Gov. Eliot Spitzer's Former Madam Is Running for Governor (Video)

Kristin Davis served time for running the escort service that former Gov. Spitzer frequented. While the prostitution scandal cost Spitzer his job, he will soon star as pundit/host on prime time CNN. Now that she's free, Kristin Davis is running for Spitzer's old job.


Politics Feminist News Gender

Whoopi: I Didn't Hit Michaele Salahi, White House Crasher

Michaele Salahi is strange.



Michaele Salahi found `View' appearance degrading: A lawyer for accused White House gatecrasher Michaele Salahi (mih-KEL' sah-LAH'-heez) says producers of "The View" turned on the applause light for the audience when the show's Sherri Shepherd told Salahi that "you should be in jail."
Hitting allegation nothing new for Michaele Salahi

Politics Feminist News Gender

Obama's Statement on Prop 8

Following Wednesday's ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional, the White House issued the following statement:

“The President has spoken out in opposition to Proposition 8 because it is divisive and discriminatory. He will continue to promote equality for LGBT Americans.”

Almost simultaneously, Axelrod spoke for the other side of the President's mouth:

"The president does oppose same-sex marriage but he supports equality for gay and lesbian couples," Axelrod said on MSNBC.

In the comments over at The Advocate, Joe responded:

"He will continue to promote equality for LGBT Americans.”

"Yeah right, I wouldn't be the least surprised that after the issuance of this statement, Obama instructs the Department of Justice to prepare briefs in support of reversing Judge Walker's ruling."


"I believe that marriage is between a man and woman and I am not in favor of gay marriage."

Barack Obama, 2008

Politics News Gender

Equality Wins! Court Overrules Prop 8! Gay Marriage Wins!

Prop 8 was just ruled unconstitutional! Woo-hoo!!

Thank you Judge Vaughn R Walker!

See the ruling here: Perry et al v. Schwarzenegger et al Challenge to "Proposition 8" or try here.

UPDATE: California can begin gay marriages again, judge says -- Judge Vaughn R. Walker's ruling throwing out California's ban on same sex marriage also says that gay marriage can again proceed. "California is able to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, as it has already issued 18,000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples and has not suffered any demonstrated harm as a result.

Pam has the reaction.
Judge Vaughn Walker Hands Victory to Proposition 8 Opponents

Politics Gay News Gender

Is Obama Pro-Choice?

Erin Matson, NOW Action Vice President, asks:

What does it mean to be pro-choice? And given that women have fewer rights to abortion than we did one year ago, many of those rights revoked with the approval or initiative of the executive branch, can we call President Obama a pro-choice president any longer?

. . . Is it pro-choice to block so-called "elective" abortion care from the most at-risk pool of women in this country? Is accepting and extending the Hyde Amendment pro-choice? Do you think President Obama deserves to be called a pro-choice president any longer?

In the Dog Days of Summer, Obama Delivers a Death Blow to Vulnerable Women

Politics Feminist News Abortion

Kristen Schaal: Sarah Palin's Mama Grizzly Coalition (Video)

Politics Feminist News Gender

Prop 8 Decision Day!

A California judge will issue his ruling today on whether the Prop 8 ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. The ruling is expected sometime between 1 and 3 Pacific time. See a list of rallies across the country.

Prop 8 Trial Tracker
Expect A Win For Plaintiffs and Gay Marriage In Perry Prop8 Case

Politics Gay News Gender

Target Threatened With Boycott For Anti-Gay Donations (Video)

Target has been caught taking advantage of the recent Supreme Court ruling granting corporations the right to buy elections (Best Buy too!) . Target donated $150,000 to a right-wing anti-gay, anti choice candidate for governor of Minnesota. In the video below, the mom of a gay man returns her purchases to Target in protest. With a little help from the Human Rights Campaign and MoveOn, it looks like Target has become the target of a boycott.


