women in politics

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Voters Kick All 3 GOP Women Out of South Carolina Senate

'Sister senators' lost primaries after opposing abortion ban

(Newser) - The only three Republican women in the South Carolina Senate took on their party and stopped a total abortion ban from passing in their state last year. In return, they lost their jobs. Voters removed Sens. Sandy Senn, Penry Gustafson, and Katrina Shealy from office during primaries with sparse turnout...

St. Paul Makes History With All-Female City Council

It's believed to be a first for a major US city

(Newser) - When St. Paul City Council President Mitra Jalali looked out at her fellow council members at their initial meeting this week, she saw all the members' seats were occupied by women—a first for Minnesota's capital city. Experts who track women in politics said St. Paul, with a population...

Woman Signs California Bill Into Law in a 171-Year First

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis to act as governor until Newsom returns

(Newser) - For the first time in California's 171-year history, a woman has signed a bill into state law. Gov. Gavin Newsom normally signs the laws in California, but he left the state on Wednesday night for a family vacation in Central and South America. State law requires Lt. Gov. Eleni...

She Won a Historic Election. Now, a Problem

Ocasio-Cortez, youngest woman elected to Congress, can't afford DC apartment yet

(Newser) - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history Tuesday by becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. But the 29-year-old Democratic star from New York City revealed to the New York Times that she has an unusual problem as a result, albeit a temporary one. "I have three months without a salary...

Only Women Show Up to Senate After Blizzard

It speaks to women's 'hardiness,' says Sen. Lisa Murkowski

(Newser) - For what might be the first time in history, the United States Senate held only women on Tuesday. Only Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska took to the Senate floor after the weekend blizzard and were tasked with delaying Senate business, reports ABC News . Then...

Here's Why Canada PM Made Half His Cabinet Women

Everyone say it with Justin Trudeau: 'Because it’s 2015'

(Newser) - In 1969, Judy LaMarsh, only the second woman to ever serve in Canada's Cabinet, brought up her status as a political anomaly. "Visitors in the Commons' gallery … made no effort to disguise the fact that they regarded me as a curiosity and stared whenever I could be...

DC's Toxicity Killed the Political Rom-Com

Bipartisanship? Powerful, likeable women? Too 'unrealistic': Chloe Angyal

(Newser) - Back in the '90s, there were plenty of Washington-based romantic comedies: The American President saw a commander-in-chief falling in love with a lobbyist who convinced him to put his ideals over politics, while Speechless told the story of Democratic and Republic speechwriters getting together. There's still plenty of...

Plight of Women in Politics: Articles About Their Shoes

Irin Carmon: Why are we discussing Kathryn Ruemmler's footwear?

(Newser) - Kathryn Ruemmler is the White House chief counsel (and currently in the middle of the IRS mess ), so it totally makes sense that the fourth-most-popular story in the Washington Post's political section right now would be ... an article about Ruemmler's love for flashy shoes . Wait, what? It...

House Committee Chairs Won't Be All-Boys Club

Candice Miller of Michigan gets picked

(Newser) - John Boehner took some heat earlier this week when his newly announced lineup of House committee chairs was made up entirely of men. But he still had two spots left, and the speaker used one of them today to select Rep. Candice Miller of Michigan to run the House Administration...

Pelosi, Luke Russert Spar on 'Offensive' Age Question

Nobody asked Mitch McConnell same question, she notes

(Newser) - When Nancy Pelosi announced today that she's staying on as House minority leader, NBC's Luke Russert posed a question about her age (72) that sparked some fireworks at her press conference, notes the Huffington Post :
  • Russert: “Some of your colleagues privately say that your decision to stay
...

Obama's Best Weapon: Single Women

They were huge this election, but now face more stereotypes: Meghan Daum

(Newser) - Mitt Romney should have put a ring on it, because it was all the single ladies who helped President Obama win a second term. So says Meghan Daum in the LA Times , who writes that the president's focus on women's health issues and the like helped him nab...

In New Hampshire, Women Rule

All top leaders are female, highlighting a big night for political women

(Newser) - Female candidates fared well across the country yesterday, but perhaps nowhere better than in New Hampshire. As the Union Leader points out, all the state's top political jobs will soon belong to women for the first time: Gov.-elect Maggie Hassan, senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte, and congresswomen...

10 Glass Ceilings Not Yet Cracked

White House chief of staff, Navy Seal, US prez among them

(Newser) - A dozen Fortune 500 companies may have female CEOs, but many glass ceilings remain to be cracked by US women. The BBC spots 10:
  • White House Chief of Staff. "CJ Cregg of TV's The West Wing might make the list for best chief of staff of all time,
...

'Hormone Case' Guys Not Fit for Politics

They can't power penis and brain at same time, notes Robin Williams

(Newser) - Get a grip, fellas. Obviously, many of you have runaway hormone issues that make it impossible for you to behave responsibly in public office. Yet popular culture has always insisted that "women can't be be trusted in positions of power because their judgment might be addled by raging...

2012 Not Looking Good for Women
 2012 Not Looking 
 Good for Women 
dee dee myers
May 17, 2011 2:47 PM CDT

2012 Not Looking Good for Women

Candidates 'provocative but unelectable': Dee Dee Myers

(Newser) - The 2008 election brought us the first victory by a woman in a presidential primary, not to mention the first female GOP candidate for national office. But 2012 isn’t shaping up so nicely for women: Those making headlines are either “provocative but unelectable” or “provocative but who...

Geraldine Ferraro, the First Woman to Run for Vice President, Is Dead at 75
 Geraldine Ferraro Dead at 75 
obituary
Mar 26, 2011 11:26 AM CDT

Geraldine Ferraro Dead at 75

She was the first woman to run for vice president

(Newser) - Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run on a major party's presidential ticket, has died at age 75, reports Politico . The former Queens congresswoman made political history when she accepted Walter Mondale's invitation to be his vice-presidential running mate in 1984. "If we can do this, we can do...

Limbaugh: Obama and His Boys Are 'Sissies'

Gates, male liberals are 'the new castrati'

(Newser) - In a column for CNN, David Gergen wrote about how "ironic" it is that the advisers who "talked Obama into using force" against Moammar Gadhafi were all women. But Rush Limbaugh was not at all surprised by the fact that "leading male advisers were opposed." Referencing...

These 'Hard-Core Women' Are the New Feminists
 These 'Hard-Core 
 Women' Are the 
 New Feminists 
kathleen parker
Feb 20, 2011 4:48 PM CST

These 'Hard-Core Women' Are the New Feminists

And they're 'annoying,' writes Kathleen Parker

(Newser) - There’s a new type of feminist taking Washington by storm, though these women would never stoop to the level of actually calling themselves feminists. These are the “gun-toting, breast-feeding” supermoms who “condemn government for being a ‘nanny’ and tell men to man up,” all while...

Civility in DC? Female Senators Show the Way

The 17 women of the chamber regularly gather for dinner

(Newser) - As Washington continues to struggle with divisive political rhetoric, one group has been quietly making strides in the opposite direction: the 17 female senators. “We committed to maintaining a zone of civility here within the institution long before it became the chic thing to do,” says Barbara Mikulski,...

Women Take Control of Swiss Government

Ruling council gains female majority for first time

(Newser) - Women in Switzerland, who weren't allowed to vote or run for office just 40 years ago, now control the country's government. Women gained a four-person majority in the country's ruling seven-member Federal Council with the election of Social Democrat Simonetta Sommaruga, who defeated a candidate from a right-wing party, the...

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