While the flurry of puns and bad jokes are still ringing in our ears, it has finally happened that another high-ranking, supposedly tech-savvy Congressman resigned in a press conference that hearkened back to the days of Richard Nixon’s resignation.
If Weiner thought the location would guarantee a dignified or somber parting, he was wrong. Cheers from supporters competed with shouts from at least two hecklers from the moment he entered the room. One heckler was from Howard Stern’s radio show; another screamed, “Bye bye, pervert!”
Seattle Times “Weiner resigns, but don’t be surprised by a comeback”
And while we might not have Anthony Weiner to kick around anymore, there will be another to take his place… UNLESS!?! This week’s Round Up will be about moving on to the future and Power Tool #7: Create a Movement. Is this not the wake-up call to PROGRESSIVE WOMEN EVERYWHERE?? Time to put on the running shoes and I don’t necessarily mean the ones with laces…
However, speaking of laces – now time for sports and how about a little equal time while you’re at it? The Ombudsman for the New York Times, Patrick B. Pexton was taken to task for the lack of coverage in women’s vs. men’s sports. While there seemed to be a lot of fact-searching on all the justifications over why MORE space/time/attention is given to men’s sports, what do you think of Pexton’s conclusion?
It’s always a cart-and-horse argument about whether more coverage leads to more interest in women’s sports or vice versa. But in the meantime, I think The Post can do better in its treatment of women’s sports, if only to feature more women on the front page of the Sports section and to cover more extensively the problems, and successes, of female athletes and teams as they drive to gain and keep a corner of the vast sports entertainment market. They’re fierce competitors, too.
Take a moment to give that some thought, we’ll come back to that…
Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was released from the hospital in Houston to begin this new phase of her recovery as an outpatient after the January shooting in Tuscon. And as she makes her way home, a look to the political scene in Arizona to see if anyone is eying her congressional seat. If they are, they aren’t making much noise about it as there is still deep hopes for her return.
“Gabby is still 100 percent focused on her recovery, ” said one strategist close to Giffords granted anonymity due to the delicacy of political discussions surrounding the Arizona Democrat. “A decision on 2012 will most likely come in 2012.” The source added that he was “optimistic” that she will be able to return to work and run again in 2012, but the truth is no one knows for certain what the future holds.
Washington Post’s The Fix “What’s next for Gabrielle Giffords”
So while it is wait and see for the future of Gabby Giffords, the opportunity for women to reject the complicit nature of scandal and run for what they believe in is NOW. The NY Times “Week in Review” still holds true as NY will seek someone to fill the seat for District 9, although it might need someone wipe it clean first. Who better than those who “run for office to do something” rather than to “be somebody”?
“The shorthand of it is that women run for office to do something, and men run for office to be somebody,” said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. “Women run because there is some public issue that they care about, some change they want to make, some issue that is a priority for them, and men tend to run for office because they see this as a career path.”
NY Times Week in Review “Naked Hubris: When It Comes to Scandal, Girls Won’t Be Boys”
And you know what? We are damn fierce competitors, too…
So what makes you angry enough to take action?
After the drama of the past week, is the time for anger over to move on to doing something about it?
What’s the next step?
Gloria Feldt
Latest posts by Gloria Feldt (Posts)
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