My name is Catherine Morgan, I'm a writer, nurse, mother, and founder of "The Political Voices of Women". This is a blog dedicated to inform and educate the voting public through articles, ideas, and links. It's also a way of giving myself a voice, rather than just sitting back and watching politics and my opinion go by.
--- I am now also at the Care2 Election Blog.
When I first published this list back in October, we had links to 100 women blogging about politics. Today, the count is at 375, and still growing. Are you a woman blogging about politics? Are you on the list? If not, please leave me your link in comments, so I can add your blog. And, if you would like to be a guest blogger on The Political Voices of Women with a guest post, please join our community.
I hope you’ll take some time and check out the women on the list…and if you blog about politics, consider adding some of these women to your blogroll, or linking to them in a post.
Even though her proposals would involve tens of billions in government spending, Clinton moved to head off anticipated charges that such measures would constitute a bailout. “To those who object to our government helping middle-class and low-income families devastated by the housing crisis, I say this: We’ve given Bear Stearns a $30 billion lifeline, we’ve given their creditors, their lenders, their customers, and those associated with them the same lifeline,” she said. “How can you tell a family about to lose their home that there’s nothing we can do to help them?”
I think this is a great plan, and it would be much better for the housing market to help people not go into foreclosure. Not only does foreclosure hurt the family that is made homeless, but it hurts the whole neighborhood, by bringing down home values for everyone.
I personally know more than one family who have been struggling for years to pay their mortgages, and now find themselves facing possible foreclosure. These families have already made huge sacrifices to keep paying their mortgages, in hopes to someday have at least a small nest-egg in their homes. But now those homes aren’t even worth what paid for them, and even if they were able to sell their homes (and many can’t even do that), they would lose money. On top of everything else, the cost to heat these homes has skyrocketed, and so has gas, food, healthcare, and just about everything else. Finances have gotten so bad, that these people feel the only solution is to walk away from their homes and their mortgages.
We need to find a way to help people who (up until now) have been struggling each month paying their mortgages, but who now feel their only option is to abandon their American Dream. We need to find a way to throw these families some sort of life-raft and help them get through this crisis with their dignity and hopefully their homes. More foreclosures, more abandoned homes, and more homeless families is only going to prolong this housing crisis.
And the problems facing the middle-class is not limited to the housing crisis. Rising healthcare cost are seriously hurting many families…
Recent history has not been kind to working-class Americans, who were down on the economy long before the word recession was uttered.
The main reason: spiraling health-care costs have been whacking away at their wages. Even though workers are producing more, inflation-adjusted median family income has dipped 2.6 percent — or nearly $1,000 annually since 2000.
There is no doubt that we are facing serious economic problems in this county. Since stopping this economic crisis is obviously not going to happen, we need to find the best way to get through it…and it shouldn’t be every man for himself. The more we collectively help Americans that need help, the fast are economy will recover from this crisis. The longterm costs of not helping these families, could end up being even more devastating to our economy.
It is so tiring and stressful to read the Hillary Clinton-bashing that has been allowed to go on at so many if the big “progressive” liberal blogs, such as americablog, Huffington Post, and Daily Kos. I read the quotes taken out of context, the facts misrepresented, and rumors posted as fact, and I am torn between just clicking away and standing up for her. The problem is, if I post a comment that defends Hillary Clinton on any of those sites, I am assured of hateful, often disgusting replies. Sometimes directed at Clinton, sometimes at me. So I’ve pretty much just given up on those sites.
I’ve been posting at DailyKos for nearly 4 years now and started writing diaries in support of Hillary Clinton back in June of last year. Over the past few months I’ve noticed that things have become progressively more abusive toward my candidate and her supporters.
I’ve put up with the abuse and anger because I’ve always believed in what our on-line community has tried to accomplish in this world. No more. DailyKos is not the site it once was thanks to the abusive nature of certain members of our community.
I’ve decided to go on “strike” and will refrain from posting here as long as the administrators allow the more disruptive members of our community to trash Hillary Clinton and distort her record without any fear of consequence or retribution. I will not be posting at DailyKos effective immediately. I will not help drive up traffic or page-hits as long as my candidate – a good and fine DEMOCRAT - is attacked in such a horrid and sexist manner not only by other diarists, but by several of those posting to the front page.
