But Still I Am One - No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex.

Thanks mainly to Katie Couric, and Hillary’s amazing speech on June 7, the media is finally, begrudgingly beginning to report on “perceived,” “seeming,” “sensed,” sexism that plagued the media’s coverage of Senator Clinton. 

While the media is busy half-heartedly pointing fingers at everyone but themselves, they have once again revealed that Howard Dean needs to resign…NOW. 

The New York Times reports:

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic Party, who says he was slow to pick up on charges of sexism because he is not a regular viewer of cable television, is taking up the cause after hearing an outcry from what he described as a cross-section of women, from individual voters to powerful politicians and chief executives.

Really, Dean? Couldn’t pick up on the charges because you don’t watch cable television?  First, the charges of sexism weren’t being relayed via cable television, since that’s where the sexism was coming from!  I’m sure the charges came from actual women and men who were outraged, angered, and shocked by the blatant sexism that you refused to acknowledge until the Chosen One’s election was on the line.

But even if you don’t watch “cable television,” would you have us believe you don’t read newspapers, check online news sources, listen to the radio?

Be honest, Dean. You were slow to catch on because you don’t care. And the only reason you are feigning understanding and outrage now is because The Precious’ and your career now depend on it. Did it finally kick in that women and men were serious when they said they wouldn’t vote for The Chosen One in November?  Must have, because only the threat of lost votes could have made you say this:

“The media took a very sexist approach to Senator Clinton’s campaign,” Mr. Dean said in a recent interview.

“It’s pretty appalling,” he said, adding that the issue resonates because Mrs. Clinton “got treated the way a lot of women got treated their whole lives.”

Mr. Dean and others are now calling for a “national discussion” of sexism.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE DEAN!  The media did, and continues to take a “very sexist approach” to Senator Clinton!  And yes, it is appalling, because women ARE STILL being treated this way on a daily basis. But you’re just now saying something about it, and you expect us to smile and say, “Oh, it’s okay now”? Ummm, no. Because your excuse is horribly transparent…remember this?:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD7--ZF-M9o]

Apparently you didn’t have any trouble getting on Fox News back in March and accusing Republicans of “race-baiting” for even bringing up Rev. Wright (btw, simple lesson…that wasn’t race-baiting, this, is race-baiting). You even knew enough to say that the media (hmmm, maybe cable television?) had been discussing Rev. Wright “for the past several weeks.” Your excuse is bull, Dean. 

Now about this “national discussion.”

Who’s gonna lead it, huh, Dean?  Seems like everyone who speaks up about sexism gets put on the Worst Person in the World list. Even when Senator Clinton spoke truth, there was a nice little CNN panel claiming she shouldn’t play victim and just move on, and one (insert expletive here) even went so far as to say it was accurate to call her a “white bitch.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEl4KMNUjI4]

So, again, Dean. Who’s gonna lead this “discussion.” I’ll tell you who’s gonna lead it. We are!

Both the National Organization for Women and Emily’s List, which backs female candidates who support abortion rights, are generating e-mail campaigns to the cable channels when they see sexism. The networks have usually issued on-air apologies.

“We’re certainly not going to take this lying down,” said Ellen Malcolm, the president of Emily’s List. She said her hope was for a national discussion to focus on “what is fair in the new political world of Internet, cable and traditional news coverage.”

NOW is starting a campaign to highlight its “Media Hall of Shame,” an online project in which it points to examples of sexist language.

NOW’s president, Kim Gandy, said her members would remain alert: “We’re going to keep watching because we think Michelle Obama will be the recipient of the same kind of attacks that Hillary was.”

And you, your “selectee,” the media, and all the misogynists and sexists out there are gonna sit down, shut up, and listen. 

Looks like the rebellion goes all the way to the top…and it has deep pockets. 

According to The New York Times:

While it appears that many Clinton backers are poised to begin immediately raising money for Mr. Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee, several categorically ruled that out in interviews. Others said they drew the line at collecting cash for the Democratic National Committee, whose chairman, Howard Dean, angered many Clinton donors over how he handled the dispute over whether to seat convention delegates from Florida and Michigan.

