"Kate Michelman-- tackles Clinton for 'playing the victim' with gender card"

[wndycty]

Sweet blog column: Edwards advisor--abortion rights leader Kate Michelman-- tackles Clinton for "playing the victim" with gender card.

WASHINGTON--John Edwards campaign advisor Kate Michelman--former NARAL president-- is attacking frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton--the first female with a real chance of being elected president-- for complaining that her male rivals are "piling on."

"It's trying to have it both ways; walk the fence, something Senator Clinton's good at. At one minute the strong woman ready to lead, the next, she's the woman under attack, disingenuously playing the victim card as a means of trying to avoid giving honest, direct answers to legitimate questions," Michelman said in a statement the campaign issued Saturday.

Michelman has impeccable creditionals when it comes to the struggle for womens equality and supporting women cracking glass ceilings. As the former president of NARAL, she has been a long-time national leader in the abortions rights movement.

Michelman goes after Clinton for playing the gender card after Clinton botch answers in Tuesday's debate in Philadelphia--with Edwards part of an aggresive assault.


"As a woman who's been in the public eye and experienced scrutiny, as a woman who knows how hard it can be for women to earn their seat at the leadership table, how hard women have to work just to get the same opportunities, this distresses me," she said.
-snip-

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/11/sweet_blog_column_edwards_back.html#more

[MethuenProgressive]

1. An attack from one of Edwards top staffers is "news"??

And then, she plays the gender card herself!!
"

"As a woman who's been in the public eye and experienced scrutiny, as a woman who knows how hard it can be for women to earn their seat at the leadership table, how hard women have to work just to get the same opportunities, this distresses me," she said.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. Why Doesn't The Gentleman Tout The Virtues Of His Own Candidate Rather Than Carp About The Alleged

Or Real Flaws Of His Candidate's Opponents...


It seems campaign that is built on me because my opponent blows is built on a very weak reed...

[ClarkUSA]

5. Candidates and their surrogates do this all the time.

This is what all political campaigns do to the frontrunner, no matter what the race.

I'm sure if we were to look back to 1992, Bill Clinton did the same thing. It's fine.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. Actually The Big Dog Didn't Bash Dems In 92

Tsongas called him a Pander Bear and Jerry Brown challenged his ethics as an Arkansas governor...

[karynnj]

34. Clinton bashed Tsongus, Brown and Kerrey

though often he prefered his machine to do so.

[Rageneau]

48. Big Dog has never bashed ANYBODY. Ever!

One of the things I most admire about Bill is that he has never reasorted to the gutter politics that almost all his opponents have gleefully and consistently used against him.

Wingnuts of all stripes have attacked him with every insult a man can throw at another, but Bill has never responded in kind.

Search all you want and I doubt you will EVER find an instance where Bill Clinton has used insult and invective against one of his political opponents or detractors. I doubt that could be said of any other American politician of our age -- and it certainly can't be said of ANY Republican.

Bill Clinton's insistence on sticking to the issues and of being honest toward, and respectful of, hie enemies is yet another reason why I know that Bill Clinton is on Christ's side in politics.

And that Freepers aren't.

[PurityOfEssence]

43. He said Jerry Brown wasn't fit to stand on a stage with Hillary, and said it in a debate

This flap came up over allegations that her law firm had unduly benefited from Arkansas Government work.

Here's a fun example of Bill being above it, especially when one takes into account that he's talking about Jerry Brown. He said it's a "typical thing to say (by) a person who doesn't respect the fact that women can have their own world and do their own jobs."

Playing the gender card is a tough habit to break. That's just downright nasty and ugly, and when one remembers that he's referring to Jerry Brown, that just makes it ridiculous.

The ads he ran in Florida against Tsongas depicted him as being against Social Security and not very supportive of Israel. I still can't find any quotes...

Clinton had the advantage of pulling away from the pack early, so he didn't have to knock down his primary opponents so much. When imperiled, though, he got mighty mean.

Where these idiotically incorrect bits of history come from is interesting for speculation, but to conjure an image of Bill Clinton as a gentle and saintly lamb is hagiography at it's silliest. The only reason he didn't attack more is that he was the frontrunner for virtually the whole race, and that's what frontrunners generally do. No big kudos for decency here, and none for innovation either.

(Edited for copy formatting problem.)

[Maribelle]

3. And whatever we do, lets not dicusss when Edwards played the gender card and derided Hillary ...

for the color of her suit.

