January 2009 Archives

Today, according to the Associated Press, President Barack Obama will sign an executive order that ends the Global Gag Rule. This means that international groups who accept U.S. aid will no longer be restricted from promoting, performing or speaking about abortion. It is a move that should be celebrated by both sides of the abortion debate, although I'm sure some of my conservative friends will disagree on the surface.

Under the global gag rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, agencies that offered health care to women could not mention, much less advocate, abortion -- regardless of the specific circumstance of the women and families involved -- if that agency wanted monetary support from the U.S. This means that agencies could not even use their own funds for this purpose or they would risk losing all U.S. aid.

Think of it as "don't ask, don't tell" for reproductive health -- that if we don't speak of it, it somehow won't exist. Unfortunately, because of this rule, other necessary services have been depleted for other countries -- contraceptives, maternal and child health programs, and HIV services, just to name a few. Clinics throughout the world have been forced to downsize and even close.

While I'll wager a guess that those who vehemently oppose abortion would be willing to take these cuts in stride because of their belief that the global gag rule reduced the instance of abortion, there is no evidence that this happened. We do, however, have evidence that unsafe abortion remains among the leading causes of maternal death in many nations on which this gag rule has been imposed. In further irony, the gag rule effectively prevented the health care organizations from discussing the dangers of unsafe abortion.

Let me put this another way, there were very few policies implemented by the Bush administration with which I agreed. One that was very worthy of praise was the former President's push against HIV/AIDS, especially his aid package to developing countries.

No secret was made of the fact that former President George W. Bush had his eye set on reproductive health programs as a way of making concessions to his base.  An easy way to do that was for him to reinstate the Global Gag Rule, which was first initiated by former President Ronald Reagan before it was stricken by former President Bill Clinton. After doing this, however, Bush decided he would expand the Global Gag Rule to impact his global HIV/AIDS initative. The expansion never took place because the policy wonks could not come up with a way to sell the program without admitting that the Gag Rule would negatively impact the HIV/AIDS effort.

The Gag Rule has had that same horrible impact on the family planning providers since its inception.

In the spring of last year, the Washington Post reported that increased birthrates among Filipino women helped keep the population of that country in poverty. It goes without saying that impoverished populations are some of the most desperate and unstable in the world.  Now, look past the Philippines to Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Romania, Nepal, Ghana, Tanzania and all the other underdeveloped nations you can name.

U.S. funding for international family planning, as of the spring of 2008, was roughly $460 million -- 40 percent less than what the U.S. provided in 1995. In addition, the Bush administration lobbied for more cuts the program, wishing to reduce it by nearly 70 percent.  But that's not all. The Bush administration also withheld nearly $200 million from the U.S. Population Fund, an organization that provides family planning and health care assistance to many more countries than the U.S. directly aids.

This brings us back the Phillipines. In 1995 the U.S. provided $37 million for that nation's family planning and reproductive health needs. In 2007, the Bush administration suggested just over $5 million. The Bush adminstration acknowledged that high birth rates contributed to the poverty in the country, and that the poverty in the country contributed to lack of employment and educational opportunities. (Which, BTW, are direct contributors to our own nation's illegal immigration problems.)

Because of some stupid political maneuver -- and I do mean "stupid" because this obviously goes well beyond ignorance -- we have not only failed to reduce the number of abortions in our own country and abroad, but we have contributed to an increase in unplanned/unwanted pregnancy. This has led to population increases, mostly in the most impoverished segments of the world, that the already strapped countries cannot care for, which requires the countries to turn more forcefully to the world community for help. Because of the global economic crisis, countries now have fewer dollars at their disposal which are not needed at home. Impoverished persons, unable to find work, education or other opportunities in their home countries, look for ways out.

