Womens' Groups, Once Friends, Now Foes Over Clinton

Source: ABC News

Womens' Groups, Once Friends, Now Foes Over Clinton

Nation's Leading Women's Group and Anti-War Coalition Divide Over Clinton Endorsement

By ELOISE HARPER

March 28, 2007— Two women's groups, traditionally friends and both advocates of ending U.S. military presence in Iraq, find themselves at odds over the endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president.

The National Organization for Women — arguably the Goliath of women's groups at half a million members strong — endorsed Clinton's White House run Wednesday, pitting them against the anti-war group Code Pink, which has long made Clinton a top target.

Powerful Women's Group Backs Clinton
Announcing NOW's endorsement, the former first lady said, "It's an honor to be supported by these accomplished women," adding, "No one has been more committed to equal rights and ending discrimination in our society."

Kim Gandy, chairwoman of NOW, echoed, "Senator Clinton has a long history of support for women's empowerment, and her public record is testimony to her leadership on issues important to women in the U.S. and around the globe.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2988995&page=1

and secondly, Code Pink seems to be endorsing, well...nobody. :shrug:

and secondly, it is a peace group, not a political group.

Code Pink doesn't endorse candidates; Code Pink endorses P E A C E.

And I am tired of the MSM trying to pit left wing groups against each other.

A subtle distinction, apparently too subtle to register on the crude and blunted sensibilities of the brutish male.

Code Pink is not about advancing the cause of women but the cause of peace. NOW is about endorsing the cause of women, and having a female president is a long held goal at NOW.

No assumption that you're brutish, BTW. :)

They have men members too.

About CODEPINK

http://www.codepinkalert.org/section.php?id=3

CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq,
stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities.

CODEPINK rejects the Bush administration's fear-based politics that justify violence, and instead calls for
policies based on compassion, kindness and a commitment to international law.

With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire
a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.

Through March 8th, International Women’s Day, CODEPINK held a daily, all-day peace vigil in front of the White House.
The Women’s Peace Vigil inspired people from all walks of life, and from all over the country to stand for peace.

Many organizations sponsored days:
Greenpeace, WILPF, WAND, Public Citizen, NOW, Women for Women International, Neighbors for Peace and Justice, among others.

On March 8th, CODEPINK celebrated women as global peacemakers with a week of activities, rally and march to encircle the White House in pink. Over 10,000 people participated.
Among them, Alice Walker, Maxine Hong Kingston, Jody Williams, Susan Griffen, Starhawk, and Medea Benjamin.

Since then CODEPINK has become a worldwide network of women and men committed to working for peace and social justice.

Although I am a staunch feminist, I've learned much about the money which funded the women's movement in the 60's.

I was just floored...in disbelief. Bit it's true. The Banks which run the Federal Reserve, Rokefeller, Rothshilds, etc...ALL designed the plan to get women to work and collect their income taxes. Married women, even better. At least under our tax system.

Ever wonder where Gloria Steinham has been since 9/11? How bout Katrina? How out Bill Clinton's reorganization of Welfare? NA DA! No Gloria anywhere. Complete apathetic nothing.

but Lynn Samuels, the liberal talk show host on Sirius Radio always called NOW the National Organization of White Women. She hates them.

run on 'trade secret,' proprietary programming code, owned and controlled by rightwing Bushite corporations.

A huge mistake. An indicator of corruption.

I think we gals need to create an alternative organization called THEN.

To hark back to some of the original goals of the women's movement: antiwar, antislavery, pro-health, pro-women's values in politics (compassion, nurturing, peacemaking, and homespun ethics and morality).

Anti-war is a no-brainer. Clinton supports the war in the Middle East.

Anti-slavery is still relevant. We have slaves--often young women--in sweatshops worldwide (promulgated by Clinton "free trade" policy). We have women becoming slaves to the Corporate Rulers, just as men have, without social support. No child care. No family leave. The people on whom the job of nurturing children most often falls have to compete "just like men." And there is a lot to be done to overcome the legacy of slavery in this country. Bill Clinton policy was to punish the poor, to withdraw what little help they had. Hillary Clinton hasn't disavowed that policy, and has furthermore helped the Bushcons to push the deficit up to $10 TRILLION, with the fall-out all falling on the backs of the poor.

Pro-health: The early feminists took a wrong turn, on this one--with Prohibition. They had cause, but they didn't think it through. Today we need to decriminalize most drugs and completely reform the prison-industrial complex and the hugely destructive "war on drugs." Clinton supports these fascist programs. Also, pesticides, GMOs--whatever the global corporate predators want is fine with Clinton. No commitment to real health. No commitment to saving the planet.

Peacemaking; In personal, as well as national and international relations. Is Clinton a peacemaker? Would she consider cutting the military budget, say, by 90%, down to a true defensive posture. (No more wars of choice!) Not on your life.

Homespun ethics and morality: anathema to a power player like Clinton. Has she disavowed torture? Indefinite detention without trial? The "unitary executive"? Slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocent people in a corporate resource war? Not so far as I know. She's more of a Margaret Thatcher-type and Condi-Rice-type than, say, Rigoberta Menchu (indigenous candidate for president in Guatemala; Nobel Peace Prize winner for helping to end the civil war), or socialist Michele Batchelet (the first women president of Chile--tortured by Pinochet, which turned her into a socialist)), or Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi (who clearly allow their feminine/maternal values to invade the domains of power, bringing a truly feminine perspective to the issues). Real food. That's a homespun ethic that I associate with my grandmothers and grand aunts--that is badly needed in our country's and the world's food system. And not putting people in jail for petty crimes. Real morality. The morality of forgiveness and generosity and hope.

Women's issues: On all issues--including women's issues--there are a lot of male politicians whom I would trust a lot more than Hillary Clinton. I think she's going to do some really bad shit--like a military Draft, for permanent war in the Middle East, sneaky privatization of Social Security, and continued corporate pharmaceutical control of health care--which aren't going to help women at all (or anyone). Yeah, you can get an abortion--if you can afford to go to the doctor. Yeah, you can get an abortion in the military, if you're still alive, and still have the bottom half of your body.

THEN. Our grandmothers' wisdom. What they knew, and what they hoped for, in suffering ridicule, jail and torture for the right to vote. The end of war. The beginning of social justice.

THEN. And it will include men, and make peace with men, and bring the Great Grandmother's wisdom to men and as well as women.

THEN. The Human Energy Network?