[DemBones DemBones]

15. Yes, what WAS that remark about her suit about?

Clinton's a woman and women can wear any color, while men are still confining themselves to navy, grey, brown (yuk); dull colors. Women did that in the Eighties and I'm glad we're over it. We're not men and shouldn't have to dress the way they do.

Edwards was really out of line to make a remark about the color of Clinton's jacket because it sounded as if he was criticizing her for wearing a "girly" color.

Pink is seen widely in nature, in flowers and fruit, inside our mouths, on the feathers of flamingos and roseate spoonbills, in coral reefs, etc. What's "girly" about that? And why is "girly" or "feminine" an insult?

[Debi]

46. I don't remember him saying anything about the color of the jacket

I thought it was a say something good & bad about the person to your left and Edwards complmented her commitment to service and then joked about not liking her jacket. I don't think he said anything about the color or about the gender of the person next to him.

On Edit - here it is:

http://www.cfr.org/publication/13876/democratic_debate_transcript_cnnyoutube.html

<snip>

COOPER: This last question from a YouTube viewer will be asked to each of you.

QUESTION: My name is Jason Koop, and I am from Colorado Springs, Colorado. And my question is for all of the candidates, and it is intended to lighten up the mood a little bit.

I would like for each of you to look at the candidate to your left and tell the audience one thing you like and one thing you dislike about that particular candidate. And remember, be honest.

<snip>

EDWARDS: I admire what Senator Clinton has done for America, what her husband did for America.

I'm not sure about that coat.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Senator Clinton?

CLINTON: Yes, John, it's a good thing we're ending soon.

(LAUGHTER)

<snip>

[saracat]

16. He didn't. It was a "joke" Pehaps in response to what don'y you like about your opponet he should

have said"that she is a war mongering hypocrite" ? Sheesh.

[Maribelle]

17. Maybe you thought it was a joke. So? He still played the gender card to many.

regardless

[saracat]

20. It was thought of as a joke by nearly all who watched. in fact media reviewers complimented Edwards

on his "timing" and it was considered a lighthearted moment in an otherwise ponderous debate.Whatever.

[Maribelle]

21. Bull. Many media reviews felt as I did at the time. He played the gender card. n/t

[saracat]

24. Bull.

[Maribelle]

pundits gave Edwards a dressing down for the crack

"Write this down, guys: Attack her policies, attack her past votes, attack her personality ... but don't attack what she's wearing. It looks sexist and cheap," opined Politico.com's Roger Simon.

"I hope his wife gave him a good smack upside the head afterward," wrote Lisa Takeuchi Cullen on her Time blog. ...

[Evergreen Emerald]

49. a "joke" minimizing a woman--reducing her to what she looks like

is still a significant tool that Edwards used.

I also found interesting the issue he responded to today on ABC's morning show about "code" when he discusses the electability of Obama and Clinton.

[The Count]

25. Or when his wife decried poor John not being a woman or black, therefore

being at a disadvantage...I guess this move is meant to make up for it.

[Maribelle]

26. Excellent Point. Thanks n/t

[karynnj]

35. I didn't take it that way - the question forced them to say something they

didn't like about the person - Dodd got it right - rejecting the question. Edwards anasered before that and that was one of the most innocuous things he could say.

[Debi]

47. Please see post #46 - he never said anything about the color of her suit. n/t

[Catchawave]

4. Advisor.

Big Difference :D

[MethuenProgressive]

14. And a paid staff member of Edwards Campaign:

The ladies man | Salon LifeKate Michelman, lifelong feminist and former head of NARAL, talks about why she's signed up to work for John Edwards.

www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2007/01/29/michelman/

I wonder why OpenLeft isn't being honest about who she is?

[The Count]

29. You mean like Shelton last time around? yeah, we know this trick.

I bet she is also a very good friend...:eyes:

[DemBones DemBones]

9. Key difference is that Michaelman is not a candidate, Clinton is.

For her to say:

"As a woman who's been in the public eye and experienced scrutiny, as a woman who knows how hard it can be for women to earn their seat at the leadership table, how hard women have to work just to get the same opportunities, this distresses me," she said."

is simply Michaelman establishing her bona fides, not playing the gender card.

Clinton played the gender card.

I don't like Michaelman and don't trust Edwards or Clinton, but I agree with Michaelman for once.

