said earlier this week, "Rape is rape." Seems like a pretty simple concept that a human being possessing a basic level of empathy should understand. But so many people don't. And no matter how sputteringly angry I get, no matter how many Twitter jokes or scathing Atlantic articles are written and petitions are signed, assholes are still going to vote similarly destructive assholes into office.
Akin, King, and the rest of the GOP that supported a WIRE HANGERS ALWAYS! constitutional amendment aren't simply destructive assholes — they're actively harmful, ill-intentioned. Evil. And before you condemn me for being overdramatic and premenstrual for choosing the word "evil" to describe guys who wear suits and America flag pins, consider what that word means — profoundly immoral and malevolent. People who truly believe that rape cannot lead to pregnancy because of *~uTeRuS mAgIc~* or that women who become pregnant under any circumstances must stay pregnant are using information that they know to be wrong in order to promote laws that cause bodily harm, physical punishment, and distress to women. Doesn't get much eviler than that without getting weapons and uniforms involved.

What needs to happen before spouting ignorant, anti-woman crap in public is uniformly met with the same sort of derision we now reserve for politicians who appeal to ethnic stereotypes during drunken tirades? How much longer are we all going to have to stay angry, after our mothers spent their lives angry? And is it even working?

Eventually a person gets to the point where they can longer withstand the constant blitzkrieg of bullshit. So, Steve King, Todd Akin, and shouty Twitter conservatives: you win. Rape outrage limit reached. I have given this all of my fucks, and the fucks I have given are still not enough fucks. So many more fucks need to be given, and I have exhausted my fuck supply. The fucks are on backorder. Employees are working overtime to restock my fucks, but in the meantime, please accept this 10% off coupon while we wait for the fucks to arrive via FedEx. I'll be over here, drinking wine from a Pac Man mug and watching cartoons.

Original Article