Politics Gay News Minnesota

Worrying About Sarah Palin

Quote of the Day

Any political strategist who orchestrated such brilliant success via such unconventional means would instantly be dubbed the p.r. genius of our time. But, as far as we know, there is no crack communications team charting Palin's course. At some point, even Palin haters may have to face the possibility that the p.r. genius is Sarah herself.

-- Michelle Cottle,

quoted by Arianna Huffington

Politics Sarah Palin News Gender

Poll: Enthusiasm Gap Remains Bad News for Democrats

The latest Gallup poll finds that voters favor Republicans by 48% and Democrats by 43% in the generic congressional ballot. In the previous poll, the numbers were almost exactly the reverse. These numbers go up and down. The ones that are really important are the number of voters who are enthusiastic about showing up at the polls. This continues to look very bad for the Dems. Too many of us remain bitter about the public option betrayal, the abortion betrayal, the gay rights betrayal, etcetera. And where are the jobs?

Just 22% of Democrats are "very enthusiastic" about showing up at the polls compared to 44% of Republicans.

"Threatened filibusters didn't force Mr. Obama to waffle on torture; to escalate in Afghanistan; to choose, with exquisitely bad timing, to loosen the rules on offshore drilling early this year." -- Paul Krugman

Politics Democrats

Ed Schultz: 'Boycott the Democrats' (Video)

Like a lot of people on the left, Ed Schultz is fed up with the Dems. On his Friday radio talk show, Shultz suggested a boycott of November's election. He says he's not going to vote. (The audio below is from the Dark Side (Darker Side??). Sorry.)


ED SCHULTZ (30 JULY 2010 HOUR ONE) (04:58): And I'm announcing today, I'm not going to vote in the midterms. I'm not going to do it. You can say it's un-American. No, it's rather revolutionary is what it is. I'm at that point. I'm checking out.

I'm checking out of the Democrats because they are proving to me that they don't know how to handle these big babies over on the right that say no. You know what you do? You get in the driver's seat, you hit the throttle, and you run over them.

Politics Feminist News Gender

Washington Post TV Critic Tom Shales' Woman Problem Continues

Creepy Tom Shales continues his obsession with Christiane Amanpour. Shales has complained constantly about the choice of Amanpour as the new host of ABC's This Week. Over at Jezebel, it's been observed that Shales 'reviews female journalists with his dick.' Apparently Amanpour does nothing for it. Or Shales just has a thing for male-dominated talk shows. For starters, the sexist tv critic doesn't like the woman's hair: "Neither you nor I has stooped to mentioning that hair of hers — yipe."

In his latest column, Shales terms Amanpour a "globe-trotting Fancy-Pants" and "Grand Duchess Amanpour." He suggests that the woman is a Taliban sympathizer. Other than Tom Shales' habit of reviewing Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and other female journalists with his dick, there's this:

But this is unsurprising if you've read Shales' other articles about women journalists. Sure, when it comes to an actress in a television drama, it may be creative license to say, as Shales did, that Geena Davis can "veto my legislation anytime. Starring as the first woman to hold the highest office in the land, Davis reminds us what we have missed in most of our past, real-life presidents: cuteness." Or to write of Kirstie Alley's Fat Actress that her body has "grown in size like one of those voracious radioactive monsters in sci-fi films of the '50s...And it's not just that she's fat; her face has taken on threatening, demonic features, and she's always pushing her sloppy hair out of her eyes. She's a Disney cartoon villain in three, or four, dimensions." Or even to opine of the Roman Polanski case, "There is, apparently, more to this crime than it would seem, and it may sound like a hollow defense, but in Hollywood I am not sure a 13-year-old is really a 13-year-old."