[The Count]

27. Her bona fides is adviser to the campaign of the white man who failed to vote

against the ban of "partial birth". Doesn't get too far with me.

[NMMNG]

6. This is where I get to reverse the role

But Obama played the race card!1!1

[Bullet1987]

8. Obama never played the race card

and this thread has nothing to do with him.

[wndycty]

11. Obama is hated so, they feel they have license to make shit up. . .

. . .its pretty obvious.

[NMMNG]

13. He did, repeatedly

Obama: "No doubt if we consolidate the Black vote, that would have a profound shift..."


Obama rejected two BLACK GAY PASTORS for SC campaign event


And don't give me that "this thread has nothing to do with him" nonsense. Every time somebody posts a thread about Obama a dozen people start bleating "But Hillary!!! Hillaryyyyyyy!" So I thought I'd just show them how it felt.

[Catchawave]

10. Full context of Kate's statement on OpenLeft, here:

You decide :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3681237

[BootinUp]

12. I wonder what her nickname is at DU. nt

[The Count]

23. Good point. All the other operatives are here - why not her?

[saracat]

18. Perhaps you can call Kate Michelman "dereanged"too!

Or "misogynist".Yeah, she must "hate women " herself. Isn't that what NARAL is about? "stupid" or any of those other remarks used to denigate those who oppose Hillary.

[The Count]

22. Not deranged, just opportunistic.

She certainly picked a candidate that - when he had the power - didn'tbother to do shit for choice rights!(Partial birth abortion ban)

[The Count]

19. Didn't Edwards use in 2004 that POS Shelton to question Clark's integrity?

Mr "Nice" is at it again...
Hillary may not be my candidate, but she earns points with every such underhanded poison.
When asked to disavow Shelton, Edwards never did...
As for Michelman, shame on her going for the candidate who never bother to show up to vote against the ban on "partial birth" abortions - some integrity she's showing!
I resigned my NARAL membership when I got her e-mail.

[BootinUp]

28. Its no wonder this party can't win an election

swear to crise.

Considering the blistering personal attacks in the debate she was justified plenty to run that mild ad.

Now we have some women telling others in the party that they are the real feminists and flashing their feminist credentials, its all so fucking stupid. Like Hillary is not a champion of womens rights in her own right.

Funny thing is this will end up damaging the SOMW and strengthening Hillary in the primary, just watch.

[sandnsea]

30. What was personal?

Where did someone attack her because for anything in her personal life, anything that wasn't directly related to her qualifications for being President?

[BootinUp]

31. Character nt

[sandnsea]

32. That's a qualification for the job

Dennis Kucinich is attacked on his character all the time.

[BootinUp]

36. I don't recall it getting this nasty

in the 04 primaries.

on edit: except against Clark anyways.

[sandnsea]

38. Against Clark???

lol. whatever. Objectivity doesn't appear to be your strong suit.

[BootinUp]

40. Oh what the hell... back at you.

I should have ignored you from the start, it was my first thought.

[sandnsea]

41. Yeah mine too

I've been putting Hillary's supporters on ignore for days because they have been just vicious this primary season. I thought perhaps if you were pinned down to having to come up with a specific personal attack, you might realize there weren't any. I guess not. Oh well.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

44. You Sir Are Correct

Clark was attacked on this board and rather viciously on several fronts. They were:

1) He was called a stalking horse or sock puppet for Hillary Clinton...One poster literally had a photoshopped photo of Hillary Clinton holding a sock puppet with Wes Clark's head on it...

2) He was called a crypto-Republican even though he had voted for Clinton in 92 and 96 and Gore in 00

3) He was accused of trying to start WW lll because he opposed Russian shenanigans during the Kosovo operation

4) He was charged with actually being in favor of the Iraq invasion when he was always opposed to it....



"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

-John Adams

[BootinUp]

45. Yes, but even some of the candidates used those

attacks against him. And thats what I was referring to.

Many posters have been justifying Edwards attacks against Clinton by saying its about issues, when in fact he attacked her character. That kind of shit should be left for Republicans to try and do, imho.

[Carrieyazel]

33. Michelman knows exactly what's going on. I wish she was supporting Richardson, though.

[rodeodance]

37. she is a smart cookie. I did not know she works with Edwards

[sniffa]

39. i "heart" the audacity of hope

http://news.lavenderliberal.com /

[Catherine Vincent]

42. I saw that little news conference of hers on CNN.

I cracked up!