To bring it full circle, the same individuals likely screaming to high heaven about the immigration issues in our nation are the same individuals who have long held ideology that has been a major contributing factor to the problem. That's why those on both sides of the abortion debate should be celebrating today. Women residing in countries that allow abortion will now have the option. All women will learn the risks associated with unsafe abortion. Increased contraception awareness and distribution will help reduce unintended pregnancy (reducing the number of abortions).

Above all else, however, women here and elsewhere will finally be allowed all the necessary information to keep themselves healthy. Polices that "protect the sanctity of life" do not allow more than 500,000 women in developing countries to die each year from pregnancy-related causes. They do not allow 8 million more to suffer serious complications due to pregnancies that occur at a young age or that are spaced too closely. They also do not allow more than 10 million children under the age of 5 to die each year from low birth-weight, pregnancy complications and/or starvation.

Sen. Tom Harkin issued the following statement today after the U.S. Senate passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by a vote of 61 to 36. The measure, will ensure all Americans are paid the same wage regardless of their age, gender, race or ethnicity.

"Discrimination takes many forms. Sometimes discrimination is brazen and in-your-face, like with Jim Crow and apartheid. And sometimes discrimination is silent and insidious. This is exactly what is happening, today, in workplaces across America. Ledbetter was a bad decision, and I am glad to be able to work with Senators Kennedy and Mikulski to champion this bill that will reverse the damage done by that decision.

"Some say we don't need any more laws; market forces will take care of the wage gap. But, experience shows that there are some injustices that market forces cannot rectify. That is why we passed the Equal Pay Act, the Civil Rights Acts, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"What we know from these and other issues is that discrimination hurts everyone. And that is why we had to end the unfair practice of pay discrimination and restore civil rights protections for workers who face discrimination based on age, race, gender, national origin, religion or disability. Women have received unequal pay for equal work for far too long, and still face significant pay discrimination - earning 78 cents for every dollar a man earns. This is simply wrong. And it is especially hurtful now when our economy is flailing and American families are struggling.

"Today the U.S. Senate came together to ensure that all workers are paid fairly, and that they have a fair opportunity under the law to fight back when they are not. For that reason, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will be remembered in history alongside other critical anti-discrimination measures like the Equal Pay, Civil Rights, Family and Medical Leave and the American with Disabilities Acts."

Harkin, a cosponsor of the measure, is an Iowa Democrat and senior member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. He is also chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds labor initiatives.

The bill will now go back to the U.S. House for a vote before going to the President's desk for his signature.

A man, described as an anti-abortion activist, decided today -- the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision -- that the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul, Minn. needed a drive-through.

Full details from Andy Birkey at The Minnesota Independent:

A man slammed his SUV into the Planned Parenthood clinic on Ford Parkway in St. Paul early Thursday morning. Police say the man was an anti-abortion activist and was praying when they found him. Thursday was the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that found a right to privacy regarding abortion and therefore made abortion legal.

...The clinic only suffered minor damage. Police say the man was an anti-abortion protester...

"We think it's intentional because of Roe vs. Wade," [police spokesman Peter Panos said. "He's not saying much. He was praying or chanting when the officers arrived."

The absolute irony in this story is that man -- most likely a man with a moral objection to abortion, decided the best thing he could do was to drive his vehicle into a building that could have easily held young, pregnant women picking up pre-natal vitamins. While this particular clinic does offer abortions (not all Planned Parenthood clinics do), it is also a health care clinic servicing a wide range of reproductive health needs.

From 2 to 3 p.m. today you are invited to take part in a live blog with Gloria Feldt and Sarah Stoesz as the two discuss messaging for the reproductive rights movement in a new era.

Brady Swenson at RH Reality Check provides the following details:

Gloria Feldt is a leading women's activist and best selling author. She is a former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. You can find her writing on the web at www.GloriaFeldt.com. Her much-quoted Heartfeldt Politics Blog offers a unique take on current events from where the political and personal meet.

Sarah Stoesz is President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. Stoesz was a leader in the campaign against South Dakota's Measure 11 working tirelessly to defeat the proposed abortion ban in November 2008.

