So how’s that whole contraception thing working out for the right? The latest Gallup poll of swing states suggests that it’s not going so well: Obama now leads Romney in these states 51%-42%.




The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

What Catholics Think about Birth Control

The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Forecast Says GOP House Takeover More Likely

The Cook Political Report raised its House forecast "from a Republican net gain of between 32 and 42 seats to a gain of between 35 and 45 seats, with the odds of an outcome larger than that range greater than the odds of a lesser outcome." House Republicans would need a net turnover of 39 seats to take control of the chamber.

"At this point, only 214 House seats are Solid, Likely or Lean Democratic, while 181 seats are Solid, Likely or Lean Republican, and 40 seats are in the Toss Up column. While this would imply an advantage for Democrats, given the continuous erosion we have seen in dozens of contests so far this cycle, races shifting from Solid and Likely Democrat to Lean Democratic and Toss Up, we would be surprised if there was not more movement over the 78 days from now until Election Day."

Ugh. We need to turn out the vote, people. Just remember where the last "Republican Revolution" got us. Besides that, if poor Rep. Boehner becomes speaker, he won't be able to devote so much time to his beloved golf game.

The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Take the 2010 Ask a Working Woman Survey

The Great Recession has hit American workers in the gut—unemployment is up, jobs are scarce, foreclosures are occurring at record rates and health care costs are skyrocketing. Even if you are working, wages are stagnant and many seniors will have to work past retirement age just to pay bills.

In this brutal economy, what is on the minds of today’s working women?

The AFL-CIO’s community affiliate, Working America, is providing a chance to share those concerns through the just-launched online 2010 Ask a Working Woman survey. The biennial survey enables working women to share workplace concerns.

The Ask a Working Woman survey runs through the end of July.

More than 12,000 women responded to the survey in 2008, when they said the top item that would make their lives easier is a 10 percent raise. While issues such as affordable health care and quality child care were major concerns for working women, paying the bills, buying the groceries, filling the gas tank and paying the rent and mortgage were the concerns women said worried them the most.

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Take the 2010 Ask a Working Woman Survey

The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

What People Are Actually Doing With Their Cellphones

Also in Pew's research:

* 54% have used their mobile device to send someone a photo or video
* 23% have accessed a social networking site using their phone
* 20% have used their phone to watch a video
* 11% have purchased a product using their phone
* 11% have made a charitable donation by text message
* 10% have used their mobile phone to access a status update service such as Twitter

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-cellphone-usage-2010-7#ixzz0t8152LMo

Copyright 2010 (text only). The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

The Newest Progressive Superstar in Congress: Rep. Alan Grayson Tells it Like It Is on Healthcare

Freshman Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) made waves a week or so ago by characterizing the Republicans health care plan as the "hope you die quickly" plan. House Republicans demanded that he apologize, and not only did he not cave in, Rep. Grayson has picked up the gauntlet and smacked the Republicans upside the head. Just Thursday, Rep. Grayson, now also an Internet sensation, made another floor statement and put forward some hard truths to both Democrats and Republicans. Bravo to the distinguished gentleman from Florida. Take a look.



Copyright 2009 (text only). The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Palin Revealed as Little More than a Useful Prop for the McCain Campaign

The McCain campaign never bothered to tell Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) that they were conceding Michigan. She revealed Friday in a Fox News interview -- the only post-debate interview the McCain campaign allowed Palin to do -- that she read about it in the newspaper. (Wonder which paper? -- since she couldn't seem to remember any in her disastrous interview with CBS' Katie Couric.) Clearly, Palin is not even close to the inner circle of the campaign -- she's only the running mate after all.

The Maverick's campaign has no plans to have Palin visit any of the Sunday talk shows -- a rite of passage for any serious politician. Damn, I would have loved to have seen Tim Russert get a hold of this supposed junior Maverick wannabe. I bet it would be similar to his now-famous systematic dismantling of David Duke -- revealed as nothing but the racist he was during his unsuccessful run for Louisiana governor several years ago.

There are no other serious interviews planned for Palin -- at least not at the moment. For the next 30 days or so, she'll live in a cocoon. It will be scripted campaign stops only for Sarahcuda -- in short, Palin has become the favorite prop of the McCain campaign. She'll be wound up and trotted out to rile up the base -- and raise funds -- at whistle stops around the country. Palin might cut a few commercials. She'll sign autographs, wink at the crowd, give a shout out to the kiddies, and flirt with Joe Sixpack -- a full day of mugging for the cameras but no answering of any substantive questions. No wonder Americans sense she's not ready for the job.

It's insulting. Condescending. Patronizing. To the entire nation -- but most especially women. Now, let me be clear here -- I am not a Palin fan. I don't think she's qualified to be Vice President. I don't agree with her on anything -- except for perhaps the fact that the sky is, indeed, blue. But I don't think she's a complete idiot either -- she actually was at the start of a promising political career, before John McCain plucked her from that path of development and thrust her into a situation for which she is not prepared. The choice shows not only McCain's lack of judgement, but his selfishness as well. Clearly McCain is willing to expose the nation to the consequences of an ill-advised choice and Palin herself to all kinds of ridicule -- SNL is only the tip of the iceberg, as we know. Yep, McCain has thrust Palin into situations for which she is not prepared simply because she is useful to him, as a sort of Trojan Horse disguising his lackluster campaign -- and potentially setting back all women in the process. No wonder Palin is especially unpopular with likely women voters -- as revealed by a TIME poll done even before her twinkie performance at the debate.