“The Obama campaign has a lot to show me before I will consider being there for them,” said Susie Tompkins Buell, co-founder of the clothing company Esprit and a longtime friend of Mrs. Clinton.

Ms. Buell said she wanted to see how Mrs. Clinton was treated over the next few weeks, a sentiment that she said was shared by many of the women, especially, in her donor network.

“Hillary has asked us to do all we can for Barack,” she said. “I listen to that and respect that, but personally I need to evaluate.”

Ms. Buell is certainly Obama-skeptical. More than that, she is willing to think for herself on the issue. As Hillary supporters, yes, we appreciate what Hillary has said and the gracious and amazing way in which she said it, but we reserve the right to make our own decisions about who we shall support, when we shall do it, and under what conditions. While Ms. Buell is waiting for certain conditions to be met, others have made up their minds:

Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a top Clinton fund-raiser, telecommunications entrepreneur and member of the Democratic national convention’s platform committee, said she had questions about Mr. Obama’s trustworthiness. If he does not answer them, Ms. de Rothschild said she would at least consider voting for Mr. McCain or even working for him.

“I love my country more than I love my party,” said Ms. de Rothschild, who said she had been receiving entreaties from both Mr. Obama’s and Mr. McCain’s backers. “I can’t just fall in line.” [emphasis mine]

Yep, Ms. de Rothschild sounds like a PUMA. Others apparently want to meet Obama face to face and have a little bit of a talk with him. 

Many Clinton fund-raisers, however, say they want to wait until a meeting is scheduled between the two candidates and Mrs. Clinton’s “Hillraisers,” those who have raised $100,000 or more for her. For some, it is a matter of ensuring that Mrs. Clinton gets the proper credit, while others are waiting for the chance to question Mr. Obama.

Lanny Davis, a former special counsel to President Bill Clinton and a Hillraiser, made clear that he was willing to do whatever he could to raise money for Mr. Obama, but he said he wanted the opportunity to ask Mr. Obama about what Mr. Davis described as “personal characterizations he made about Senator Clinton.”

“It’s something called closure,” Mr. Davis said. [emphasis mine]

I’d also like to ask Senator Obama about the many “personal characterizations” (putting it mildly) he levied against Senator Clinton. It’s something called respect. 

But here’s the ultimate kicker: Dean has doomed the party with his failure to lead and blatant efforts to fix the nomination.

But several Clinton fund-raisers said they harbored too much ire for Mr. Dean to raise money for the party, even if they said they were willing to support Mr. Obama.

“Howard Dean and the D.N.C. will not get one penny from me or any of my friends,” Mr. Davis said.

Looks like some Clinton donors are joining together to Just Say No Deal!

Clearly the media, the DNC and the Obama campaign haven’t read, don’t understand, or just don’t care about “teh roolz.” My guess is the latter. 

In order to be the “presumptive nominee” a candidate must have the “magic number” in PLEDGED DELEGATES. As it stands now, Senator Obama has 1766.5 pledged delegates (55 of them arbitrarily given to him by the RBC and 4 stolen from Senator Clinton and handed to our new “selectee”) to Senator Clinton’s 1639.5.  Superdelegates do not vote until the first ballot at the Convention in August and may change their minds as many times as they would like until they cast their secret ballot at the Convention. 

So why the “victory speech?” Why all the claims by the media, the DNC and Senator Obama that he has “clinched” the nomination?

Simple…the fix is in!

I have always been an overachiever. I began reading at three years old and never stopped. At six, when the other little girls were saying they wanted to be ballerinas or princesses, I wanted to be a lawyer. By the time I was 9, and the other little girls now wanted to be veterinarians or teachers, I had decided I wanted to be the President of the United States of America.

When I first decided that I wanted to be president, so happy was I that I ran to my mom and step dad and proudly declared my new, albeit lofty, aspirations.  The reaction I received was not the one I had hoped for.  My step father, looked at me for a few moments, obviously in deep thought.  He then said to me, “You know, I don’t know about that. A woman would really have to prove herself.”  I was crushed.  I remember running to my room and crying.  My mom came up a few minutes later and sat next to me on the bed I had thrown myself on in despair.  She said to me what I had needed to hear in the beginning, but now seemed hollow, “You can be anything you want to be.”

