Essential Estrogen

This week's earworm: Pink, Dear Mr. President

Ben Smith at the Politico was the first I saw with a report about the happenings at the DNC's rules and bylaws committee. It seems that Florida has 30 days to fix itself or the DNC says its delegates will not be recognized. No sanctions were threatened against candidates who travel to or campaign in the state. Iowa blogger John Deeth has more info on his blog.

Now Florida Dems are threatening to sue the DNC, saying they've been disenfranchised.

There are many in blogdom attempting to spin this has Florida thumbing its nose at Iowa and New Hampshire. The truth is, Florida Democrats were taken for a ride by their Republican counterparts. Even if one wants to point to what that state's GOP has done, you'd think America as a whole would have had enough of "Bring It On" political maneuvering by now.

Taking a quick waltz around Iowa blogdom... quick because I've committed that today will be a cleaning day at my house and because I'm attending a Women's Equality Day dinner tonight.

• Bleeding Heartland gets on the Obamanation about their scheduling. While I'll agree with the post, I also don't expect to see Obama put out there in Iowa against the other candidates... too risky for him. He'll attend the DNC-sanction events and let the others pass him by unless he's flying solo.
• Century of the Common Iowan picks up the news from the New York Times that states who vote primarily for Democrats have a lower divorce rate. I tend to believe local economies have more to do with the actual divorces than party preference. That being said, local economies tend to be controlled by the folks elected to office who are, in most of those instances, Republican. I guess what goes around, comes around.
• Cyclone Conservatives has an interview with a fellow by the name of Jerry Johnson. It seems Mr. Johnson is a candidate for president on the GOP ticket. Who knew?
• Red Hog Diary has a post about political hate speech, picking up the Mitt Romney photo we noted several weeks ago and providing many examples of how politics has gone astray.
• Mainstream Iowan notes the passing of the University of Iowa from the top ten list of party schools. It has yet to be determined if this is good or bad for enrollment.
• Last Saturday, The Real Sporer professed love for Newt. Nice argument in favor of the politician, but I can't go there.

Presidential forums... Monday and Tuesday I'll be reporting on the LiveStrong Presidential Forum. Democrats are scheduled for Monday and Republicans on Tuesday. I think MSNBC might be either streaming this online or on television.

Five candidates -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich -- have confirmed they'll take part in a discussion of domestic issues before the Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers on Monday and Tuesday at the Disney Yacht and Beach Club in Orlando, Florida. This event will be streamed live from the IAM site, streaming provided by ustream.tv

Today is Women's Equality Day... a day set in motion by then New York Rep. Bella Abzug. Below is the text of the resolution from 1971:

Whereas, the women of the United States have been treated as second-class citizens and have not been entitled the full rights and privileges, public or private, legal or institutional, which are available to male citizens of the United States; and

Whereas, the women of the United States have united to assure that these rights and privileges are available to all citizens equally regardless of sex; and

Whereas, the women of the United States have designated August 26, the anniversary date of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, as symbol of the continued fight for equal rights: and

Whereas, the women of United States are to be commended and supported in their organizations and activities,

Now, Let It Therefore Be Resolved, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that August 26th of each year is designated as Women’s Equality Day, and the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation annually in commemoration of that day in 1920, on which the women of America were first given the right to vote, and that day in 1970, on which a nationwide demonstration for women’s rights took place.

Dear readers, please find some time today to celebrate a strong woman in your life and take note of the ways our society is better because of the voices of women.