So alarming. The idea that Sarah Palin is for women just because she is one is just plain dumb. She also supports John McCain's stance against equal pay for equal work. Meanwhile, Joe Biden was instrumental in the signing of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994. Now that's being a maverick.

Quoted: Voters should know if sexual-assault victims in Wasilla, Alaska, were being billed for the cost of rape kits and forensic exams while Sarah Palin was mayor.

Here's the real story on Katie Couric's interview with Cindy McCain. She DOES understand Roe v. Wade, and the official statement is that like Laura Bush, Mrs. McCain does not favor overturning Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the legal right to an abortion.

Quoted: Yesterday during an interview with CBS’s Katie Couric, Cindy McCain said that she does not oppose a woman’s right to an abortion in the case of rape or incest — a position that differs from the Arizona senator’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK).

I didn't realize this conflation of family values with an anti-choice stance goes back to Reagan. I also didn't know how many Republicans, including Barbara Bush, favor leaving Roe V. Wade alone (assuming they're not Cindy McCain and know it what it is) as per the GOP philosophy of less government in people's personal lives...

Quoted: In the 1980s, the rising conservative movement tried to frame the pro-life cause as part of a broader family-values agenda that included reducing rates of illegitimate childbirth, welfare dependency, and divorce.

Slate takes a look at the Alaska Parental Consent Act, put into effect by Sarah Palin.

Quoted: Last week, Democrats approved the first black major-party nominee for president. This week, Republicans countered with their first female nominee for VP. From race to sex to religion, the circle of opportunity is expanding.

My latest blog entry...

Quoted: When I moved to Seattle, I was surprised to learn that the Governor (Christine Gregoire) and both senators (Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray) are women. The fact that it's NOT big news across the country shows that actually, Washington State is responsible for some of those major cracks we keep hearing about in the media.

It's absurd that day care workers are paid so little when it costs so much. I still think that subsidized day care (and incentivizing companies to provide day care) needs to be a much higher priority than it is in political discussions. But that's not likely to happen until we see more women in politics...

Quoted: Can I cut it as a day care worker, one of the most exhausting, worst paid, and smelliest jobs in America?

Wow, it's amazing how much thought Michelle Obama had to put into every detail of this appearance on The View.

Quoted: Obama had approached the appearance, to quote Barbara Walters' on-air reading of the morning's New York Times, "with an eye toward softening her reputation." To this end, she did not do her hair in the Jackie Kennedy flip that André Leon Talley—the Vogue editor who Page Six alleges to be her style guru—pegs as central to her "image strategy."

Neat idea, actually. I really think the attitude of "oh, we have a black girl already" that's called out in the article still persists.

Quoted: The July issue of Italian Vogue calls attention to prejudice by using only women of color.

Amen! Meanwhile, that's a great bumper sticker: "A woman's place is in the House."

Quoted: As we keep our collective eye on November, the media's sexist attacks against Clinton should not be allowed to stand.