Does Christiane Amanpour Love the Taliban?
A TV Host Challenges a Guest. That’s News.
Amanpour Presses Pelosi, Insists On Controversial Haircut

Politics Feminist News Gender

Lady Gaga Uses Phoenix Concert to Protest SB-1070 (Video)

Not work-safe.


via Think Progress

Politics Arizona News Gender

Chelsea Clinton Wedding Photos

Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton and longtime beau Marc Mezvinsky were wed Saturday "in a beautiful ceremony at Astor Courts," a 50-acre estate in Rhinebeck, New York, according to a joint statement issued by her parents, former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

More photos . . .

Politics News Gender

Hillary and Bill Clinton on Eve of Chelsea's Wedding (Video)

On the eve of Chelsea's wedding, the Clintons were spotted arriving at a pre-wedding party, along with Madeline Albright and other guests.


UPDATE: Note to the Neighbors
The Clintons are well aware of the wedding's enormity and its disruptive effects on Rhinebeck. To apologize to local townspeople for the wedding's inconvenience, the wedding planner sent nearby residents a bottle of wine from the local Clinton Vineyards, along with an apology note and a number to call in case of any problems.

Politics News Gender

Jon Stewart on the Media Disdain for The View (Video)

Everybody (in the media)acts like Obama is slumming when he appears on a women's discussion show with Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, etc. Jon Stewart mocks the arrogant media and The View too.


Politics News Gender

Shirley Sherrod to Sue Breitbart

This is good news. A lot more people need to sue Breitbart too. I hope they do. Like I think Shirley Sherrod said, the man's only purpose is to create division and strife:

Ousted Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will sue a conservative blogger who posted a video edited in a way that made her appear racist.

Sherrod was forced to resign last week as director of rural development in Georgia after Andrew Breitbart posted the edited video online. In the full video, Sherrod, who is black, spoke to a local NAACP group about racial reconciliation and overcoming her initial reluctance to help a white farmer.

Politics News Gender

Maddow: European Socialism OR 'Born on the Wrong Continent' (Video)

Politics Maddow News Gender

Chelsea Clinton Caught Going Incognito

Chelsea was spotted, or stalked, by the press as she attempted to go incognito in a big floppy hat while making wedding arrangements. The wedding is set for this Saturday:

WWD caught the bride-to-be visiting Vera Wang on Tuesday afternoon. Chelsea arrived 15 minutes after her mother got there for the 4 p.m. appointment, and she donned a floppy hat to cover her what we're assuming is her wedding hairdo. Earlier that day, Hillary was spotted at Oscar de la Renta's Seventh Avenue showroom.

UPDATE - Planet Earth Rejoices: Chelsea Clinton is a vegan. This will be a vegan wedding, with accommodations for traditionalists: "The food will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes, but there will also be grass-fed organic beef on the menu.” via Jezebel.

Politics News Gender

Andrew Sullivan on Sarah Palin's Womb: 'We Now Know I Wasn't Crazy'

Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller has published a dump of Journolist emails in which the liberal journalists privately discuss Andrew Sullivan's favorite fantasy all about how that evil witch Sarah Palin faked her last pregnancy in order to cover for her teen daughter. Much of the discussion centers on the many reasons why the journalists should not touch this story. And the point is made that even if it's true, it's hardly a crime but rather exactly what a good mother might do.

Okay, so there are a few nutty comments which might make Sullivan feel like he's not the only crazed lunatic in the room, such as a comment which suggests that covering for your teen daughter is a vile and despicable crime. But most are quite sane. That said, I wish the liberal journalists had better things to do than discuss the ins and outs of going after a woman's womb.

So Sullivan is positively gleeful and claims that the private discussion proves that he, Andrew Sullivan, is not crazy as a loon. Heh. What part of private conversation does Sullivan fail to comprehend? And while there were some nutty thoughts expressed, none were so nutty as Sullivan's published tirades. Plus there were several comments like this one by Ezra Klein, founder of Journolist:

"By all accounts she’s a wonderful mother, and devoted to her fifth son [sic]. Leave this be."

