Independent of what Democrats think of Nancy Pelosi’s leadership--and whether we want a change after the midterm elections--I believe we must unite in speaking out against Trump and his cronies’ attacks on her. Let’s label it what it is: SEXISM.
Since when do we allow cowardly Congressional Republicans and their Russian-backed Predator-in-Chief to attack our female House Minority Leader, tarnish her reputation, and demonize her?
We let Trump bully Hillary Clinton and call her names without labeling that behavior as SEXISM, and we’re doing the same thing with Nancy Pelosi. During her tenure in the House, she has accomplished a lot in a sexist male-dominated arena. In fact, women are underrepresented in the 2018 Congress, and always have been. First, the facts:
In 2018, 107 (78D, 29R) women hold seats in the United States Congress, comprising 20.0% of the 535 members. There are 16 democratic women in leadership positions, and 6 republican women.
There are 23 women in the Senate: 17 democrats and 6 republicans.
There are 84 women in the House: 61 democrats and 23 republicans.
(Five women non-voting delegates (3D, 2R) in the House.
As of May, there were 408 women still in the running for seats in the House: 305 Democratic women and 103 Republican women. That’s a 3 to 1 majority for Democrats. There are 32 Democratic women and 22 Republican women running for Senator.
Why aren’t there more republican women running for office?
“According to Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), who announced she is not running for reelection in 2018, Republican women are not inspired to run for office and she partly blames President Trump.
“Just stop with the name calling,” she told CNN. “It turns women off. It turns a lot of people off, but especially young women. They just say this is ugly.”
She noted that while Republican women are repelled by Trump, the president has energized Democratic women.
“It's inspiring Democratic women to run,” she added. “Unfortunately, it's not inspiring Republican women to run. The rhetoric of the White House is a recruiting tool for liberal women to counter that.”
Republican women aren’t running for office because they are repelled by Trump!
So...I believe it’s time for Democrats to fight for the few women we have in Congress. (Again, I’m not talking about whether Pelosi should remain leader after the midterms if democrats win.) But, it is time to speak out against a president and a political party that defiles women while promoting men in their own party whose morals and beliefs are repugnant.
President Trump is in a class of his own. We know he is a sexual predator, who has been accused by at least 16 women of sexual harassment or sexual assault. We know he is an adulterer. We know he has a lifetime of insulting women. His comment to Billy Bush about being able to do anything to women, including “grabbing them by the pussy” stands out. And, I just learned that in 2004, Trump told Howard Stern it was okay to call Ivanka a “piece of ass.” And, these kinds of comments towards a slew of women including democratic politicians continued throughout Trump’s campaign and his presidency. The following are some of Trumps tweets and quotes.
Hillary Clinton: On Aprll 6, 2015, Trump tweeted: “If Hillary Clinton can’t satisfy her husband, what makes her think she can satisfy the country?
Trump continues to say, “Lock her up” about Clinton and always calls her Crooked Hillary.
What I didn’t know about was all the anti-Clinton merchandise at the Republican National Convention in 2016. A T shirt that read, “Hillary Sucks But Not like Monica.” A pin that said, “LIFE’S A BITCH: DON’T VOTE FOR ONE.” A black T shirt with Trump as a boxer having just knocked Hillary to the floor where she lies face up in a clingy tank top. White pin advertising KFC Hillary Special: 2 FAT THIGHS, 2 SMALL BREASTS...LEFT WING.
Elizabeth Warren: “Pocohontas is at it again! Goofy Elizabeth Warren, one of the least productive U.S. Senators, has a nasty mouth. Hope she is V.P. choice.”
At a June 5, 2018 rally in Montana, Trump said, “Let’s say I’m debating Pocahontas, right?...We will take that little (DNA) kit and say--but we have to do it gently, because we’re in the #MeToo generation...and we will say, ‘I will give you a million dollars to your favorite charity, paid for by Trump, if you take the test and it shows you’re an Indian.’”
Kirsten Gillibrand: On December 12, 2017, Trump tweeted: “Lightweight Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!”
Nancy Pelosi: On March 3, 2017, Trump tweeted: “I hereby demand a second investigation, after Schumer, of Pelosi for her close ties to Russia, and lying about it.”
“I certainly hope the Democrats do not force Nancy P out. That would be very bad for the Republican Party--and please let Cryin’ Chuck stay.”
On May 22, 2018, Trump said, “And the other day--just the other day--Nancy Pelosi came out in favor of MS-13. That’s the first time I’ve heard that. She wants them to be treated with respect, as do other democrats.”
Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi: July 3, 2018. “Crazy Maxine Waters, said by some to be one of the most corrupt people in politics, is rapidly becoming, together with Nancy Pelosi, the FACE of the Democrat Party. Her ranting and raving, ever referring to herself as a wounded animal, will make people flee the Democrats!
In fact, this is the 12th year, Republicans are trying to demonize Nancy Pelosi. In a July 18, 2018 article in The Atlantic by Dick Polman (which I can’t link to), he writes: that Republicans are “hitting her hard in the 2018 congressional midterms—painting the House Democratic leader as a ‘San Francisco liberal; and lashing Democratic candidates to her mast—because it worked so well in 2010 (when they spent at least $65 million on anti-Pelosi ads and won the House) and again in 2014 (when they augmented their House majority), Pelosi was featured in roughly one-third of all GOP broadcast ads in the first quarter of 2018, devoting a great deal of attention to a politician with little power.”
Isn’t it time for Democrats to fight back? What’s wrong with us that we allow these cowardly republicans to attack one of our leaders, and we say nothing?
I believe we must speak out, and so should candidates running for office. Since when do we allow Trump and his fellow bullies to decide who our leaders should be? In fact, I wish all candidates running for office would say something like the following when asked if they support Speaker Pelosi.
“For 12 years, the Republican Party has smeared Speaker Pelosi because she is a woman...one of only 22 women in leadership positions in this Congress--16 of whom are Democrats and 6 of whom are Republicans. As of May, there were 408 women still in the running for seats in the House: 305 Democratic women and 103 Republican women. That’s a 3 to 1 majority by democratic women over republican women. There are 32 Democratic women and 22 Republican women running for Senator.
The numbers tell the story. The Democratic party encourages both women and men to have a voice in governance. Can you say that about the Republican Party?
Representative Nancy Pelosi is a highly respected member of the Democratic party, and we will not allow President Trump to demonize her. Other than that, I have no comment. When the midterm elections are over, we will vote for our leaders. That’s a party matter, which will not and should not be dictated by republicans.”