I have been checking in on those sites every once in a while, just to see what people are saying. But I have to say I agree with Alegre: I don’t want to have any part in driving up their traffic or giving them an audience.So, in addition to her writer’s strike, let’s have a reader’s strike, as well!
I have been spending a good part of today surfing the 300+ women bloggers on my list…I’ve been nominating many of them to Women’s Voices Making History at WVWV. But I had to stop for just a minute, when I came across a post at The Truffle (who is 67% addicted to blogging), and I found the above widget and a link to How Addicted to Blogging Are You? Of course, I had to take a little break, and find out how addicted I was. So, I took the quick little quiz, and guess what? I’m only 87% addicted. That’s not so bad. No need for intervention or a recovery program just yet.
Well, no more time for this. I have to get back to nominating as many women as I can for .
Clinton & Obama: Unite Democrats, Insist All Votes Be Counted — Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)
I know I am in the minority when I say this…But, I do not think that under any circumstances, either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, should concede the Democratic nomination. At least not until every state has held it’s primary. This election is just much too important for that. Sadly, most would prefer Hillary Clinton bow out gracefully if she doesn’t have a landslide victory on Tuesday.
Top supporters of Senator Barack Obama, joined by at least one prominent Democrat yet to endorse a candidate, put pressure on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday to bow out of the presidential race unless she scores clear victories in the crucial big-state primary contests on Tuesday.
Like I said, “I don’t agree.” This isn’t just any election, this is an historic election. One where Democrats will be nominating either the first woman or the first African American to be our next president. And I think it is only fair that all Democrats (except of course Florida*), have an opportunity to vote in this primary.
If the candidates (and the DNC) truly care about uniting the party, then they should agree that regardless of the outcome, Clinton and Obama will run as a team. And then, from this moment, and until every state has had an opportunity to vote, Hillary and Barack should campaign on the issues only, and drop all the rhetoric and mudslinging.
I know this is a radical idea, and one that will probably not be adopted. However, by uniting the candidates, the party becomes united. And by allowing every state to hold a primary that “counts”, the DNC will continue to unite the voters in preparation for the general election. Let’s face it…How well has this primary system (of deciding the nominee before all states have had a chance to vote), served us in the past? Not so well.
It seems clear that voters want all votes to be counted, so why not just do it? I think it’s about time to recognize that the old system is not working. And the primaries are going to be held in every state either way, so why not let them all count?
Guess what? It’s not to late to do right by the American people.
During Women’s History Month, help make women’s voices heard.
WVWV is honoring those women that have utilized the internet to amplify their voices.
Nominate your favorite blogger by March 21, then check back to vote for your favorite among our top 10 women bloggers.
If you are reading this post, please take a minute to nominate one of the (over 300) Women Political Bloggers in our growing list. On March 21st, ten of the women bloggers who have received the most nominations, we be listed…and then the voting will begin.
Is politics making you stressed? Anxious? Depressed? — Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)
Some days are worse than others for me. Today was particularly bad, especially with that stupid, fear mongering, “scare us into calling our senators” ad I’ve been seeing all day. Here is a video clip of the ad with the “truth” pointed out…
I’ve written about this FISA issue so much already, it makes me want to just SCREAM! I guess that makes me a wee-bit stressed. Screaming at the t.v. would seem to be a good indication of a person’s anxiety level, don’t you think? Do you ever want to scream at your television?
Today I even let the “F-bomb” slip, and in front of my daughter no less. It was while I was on the phone talking about politics (specifically, my pet-peeve issue of Florida disenfranchisement), and my daughter was sitting in the same room. There goes my “Perfect Mother of the Year” award.
How would you rate your level of politically induced stress? Are you a one? And not affected at all over political issues? Or, are you a ten? And waiting patiently for the men with straight jackets to show up at your door? I don’t think I’m a ten yet. But, at this rate, I’m sure it won’t be too long before I am.
Here are a couple posts I found of other women who are stressing over politics…
As America’s anxiety grows, the economy not only is becoming a preeminent issue of the election, but the presidential candidates are responding to public anxiety about the current model of globalization. The Democratic candidates are reflecting back the public criticism of the status quo, but so far, they have avoided stating how an aspiring future president would restore the economic security of the American middle class in this era of globalization.