(Note: Click the photos to read coverage from the Iowa event.)

More than any other group of people across the United States, Iowans know how long the 2008 presidential contests actually took. Long before official announcements were made, we were shaking hands in 2006 with individuals considering a possible presidential run. Some like Vice President-elect Joe Biden came and stayed. Others like Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Evan Bayh and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner tested the water only to find it not to their liking.

As Iowans look back today, they can do so with pride. We fulfilled our duty. We, once again, did our job for the nation. We took the field of candidates and tested them. We asked the tough questions. We forced the "rock stars" to meet with us one-on-one, leading to their understanding that popularity alone isn't enough for those who wish to head this great nation. Most importantly, we gave each candidate an opportunity to make his or her case -- and we weighed the options not only against our own interests, but against the overall interests of the nation.

As the nation celebrates the peaceful transition of our Office of President, we take a moment to look back at the man who is making history in the place where this unprecedented run began: Iowa. (The state that picks corn and presidents.)

Remember the story behind the Fired up. Ready to go. chant? If not, here's an audio clip of Obama telling it:

After Joe Biden was selected as Obama's running mate, I put together a round-up of my coverage of Joe Biden during the Iowa Caucus.

Congratulations to President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Second Lady Jill Biden (although she'll never be second best in our book) and their entire families.

I received an e-mail note from three friends who are attending the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C. While there is nothing political about their note, I imagine their experiences are similar to others who have traveled from the Hawkeye State to Alphabet City for the festivities.

While I'll have a more formal interview them once they return, I thought readers might like to read the observations of three Linn County women -- Diane Hoffmann, chairwoman of the Linn County Democrats, Kay Hale, financial secretary of the Linn County Democrats, and Kathy Bass, an amazing business woman -- as they attend the swearing-in of our nation's 44th president.

Subject: Hello from Washington D.C.

[We] wanted to share our first day in Washington, D.C. with you. Kay and Kathy arrived at Ronald Reagan National Airport around 11 p.m. Took the Metro from the airport to Bethesda where we are staying (had to make one transfer from the yellow line to the red line). Pretty exciting for Iowa girls. Dropped our bags off and caught the metro once again to go back into DC to pick up our inaugural and ball tickets from [Congressman Dave] Loebsack's office.

On our journey to the Metro we came across a young man with an Iowa Hawkeye stocking cap and Kay naturally started a conversation with him. The next thing we knew Drew and his friend Katie (from MN) became our tour guide. Katie was once a intern at the capital and knew all the ins and outs of accessing the buildings, which saved us a tremendous amount of time. (Lines outside the Longworth building had literally hundreds of people waiting to pick up their tickets.)

Katie asked a DC policeman if the tunnels were open between Longworth and Cannon. The officer looked at her and said, "You must be from here," and continued by saying, "Go behind me." Being the simpletons we are, we took him literally and all stood behind him. He turned around and looked at us in disbelief and said, "no don't follow me go over to that other line." To make a long story short, we bypassed the vast majority of those who were waiting in line by accessing the tunnel in Cannon House office building which led directly over to the Longworth building.

Turned out picking up the tickets was a breeze.

 

The people we have met here have been wonderful. DC residents are very willing to help direct you to where ever you may be going. The police officers have also been friendly and very helpful. Everyone on the street seems to be filled with good cheer and general relief that the Bush days are finally at an end!

 

Of course being three women we had to get in some shopping time. Ran into Mitch Lincoln, former Linn County Obama staffer, at the Hart Senate building who recommended going to Pentagon City Mall. So once again back onto the Metro we went.

After a quick go round at Macy we once left on the Metro for our hotel. But this time there were throngs of people waiting to get onto the train. Push/shove. Somewhat similar to Black Friday when the Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death. We can only wonder what tomorrow will bring.