Sure, Palin is good at memorizing and reciting talking points. She's personable -- when the folksiness isn't faked she has a certain charm. But Palin needs more seasoning. A chance to build her political chops on the national stage -- perhaps through the National Governors Association or the Republican Governors Association. And she likely would have if The Maverick had not interrupted a promising political career. Now, if the McCain-Palin ticket loses -- WHEN the McCain-Palin loses -- Sarah Palin will be nothing but a footnote, a joke, an object of derision. And she'll be headed back to lead a state that -- now that it knows her a lot better thanks to John McCain -- is a helluva lot less enamored of their governor.

There are no shortage of media opinions from the right and the left coming to this same conclusion -- that the McCain's campaign positioning of Palin ultimately hurts her and other women candidates. Some have even called for Palin to step down from the campaign. Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker wrote just last week:

"As we’ve seen and heard more from John McCain’s running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion...Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League..."

"Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there’s not much content there...If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself."

"Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first. Do it for your country."

In "Sarah Palin, 'Girl' Candidate: Restricted Access Feeds Gender Bias in Coverage," Linda Lowen writes:

"Whether deliberate or unintended, the soft focus of the Early Show interview [with Palin's parents] barely obscures a biased angle that has become media shorthand for the narrative of Palin's campaign -- the plucky, big-hearted, fresh-faced but naive candidate. This simplistic archetype jeopardizes not just Palin in this particular instance, but all women who run for public office who are young and attractive. The stakes do not revolve about a girl who played high school basketball and won the Miss Wasilla beauty pageant, but a woman struggling to convince voters of her qualifications and her suitability to lead the US as president should the need arise."

In the Detroit Free Press, Rochelle Riley writes:

"She should drop out of the race (no explanation would be needed) and stop making women look bad."

"Her whining about answering a question she wasn't prepared for makes it clear she's not ready for prime time. But her month-long Bumble Across America Tour, during which she has displayed an increasingly clearer level of ignorance about the world and politics, shows she's not ready to represent women. Asking pointed questions of candidates who may become the leaders who run the country not only is allowed, but necessary and prudent. But the more we learn about Palin, the more frightening she becomes. The more she learns about the job and domestic and foreign affairs, the more frightened she should become...Palin is setting the gender back by decades. The next time a woman runs for any national office, her opponents will have sound bites galore from the Palin ditz reel, the last time a woman ran."

It pains me to say it, folks, but the Palin Problem needs to be addressed. I don't want her or her party to win this election -- and maybe her staying on the ticket furthers that Democratic goal. But I also don't want Palin to crash and burn -- selfishly, for the women candidates that will come behind her. And while Palin did not crash in the debate, she did not put all the burning questions to rest, either. I am faced with this awful truth: I'm not sure what's worse -- Palin stepping down, or Palin staying on the ticket. But I do know this much: it would be a cruel, cruel joke -- after Geraldine Ferraro and Elizabeth Dole and Hillary Clinton -- to have the first woman to be a heartbeat from the presidency be someone who simply is not up to the job.

Copyright 2008. The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Letterman Rips into McCain for Suspending Campaign

John McCain was supposed to appear on The David Letterman Show last night. But, Mr. Straight Talk skipped the late night venue because he "was racing back to Washington" immediately to deal with the economic crisis. Dave apparently took the cancellation with his usual aplomb -- until he found out the Maverick was still in the building -- with Katie Couric. Trust me, after Wednesday's program, it's become very clear Mr. Letterman does not appreciate being dissed as part of transparent political gambit. Yes, folks, Dave is not the man with whom to f#$k. Here are just a few of Dave's zingers from last night -- sprinkled throughout the show.

"When you call up at the last minute and you cancel a show, ladies and gentleman, that's startin' to smell. I mean, this is not the John McCain I know, by God. It makes me believe something is going haywire with the campaign."

"I'm more than a little disappointed by this behavior. ... are we suspending it [the campaign] because there's an economic crisis or because the poll numbers are sliding?"

"Here's what you do if you're running a campaign in the middle of an economic crisis. Here's what you do ... you're a fourth-term senator from Arizona. You go back to Washington, you handle what you need to handle. Don't suspend your campaign. You let your campaign go on, shouldered by your vice presidential nominee, that's what you do. You don't quit! Or is that really a good thing to do?"

"You heard it here first. This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves."

Here's the only thing I can say, folks: McCain disses Letterman and cancels appearance? Dave excoriates McCain, his running mate, and his campaign. Keith Olbermann is called in as a last minute replacement for McCain? Priceless!