Okay, so on Tuesday I went to cast my vote in the Democrats Abroad primary at Portchester Hall in London. The problem was, I was having a massive moral crisis. I was an undecided voter, for the first time in my entire life (and yes, this includes casting a vote for Dukakis in my school’s mock election in 1988 and crying when Bush won).
Since Edwards dropped out (and this Krugman column made me cry), I’ve had a hard time getting excited about the Democratic primary. This isn’t just out of character, it’s out of keeping with the massive turnouts recorded all over the states which (I assume) means that heaps of other people are terribly thrilled. It’s a strange combination of disillusionment, apathy, and indecision that I’ve never experenced before. Between Obamania and the Hillarybot, who the hell am I going to vote for?
I don’t know about you, but I’m having a panic attack about the future of our country. I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine around the time of the last presidential election. She considered herself a Democrat and I considered myself a Republican.
The real question is…How are we going to make it to November with all of this stress? Well, there is no specific “political” stress relief program. But, here are some general tips you might find helpful., in reducing your level of stress. When all else fails…Turn the “freekin” news OFF.
Under stress? Always. First and foremost, don’t panic! Some people can work under stress because they do not panic. Keep calm and assess the situation. What is the sources of the stress? Is it your boss? Your officemate? The office/school itself? Chill. Hopefully, none of them bite. Here are some ways to control the stress in your life…
I heard recently that there is no such thing as stress. You can’t go outside with an empty jar, fill it with stress then bring it home or with you to wherever you go. Hmmm, sounds good. Then why are we so stressed-out? Why do we do this to ourselves?
Do we really need to count ALL the votes? Huckabee thinks we do. — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog)
Can you imagine the outrage, if someone had called last Sunday night’s Super Bowl early??? Or your bank teller stopped counting your $100 at 95, and told you it was close enough? What if your boss just “guesstimated” your paycheck? When it comes to our money, we want it all counted…But, when it comes to our votes it doesn’t matter???
“That is not what we do in American elections,” Huckabee said on CNN’s American Morning Monday. “Maybe that’s how they used to conduct it in the old Soviet Union, but you don’t just throw people’s votes out and say, ‘well, we’re not going to bother counting them because we kind of think we know where this was going.’
In a statement released Sunday, Huckabee’s campaign said Washington’s GOP Party Chairman Luke Esser called the race for McCain when Huckabee was only losing to the Arizona senator by 242 votes and over 1,500 votes remained to be counted. Esser has said he remains confident he made the right call.
Speaking on CNN, Huckabee said the campaign has sent lawyers to the state to formally challenge the result.
“I was just stunned,” Huckabee said. “It’s the kind of thing that Republicans across America, not just in Washington State, ought to be outraged over.”
The former Arkansas governor also brushed aside McCain’s claim of being the presumptive nominee, citing his wins in Kansas and Louisiana over the weekend.
See the results of the Care2 Presidential Primary. Of the 11,426 votes from Care2 members in the past week, Barack Obama was the clear winner with 34 percent! Hillary Clinton came in second with 26 percent.
Tonight the Republicans debated in California at the Reagan Library. It basically turned into a mini slug-fest between McCain and Romney. Just in case you missed it, here are a couple of video clips and links to posts on the debate.
I’m a disenfranchised voter in Florida, and happy to be voting today anyway. I have to admit, I’ve been more than a little annoyed with this whole Florida delegates don’t count thing. This morning was no different. Especially after I came across this post over at BlueBloggin - Clinton Breaks Pledge and Heads to Florida…
Hillary Clinton along with all the other Democratic candidates pledged not to campaign in Florida, however Hillary will appear in Florida on Tuesday. How can anyone trust or believe what Clinton says. It’s obvious that Hillary doesn’t play or obey the same rules everyone else does.
Obviously, this person has a bone to pick with Hillary. And quite frankly, it very well may be obvious that Hillary doesn’t “play by the rules”. But, as a disenfranchised voter of Florida, I have a couple of things to say about this.
#1 - Hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters in Florida are being told that their [primary] vote does not matter. Even worse, the candidates have signed pledges to make sure the voters of Florida know that they just don’t care.