 

Getting up tomorrow at 4 a.m. and plan to attack the Metro at 5 a.m. Will let you know how the day progressed. We are having a great time. Kathy says hi, and Kay is laughing.

I've never had an open thread on Essential Estrogen, but I'm honored to have my first official one be for Mary Lundby. She was one of the first women I met after moving to Iowa -- a woman who was not only my legislator, but my friend.

As I'm sure most already know, Mary lost her battle with cancer yesterday morning. Her services are scheduled for Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph's in Marion. This thread is a place for you to share your thoughts about Mary's pioneering effort for women, about how she behaved as a legislator, about your memories of her.

In the years following my son's death, I did a lot of nature walks and hikes. More than anything I wanted the quiet solitude found while marching among the trees. On one of those trips, I came around the bend of the trail and nearly ran right into Mary. Neither one of us spoke on that hike, but we walked side by side. When we returned to the parking lot, we hugged and cried. To this day I don't know what was on her mind -- and I likely wouldn't confide it here if I did -- but I was glad to be there for her as she was for me.

Iowa Chief Justice Marsha Ternus -- the state's first female chief justice -- delivered the 2009 State of the Judiciary address to the Iowa Legislature this morning.

In her two previous addresses before lawmakers, Ternus has successfully pressed for more help with juvenile courts and juvenile offenders. While continuing to refer to work with troubled juveniles as "some of the courts' most important work," Ternus clearly had budget cuts and, more importantly, the impact of such cuts on the judiciary as her primary focus.

"We will do our part to help you reduce the State's operating expenses. Honestly, though, our options for cost cutting are quite limited," Ternus said. "Our resources are spread painfully thin due to the lasting and cumulative effects of the budget cuts in the first part of this decade. Many cost-saving measures we adopted then are still in place today. Because labor costs constitute 96 percent of our operating budget, it is impossible to significantly reduce our expenses without cutting personnel. Depending on the size of the cut you impose on the judicial branch, in all likelihood we will have to institute furloughs to reduce expenses this fiscal year."

Although such furloughs, according to Ternus, would have the least amount of impact on the general public, they would have the most impact on the state's most vulnerable consumers of the court system -- women, children and the poor. For instance, the gaps in service could result in forwarded child support payments being delayed.

Prior to the state budget crisis, it is quite likely that Ternus would have renewed her call for additional support in the juvenile justice system and other support systems for the state's poor. The judicial branch had requested, before revisions and cuts, an overall increase of $2.9 million. The monies would have been used in part to hire two new juvenile court officers, seven new information technology staffers, an education specialist and nearly 20 new support staff. The judicial branch was also hoping to institute training programs for existing staff and expand interpreter services, especially in civil cases.

Although the full text of the speech is available on the Iowa Courts Web site, it is a PDF file. Since some of our readers have expressed their inability to open and view some PDFs, we have reproduced the speech on this blog. Just take the jump below to read Ternus prepared remarks.

Fair warning, this post won't be nearly as interesting to the Iowa folks as it will be for my family down south -- the same family that queries me each winter with, "So, why do you live there?"

We woke up this morning to another blanket of the fluffy and cold white stuff. Even Yo-Yo, who typically loves his morning frolics through the snow, seemed to be looking at me with dismay.

The National Weather Service guy from the Quad Cities said that we've received 15 inches of snow in the past five days. That isn't as bothersome as it sounds since we've been getting hit and then clearing off. When the snow stops falling and the winds stop blowing, the road crews can get out with the plows and clear streets. Well, they can do that so long as people make a point of removing their cars from the streets that need to be plowed. (There's a lot to be said about "Iowa nice," but in the winter emotions can run close to the surface.)

I must admit that there are several times throughout the winter that I open the door and just shake my head in wonderment. Why do I continue to live here? Sleds, ice skates and snow shoes aren't included in my idea of a good time. Although snow mobiles look fun, it's still too cold for me. When it comes to skiing, I'd much rather have my sun-heated body fall into a cool pool of lake water than my already cold form crashing into a snow bank.