Still Andrew Sullivan babbles:

Remember all those liberals and lefties huffily denouncing this blog's attempts to make sense of Sarah Palin's bizarre stories about the pregnancy and birth of her alleged fifth child? I was nuts, crazy, vile, disgusting, etc etc to indulge in what Dave Weigel, with no working knowledge of the story, calls "nonsense." . . Well, we now know, that, for some at least, I wasn't crazy. I was just not disciplined enough to curtail what this blog airs in order to conform with what many Journo-listers believed were the interests of the Obama campaign. . . This is your liberal media, ladies and gentlemen: totally partisan, interested in the truth only if it advances their agenda, and devoid of any balls whatsoever.

Politics Feminist News Gender

The Innocent ACORN Worker Breitbart Got Fired Last Year

Bob Somerby finds one journalist who has the sense to look at Breitbart's deplorable record. And he reminds us of the injustice done to ACORN:

JOHN-HALL (7/23/10): All of which create a fertile environment for someone like Andrew Breitbart, who, as of this writing, was as unrepentant as the devil. This is the guy, after all, who helped ruin the career of...Juan Carlos Vera, the San Diego ACORN worker who was shown—in a heavily edited video—conspiring with a fake pimp and prostitute to transport underage girls across the border.

Conveniently, the video didn't show Vera reporting the incident to police after the two left. Vera was fired before all the facts came in. Sound familiar? Not surprisingly, Vera is suing.

Politics Feminist News Gender

Toy Hayward Gets His Life Back

For some reason BP is not firing "the most hated man in America," aka Tony Hayward. The CEO is being reassigned to Russia.

And rewarded with lots of cash, but at least the victims of the Gulf Oil disaster won't have to listen to His Arrogance lording it over the lowly common people. Hayward is being replaced by an American -- who was raised in Mississippi.

Politics BP News Gulf

Chelsea Clinton Wedding News

The Hudson Valley News has photos of the wedding site and reports:

Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be staying at Glenburn, the Rhinebeck home of Eric and Andrea Colombel. Andrea Colombel is the daughter of billionaire financier George Soros, a long-time Clinton supporter. Workers have been preparing an out building for the Secret Service and the main house for the Clintons. Daughter Chelsea will also be staying at the secluded estate.

Politics News Gender

Senator Al Franken Netroots Nation (Video)

This is part 2, watch part 1 here, part 3, part 4.

Politics Progressive Movement News

Title IX Case: Cheerleading Is Not A Sport

After all this time, universities are still trying to squirm out of giving women's sports a fair share of the funds. Relegating women to cheap alternatives like cheerleading (and knitting) is just another way to continue the sexist tradition of giving the bulk of the money to men's sports:

A judge in Connecticut has ruled cheerleading is not a sport -- and universities therefore cannot direct money to the activity to meet federal gender-equality regulations. U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill ruled Wednesday that Quinnipiac University violated the law when it pulled funding from its women's volleyball team to support a competitive cheerleading squad.

"I conclude as a matter of law that Quinnipiac University discriminated on the basis of sex during the 2009-10 academic years by failing to provide equal athletic participation opportunities for women," Underhill wrote in his ruling.


Politics Feminist News Gender

Obama Sends A Republican to Liberal Netroots Nation

So Obama is not speaking at the liberal Netroots conference, but he's sending a representative from the Obama Administration.

Obama is sending a Republican.

Gawd. I don't recall ever seeing a president show such disdain for his base. This must be some more of that famed 11-Dimensional Chess that Obama is known for. We're just too stupid to understand how he will one day win the hearts and minds of lefties by wooing Republicans.

Obama was happy to speak at the liberal conference back when he was a mere candidate, but ever since he rose to power, he's acted like liberals are lepers:

. . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) are scheduled to address the convention Saturday and take questions from the audience. Obama is not planning to speak to the conference. The lone administration official dispatched here is Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former congressman and the only Republican in Obama's Cabinet -- a fact that was not lost on attendees.


