Setting Back Women's Rights
by Ellen Goodman, Boston.com
It's
been 84 years since women won the right to vote, but the only women in
the race for White House housing are ladies, as in first
lady....American women, under their venerable old Constitution, will
hold only 13.8 percent of the congressional seats [this year].
"Failure is impossible," said Susan B. Anthony. But she forgot to mention how slow success could be.
With this in mind we assembled our one-woman committee to pick winners for the Equal Rites Awards. The ERAs are given annually to those who have done their most to set back the cause of equality.
The envelopes please.
The Super Bowl of Sexism
trophy goes to those folks at the NFL and the FCC who were shocked (!)
when their halftime programming - erectile dysfunction ads,
crotch-biting dogs, half-clad cheerleaders - was interrupted by Janet
Jackson's overexposure. Umm, anybody notice that Justin Timberlake had
a hand in the "wardrobe malfunction"?
Ah well, Boys will be Boys
and Arnold will be Schwarzenegger. The former Terminator and alleged
serial groper gets the boytoy prize for his critique of the Democratic
leadership in Sacramento: "I call them girlie men." We send the
legislators - male and female - sand to kick in his face.
If you
think Arnold deserves his booby prize, you haven't met Republican
Representative Bill Tauzin of Louisiana, who included a pet project in
the energy bill that would help subsidize a Hooters restaurant in
Louisiana. We send him a push-up bra nicely inscribed: Your Tax Dollars
At Work.
The private sector has its own boobs. So the Mixed Messenger Prize
goes to the restaurant owner in West Branch, Iowa, who on one hand
sponsored wet T-shirt contests. On the other hand, he refused to let a
woman breast feed her baby at her table. We send him what he needs, a
pacifier. [Must have been a Republican.]
(Click here to read the rest of the article.)
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Thursday, August 26
Setting Back Women's Rights
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 26 Aug 2004 05:05 PM CDT
Vilsack Supports Mike Owen
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 26 Aug 2004 11:58 AM CDT
Vilsack Supports Mike Owen
Mike Owen, Democrat for State Representative District 79, Cedar, Johnson, Muscatine Counties Gov. Vilsack Speaks Up for Our Commitment: Education Our campaign's commitment to education received a boost Tuesday as Governor Vilsack appeared at a news conference at Kirkwood Community College to support education and the "pro-education" Iowa House campaigns of Mike Owen (D-West Branch) and Mark Shearer (D-Washington). It couldn't have come from a more appropriate source - the man who protected education from drastic cuts by squashing reckless fiscal policies promoted by the Republican leadership of the Legislature. A vote for our campaign is a vote for change - for education, for good jobs, and for access to affordable health care. We must assure adequate funding not only for our K-12 schools, but for our community colleges and universities, to rein in skyrocketing tuitions and keep educational opportunity within reach of our working families. Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson to headline Labor Day Picnic in Downey Here's a great chance to meet Iowa Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson! The lieutenant governor will speak at the Owen for Iowans Labor Day Barn Picnic on Monday, Sept. 6, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the historic 1883 Secrest Octagonal Barn just west of Downey. Hot dogs, apple pie and some sound voting advice from one of our state's shining stars. Suggested donation $10/person, $25/family. Come on out to see this fascinating example of farm architecture from Iowa's past, and talk to your friends and neighbors about Iowa's future. More Upcoming Events Friday Aug. 27, Cedar Rapids: Sen. Max Cleland and Sen. Kerry's Band of Brothers - Help Win an Election, and Maybe a New Car, Too! Former Sen. Max Cleland will be the keynote speaker for the "Workers for a Better Iowa" fundraiser at Paramount Theater this Friday, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $25 for the event, and also available are $50 raffle tickets on a 40th Anniversary model 2004 Ford Mustang. Each raffle ticket has a chance to win one of four prizes - the Mustang, or cash prizes of $2,000, $1,000 and $500. Each raffle ticket carries an automatic prize - that great feeling of knowing you're helping to elect a new Democratic majority for the Iowa Legislature. Call Mike Owen by Thursday if you want a raffle ticket, (319) 643-5714. The event and raffle are sponsored by the Hawkeye Labor Council and the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Building Trades Council, in conjunction with the Iowa Democratic Party. For more information, call (319) 365-0413, or call the Hawkeye Labor Council at (319) 396-8461. Saturday, Aug. 28, Wilton: Founder's Days Parade Join us on the streets of Wilton as we march in the Founder's Days parade, which begins at 2 p.m. Lineup begins at 1 p.m. at the high school parking lot; be at the lineup area by 1:45 p.m. if you'd like to join us. Free candy! Monday, Sept. 6, Rochester: Snapper City Daze Parade One of the area's favorite annual parades through the streets of Rochester beginning at 10 a.m. on Labor Day. We always have room for marchers with big smiles! Sunday, Sept. 12, Lowden: Parade for 125th Anniversary of Lowden Fire Dept The Lowden firefighters have been working the parade circuit as hard as any campaign for the 2004 election to promote their 125th anniversary celebration Sept. 11 and 12. Join the folks of Lowden on this weekend, and walk with us in the parade on Sunday at 2 p.m. Just About Yard-Sign Time You've seen a few of our road signs popping up around the district - but we have more to put up, and lots of yard signs, too. Please help us get prime locations for yard signs and road signs. We are now inside 10 weeks to Election Day, and the time for putting up those signs is approaching quickly. If you need more information, call us: Mike Owen Democratic candidate for State Representative District 79 Cedar, Muscatine, Johnson counties (319) 643-5714 owen4iowans@Lcom.net Owen for Iowans 563 Oliphant St. West Branch, IA 52358 To learn more about Mike Owen or to contribute to his campaign, click here. Scroll down to the bottom of Mike's Citizen Whip page to make a contribution online.