“No I can’t,” I cried, “Daddy doesn’t think I can.” 
“He just hasn’t seen one before…you can be the first.”

Being the spitfire I am, I decided I would be president, if only to prove my step father wrong.  I knew it would be hard. I had heard vaguely of the Women’s Movement and the quest to gain the right to vote.  I had heard extensively about the Civil Rights Movement and the violence that met the quest for equality. But they had stood strong in the face of unbelievable odds, and I took pride in the thought that I could do the same.  Thankfully, because of Hillary, I wouldn’t have to feel alone for long.

A few months before I turned 10, in 1995, I heard of a lady named Hillary Rodham Clinton, who had declared that “Women’s rights are human rights.”  I did not fully understand then the courage it took to say those words on that stage, but I knew it meant a lot, especially for me.  It was then, that I finally gained a role model, someone who I believed to be blazing the path I would someday take.

With a role model standing figuratively by my side I went about my overachieving ways.  While she was in the White House fighting for Children’s Health Insurance, I was that annoying girl in middle school that was always in class 10 minutes early, telling the chatty kids in the back to shoosh.

When she ran for the US Senate, and became the first First Lady to ever hold public office, I was the girl in high school who always had her hand up whenever the teacher would ask a question. When I got to college in 2004, there was lots of speculation about whether or not she would run for the position I had been striving for, for 10 years. I couldn’t hide my giddiness and took it upon myself that year to right a speech for my Intro to Communication class, introducing her as the first female president of the United States. Needless to say, she didn’t run that year, but fulfilled her promise to New York voters to serve her term.  During this time, I became the opinionated, college girl, voicing my opinion and respectfully disagreeing with or avidly supporting the opinions and ideas that were shared in class.

Now I stand at the threshold of my future, getting ready to graduate college and move on to new heights and challenges, and Hillary is in the distance, attempting to clear away the last obstacle in both our roads to the White House; blazing her way toward history.  

In my own way, I am fighting along side her; making calls, discussing issues with friends, canvassing, handing out homemade flyers.  In our quest, for a few moments, on January 19, 2008, we were at the same point in the road.  

A Solutions for America rally with Hillary and Bill was being held in St. Louis, Missouri.  Myself and two friends road up that day, scanning the radio all the way for results of the Nevada caucus that was being held that day.  We stood in line for hours, and then waited in the bleachers for another hour, but it was worth it.  When Hillary and Bill entered the room the excitement was palpable.  I was in a high school gymnasium watching her blazing her and my trail.  Once she finished speaking, I seized my chance.  I raced down the bleachers, unabashedly pushed people out of the way, climbed over chairs (at one point a Secret Service Officer tugged and my coat and told me to get down off the chair I was temporarily standing in) and squeezed through the crowd, until I was there at the rope line, my inspiration moving steadily towards me. And then, she was there, in front of me.  

“I’m a student without health insurance, and you inspire me,” I said, too nervous to do anything but be ridiculously honest.

“It’s always so hard for students,” she said, “What’s your major?”

I stuttered a bit.  She was asking about me.  Looking me in the eye, truly concerned about me in that moment.

“Political Science, minor in Gender Studies.”

“That’s great.”

“Can I get a picture with you,” I asked, realizing the importance of documenting the moment.

“Of course,” she responded as I handed my camera to her assistant who then took the picture that now means the most to me.  Then, I shook her hand, and she was enveloped by the crowd.  For those few moments, our paths crossed.

But while we are on the same road, she is miles ahead, and thus most of the battles are hers alone.

She has been attacked and bruised along the way but she’s still standing.  She has been confronted with personal attacks, but still she works for the betterment of our lives and our nation.  She has been told to give up, but still she continues to fight.  And as long as she is standing and fighting, I will be where I have always been, standing proudly behind her, until that final obstacle is removed from both our paths and we stand knowing that what so many said was impossible, has been made possible.  

Hillary, will always be my girl.