BTD: "Oh by the way, President Obama endorsed Lincoln too."
CNN: Thousands of progressive activists meeting in Vegas

Politics Liberal News

Ed Schultz at Netroots Nation: 'Sissies in the White House' (Video)

Ed Schultz rips the White House in his speech at the progressive Netroots Nation, and forgets, or never learned, to use progressive language. Sissies and balls?


"I have one message for all of you in the blogosphere. If I got the balls to say it, you better have the balls to write it: It's time we hold this party accountable."

--Ed Schultz

Politics Feminist News Gender

Quote of the Day

"We're not getting much done with 59 [Democratic senators], so if we're down to 54, who cares?"

-- Markos Moulitsas

Politics Liberal News

Idiot Tennessee Lawmaker Talks Secession

Another day, another Tennessee lawmaker opens his mouth and embarrasses the entire state. When he's not hoping to be the next Governor of Tennessee, Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) is longing to start another civil war:

“I hope that the American people will go to the ballot box in 2010 and 2012 so that states are not forced to consider separation from this government,” said Wamp during an interview with Hotline OnCall.

Politics Tennessee News Gop

Keith Olbermann Is a Misogynist?

Misogynist Tucker Carlson has a story at his Daily Caller site reporting that Keith Olbermann is a misogynist. (Keith Olbermann is a misogynist?!!?) The two men are currently feuding.

Call it the war of the misogynists.

Tucker Carlson is the right-wing pundit famous for confessing that powerful women like Hillary Clinton make him anxious and fearful of castration. Tucker recently purchased the files of Journolist, a private listserv of liberal journalists. (According to Ezra Klein: "Journolist has taken the Daily Caller from about 50,000 hits a day to more than 200,000.") The pundit with the crossed legs is not finding the kind of scandal that he's clearly looking for, but the liberal criticism of Keith Olbermann excerpted below is interesting. It is an echo of what we've long been saying publicly here at TGW. It's too bad some of these people didn't have the courage to go public with their views. Perhaps Keith would have listened to them:

“He’s become O’Reilly on the left– completely predictable, unfunny, and arrogant,” said Georgetown University Professor Michael Kazin in May 2009. . . The Nation’s Katha Pollitt began the group’s rant. “He and Michael Musto did this whole long riff about beauty contestant Carrie ‘opposite marriage’ Prejean’s breast implants, stupidity, breast implants, tacky clothes, earrings, breast implants. They went on and on about how she was ‘part plastic’ and pathetic. You’d think they were celibate vegans who spent their lives zen meditating. It was just a whole TV humiliation of her, and it made me feel sorry for her, which wasn’t easy,” Pollitt said. . .

Julian Zelizer, a Princeton professor and CNN contributor, said Olbermann’s root problem is his misogyny. “I can’t take him anytime. I think to write off his mysogyny (sic) as limited to Musto is just not accurate. That very much defined much of how he talked about Clinton as well as others.”

Update: Journolisters offended by Keith Olbermann’s ‘misogynistic,’ ‘predictable,’ and ‘pompous’ show

Keith Olbermann Hates Women for Money (Video)
Sexist MSNBC Says 'Hillarys Have Nowhere Else to Go'
Keith Olbermann, You are a Misogynist, Not a Progressive (Video)
Couric Condemns Hostile Sexist Media -- Olbermann Kicks Katie with Worst Person Award (Video)

Politics Feminist News Gender

Shirley Sherrod on The View (Video)

THE VIEW: Shirley Sherrod Responds ( part 2 )

Sherrod regards Obama's call as apology

Politics Race News Gender

Ken Buck: Vote for Me Because I Do Not Wear High Heels (Video)

Ken Buck is the leading GOP candidate in the Colorado senate race. His opponent is a woman. In the clip below, Buck says voters should vote for him because he does not wear high heels, in other words, because Buck is not a woman.


Politics Feminist News Gender

Anderson Cooper: "Today Mr. Breitbart Could Have Just Apologized... But He Didn't. Bullies Never Do" (Video)

Politics Race News Sherrod