Copyright 2008 (original text only). The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

A Good Week with Women Voters for the Democrats: The Face of Pay Equity Endorses Obama

Barack Obama has just had a particularly good week with the ladies. In fact, it was a noticeably big week for women's endorsements for the Obama campaign. Can you say "gender gap?" I knew you could. :) In a week that saw Republican VEEP candidate Sarah Palin's approval rating drop precipitously, these actvities aimed at women voters well timed.

First, a group of women's organizations -- those few that have PACs and thus can endorse without jeopardizing their precious non-profit status -- endorsed the junior senator from Illinois. Prominently featured was the still-not-as-happy-as-they-could-be NOW, who joined their shero Hillary Clinton in saying "no way, no how, no McCain." Other groups included the Feminist Majority with the ever colorful Ellie Smeal, the Business & Professional Women/USA, the National Congress of Black Women, and the National Association of Social Workers. Watch portions of the press event here:



But the real coup de grace in my mind was this week's Obama endorsement from Lilly Ledbetter. The plaintiff of Ledbetter v. Goodyear fame headlined the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and on September 18 made it official -- she's for Obama, in a big way. Ledbetter made the announcement at a series of events in the critical state of Virginia, and was treated like a rock star by adoring crowds. The New York Times has referred to Ledbetter as "the Democrats secret weapon," and they may be right.

Take a look at this ad featuring Ledbetter, below, just released this past week -- she's a humble grandmother from Alabama who packs a punch, and women nationwide are cheering her on. Why? Because her experiences are so familiar, so universal to us all, and she's speaking up and trying to change things for future generations -- despite the fact that her own case is closed. Now, the Democratic Senate needs to do the right thing by Ledbetter's vocal support and national advocacy and pass the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The House has already passed this critical bill that would right the Supreme Court's FUBAR handling of the Ledbetter case. However, the legislation is currently stuck in a defacto Senate filibuster on the more pompous, ponderous side of the Hill. But if we can get more Dems elected to the Senate -- and inch our way closer to that magic number of 60 -- I predict the Ledbetter bill will be one of the first bills signed by an Obama Administration.



The Democratic women of Congress also had a press conference cheering on Obama this week, touting an earlier equal pay ad put out by the Obama campaign (below). Pay equity champion Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is especially worth a listen at this particular dog and pony show, although the women members also talk about critical issues such as health care and retirement security.



The Democrats have finally gotten religion on the pay equity issue -- and about time, too. I'm sure the fact that the issue is a vote driver for women helps a lot -- but that touch of cynicism aside, the Democratic party is the only party that is collectively and actively working to improve women's economic equity -- that, in fact, recognizes the problem of pay equity at all. That, my friends, is just one of a million reasons why Obama's the better candidate for women and their families.




Copyright 2008 (text only). The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

What Kinda Kool-Aid are They Drinking?

According to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 13 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction. Thirteen percent. Aside from the fact that it's appalling that 87 percent of Americans believe the country is going down the tubes -- I'll get to that in a moment -- does anyone else wonder what the hell kinda Kool-Aid that 13 percent must be drinking to actually believe that things are hunky-dory?

Appropriately enough, that unlucky 13 percent is the worst result on the infamous "right way/wrong way" question in the history of the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. The last time Americans were even close to this pessimistic was July 1992 — the year a sax-playing southern governor with a zipper problem beat the proud father of our current presidential disaster. At that point, only 14 percent of the country thought we were on the right track -- giving Hillary the go-ahead to start shopping for that perfect inaugural ball dress and a big fat hint to incumbents George and Dan to go ahead and schedule the moving vans for Jan. 20, 1993.

Not surprisingly, the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, released today, also finds that the lagging economy continues to be uppermost in voters' minds, and -- news flash, campers -- it’s an issue that the electorate expects both Obama and McCain to tackle with their vice-presidential picks. Poll respondents especially think that McCain needs to find a new BFF who’s an expert on the economy, considering that the Maverick has admitted he's a novice himself. Hmmm... wonder if Mitt Romney funded this poll? It seems to be making his argument that a McCain/Romney ticket would be a good idea -- and hey, from a progressive perspective maybe it would, considering these two guys together have about as much chemistry and charisma as a couple of 2 x 4's.

Voters want Obama to select a sidekick who's a military or foreign affairs expert — but an economic expert runs a close second. Ironically enough -- or perhaps given the general pessimism among voters when it comes to the economy, it makes sense -- the poll also shows that voters actually don’t have much confidence in either candidate's ability to get the economy back on track. Voters have the right of it there, since there is typically very little that a president can unilaterally do to improve the economy.

Americans are clearly looking to Washington as well as their own state capitals for action on the bread and butter, kitchen table issues that are draining our wallets and keeping us up at night. It's often said that people vote their pocketbooks, and they often do. But clever political spin doctors have figured out how to distort divisive social issues, the so-called wedge issues, to induce people to vote against their own best economic interests -- that's another flavor of Kool-Aid. Reagan Democrats are a perfect example -- seduced into voting Republican and hoping for trickle down economics that never quite trickled down to them. I think of people obsessing about a flag pin in this election and I get nervous, as well. While it looks like voters are focused squarely on the economy, and that's clearly a plus for the Democrats, it's a long way until November and the swift boats have yet to come out in force.

Copyright 2008. The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.