One of the things we are going to start doing on the Care2 Election Blog, is have a Friday blog round-up. Each round-up will consist of ten blogs, with posts on various political issues from the week. At the moment, I have two ways to surf for political blogs; 1) Google Blog Search, and 2) List of Women Political Bloggers. If you have a blog that you would like me to consider for a future Friday round-up, feel free to leave your link in the comments of this post. I hope you enjoy the blogs we’ve picked for our first week.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Stop the Spying campaign asks for people all over the U.S. to send photos and videos of their opposition to the telecom immunity bill. Here’s mine:
McConnell has called for a cloture vote on the SSCI Bill (the one that gives the telecoms–and therefore Dick Cheney–immunity). The vote is scheduled for 4:30 PM on Monday, just hours before the State of the Union. If the Republicans win the cloture vote, then the SSCI bill will almost certainly become law–and you will have fewer protections against improper government surveillance.
To be honest, this debate has been a snore. But here are a couple of semi-interesting moments. In the first, Mike Huckabee makes some sense on the economic stimulus. He says, essentially, if we’re going to borrow $150 billion from China to finance the stimulus package, why not use it to do something useful instead of just handing it over to be spent on goods imported from China?
This election year is historic in many ways. The most obvious, of course, are that the contenders Clinton and Obama, are the first woman and first person of color who are serious contenders for the White House.
Somewhat overshadowed, however, is the new emphasis on religion in this election.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and former Army Ranger, just returned from his 11th trip to Iraq. Speaking to reporters today about his trip, Reed rebutted conservatives’ assertions of success in Iraq:
First, the surge has not achieved the president’s principal stated objectives, which are political in nature. […]
The America’s Giving Challenge will be over in another ten days. Thanks to the generosity of everyone here, we are still in the running to win the $50,000K. If we win, we can help many children like Mon Channy have a better life. And all for a donation of $10 and asking your friends to do the same.
Breaking: Economic Stimulus and Tax Rebate Agreement
WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders completed a deal Thursday with the White House on an economic stimulus package that would give most tax filers refunds of $600 to $1,200, and more if they have children.
NOTE:This plan must still pass the Senate.
Also See:
Does Bill Clinton Need A Time Out? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog and The Political Voices of Women)
Bill Clinton is not on the ballot for the presidential campaign, but he is getting a lot of attention this week in South Carolina. I would say that his behavior over the last few days has been not only disappointing, but seriously un-presidential like, especially on Wednesday…
DILLON, S.C. - Bill Clinton said Wednesday he expects blacks to vote for Barack Obama and women to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the dynamic may cause his wife to lose the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary Saturday.
The comments by the former president — who also lashed out at Obama and the news media — mark one of the starkest commentaries yet on the possible role of race, although it has been a subtext of the Obama-Clinton rivalry for months.
Even though this type of behavior and controversy makes better political fodder for pundits and ratings, it’s this kind of thing that really turns people off to the process. I’ve expressed my displeasure with this type of campaigning before, and my feelings have not changed. Campaigns do a disservice to the voting public by not focusing on the issues. Voters deserve to hear the issues important to our country…not just bickering and rhetoric.
Don’t get me wrong…I like Bill Clinton, in fact I’m somewhat concerned about him. I realize he is very passionate about supporting his wife for president, but I would suggest that he may be overworked. Even for a healthy person (and lets not forget that it was just 3 years ago that Bill Clinton had heart bypass surgery), the pace of his schedule must be physically and emotionally exhausting. Please, give this man a time-out or something. Even if I’m wrong, and Bill isn’t totally exhausted, he still needs to take a break. It seems to me, that his recent behavior will ultimately hurt Hillary and the democratic party - by giving any Republican nominee an open door for this same type of attack.
It seems like it was just yesterday that President Bush was trying to convince us that the American economy was on a “solid foundation” (well, he actually said that about two weeks ago). Finally, the Bush administration is ready to admit there may actually be some cracks in that foundation, and today announced plans for an economic stimulus package.
Now the question is - Will this plan to stimulate the economy actually work? Who will this plan benefit the most? Will it benefit the people struggling the most in our country? My first impression of this plan, is that it will just be a band-aid, and one that will be too small to actually stop the bleeding.
I was disappointed (although not surprised) that President Bush didn’t go into more detail about his plan…It felt a lot like another one of his “just trying to stay relevant” moments. It sounded like he wanted to let congress know that it will be his plan or no plan. Even though he spoke of bi-partisanship, I didn’t get the sense that he actually meant it [I do hope I am wrong about that].
What are some of the candidates saying about the Bush economic stimulus package?