It's Bad to Be the King by Andrew Smith
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 26 Aug 2004 04:55 AM CDT
It's Bad to Be the King
by Andrew Smith, Democratic Candidate, Iowa House District 40 This summer, Congressman Steve King of Iowa's fifth district has been on a crusade against "activist judges," who he claims "legislate from the bench." According to Congressman King, "policymaking decisions…should not be made by lifetime-appointed judges, but by elected lawmakers who are accountable to the public." In April of this year, King offended U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf when he said that "activist judges" were using their positions of power to impose their personal views on the rest of society. King also commented that unelected judges were amending the U.S. Constitution by striking down acts of Congress as unconstitutional. Unfortunately, most people (including King) who use the term "judicial activist" do not provide a workable definition of what it means. In my experience, it typically means judicial opinions rendered by judges the speaker disagrees with. However, it is not "judicial activism" or unconstitutional for a judge to use his or her discretion to strike down as unconstitutional acts of the legislative branch. This power of judicial review was found constitutional in the famous case of Marbury v. Madison, which happens to be the foundation of constitutional law. Perhaps King should consider reading it. Certainly, King would be hard pressed to find any serious legal scholar today who believes courts should uphold all actions of the legislative branch, no matter how draconian. I would also be frightened of anyone who would advocate lessening, weaking, or removing some of our current judicial checks on legislative power. But that appears to be exactly what Steve King wants to do. In reality, "judicial activism" can only really occur when a decision clearly, without a shadow of a doubt, is in conflict with the text of the United States Constitution; either because a judge is reading something into the Constitution that does not exist or is refusing to interpret something that clearly does exist. But in practice, there are many vague and open-ended clauses in the United States Constitution that are anything but clear, and as a result, reasonable minds can and do often differ on their original meaning and intent. As a result, true "judicial activism" is extremely rare. Ironically, most true “judicial activism” today in my opinion is done by the conservative judges Steve King often applauds (Judge Roy Moore, for example). This is because conservative judges repeatedly ignore and disregard the United States Constitution where it seems vague and open to interpretation, despite the fact that these clauses are clearly in the document. In their opinion, failing to ignore these open-ended clauses would give judges too much power and discretion, and would make the Constitution a "living document," something conservatives detest. Thus conservative judges often ignore the Ninth Amendment ("The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people") and the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment ("No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States") without justification. Isn't reading something out of the Constitution just as much activism as reading something into it, Mr. King? Representative King, you can disagree with the meaning of certain clauses in the United States Constitution, but don't insult our distinguished judges who use their constitutional discretion to “judge” what they mean by calling them names. Simply attack the judge’s legal interpretation and give us evidence and reasoning why their decision is inconsistent with clearly-established precedent and history. And if you believe that an interpretation made by a judge is clearly wrong and can convince enough of "the people" that your interpretation of a clause is right, then do what your conservative friend Justice Scalia often suggests and attempt to amend the Constitution to clarify. However, I believe that in the end you have picked the wrong enemy, Mr. King. Federal judges are not the ones imposing their unconstitutional actions on the citizenry. They are often the ones stopping Congress from imposing their unconstitutional actions on us. To learn more about Andrew Smith or to contribute to his campaign, go here. |
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