The worst days are the ones when beautiful sunlight streams through the windows while I work. On those days my body aches to go outside and bathe in the beams. Unfortunately, when winter rages, one doesn't expose much skin to sunlight. My body has to be content with pulling the rays through my upper face or, on days when I'm crazy stupid, my exposed hands. The lack of vitamin D is likely the largest single contributor to Iowans' winter testiness.

In the winter, however, no one in the family will complain about food. I can bake and cook from morning to night and it only serves to calm the entire family. Even something as simple as the smell of brewing coffee has a quality to it in the winter, a feeling of secure and warm home.

The best part of winter, at least in my estimation, is when it begins to go away. The large, ugly piles of snow and sand in parking lots begin to diminish. The trees begin to bud, and small leaves are soon visible. Tulips appear overnight beside houses, and everyone seems to come back to life amid the sweet smell of peonies. It's magical.

I've watched for nearly 15 years now as Iowa has transformed from barren and frozen to a lush paradise. The renewal is nothing short of amazing and inspiring. And, that renewal -- that confirmation of life -- is as much a part of Iowans as it is the land around us. It continues to be why I'm willing to wear three pair of sock and shuffle through snow banks. It's why I'm willing to get up an hour earlier in the winter just because I know I need to clear snow off the car. In Iowa, there is always something better just around the corner -- even on the days when the snow is piled so high that you can't see the corner.

Most of the news out of Iowa this morning has spotlighted Gov. Chet Culver's State of the State address. While Culver's thoughts are important to Iowans, there was other news of importance to women today as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton sat before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to discuss her nomination for Secretary of State.

What immediately perked my 'all-things-women' ears about Clinton's appearance was that she repeatedly and unabashedly spoke of women and children. While it is historically not something that Clinton has swept under the rug, it often seemed to me that she allowed her own passion on the subject of women to be saturated while on the presidential campaign trail. It was a move, at least in my opinion, that allowed other candidates to swoop in on what otherwise could have been her turf.

Still, and regardless of the campaign's reasons for toning down the women rhetoric previously, it was more than good to hear Clinton speak out again with passion about the plight of women in our country and abroad.

"Of particular concern to me is the plight of women and girls, who comprise the majority of the world's unhealthy, unschooled, unfed and unpaid," she said. "If half the world's population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity is in serious jeopardy."

The words -- some of the least robotic-sounding that I've heard Clinton utter in the past 18 or more months -- were made even the sweeter with knowledge that her mother, Dorothy Rodham, was listening from the sidelines and her daughter, Chelsea was in the gallery. As a mom and as a daughter I can only imagine the pride that must have been present in that room.

If you make the jump, you can read the full text of Clinton's prepared statement.

Lord, have mercy!

Surely you'll remember the hullabaloo that followed the selection of Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren to deliver a prayer at the upcoming presidential inauguration? Well, the tables (or altars) have been turned.

New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, an openly gay minister, will deliver an invocation at a Sunday event celebrating the inauguration. He will deliver his prayer on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

"President-elect Barack Obama says he wants to unite Americans, and yet he chooses the most polarizing person in the Episcopal Church, Bishop Gene Robinson, to offer a prayer at one of his inaugural events," said Catholich League president Bill Donohue.

Well... ahh... that kinda sounds familiar.

"If President-elect Obama's selection of Rick Warren to give his inaugural invocation is intended to send a message to America that he will be an inclusive leader, then he has clearly made a decision that the exclusion of the LGBT community is acceptable," said Darrel Cummings, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center chief of staff.

Wait, there's more...

"President-elect Obama campaigned on a theme of inclusivity, yet the selection of Rick Warren to give the invocation is a direct affront to that very principle," said Rea Carey, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force executive director. "This was a divisive choice, and clearly not one that will help our country come together and heal. We urge President-elect Obama to withdraw his invitation to Rick Warren and instead select a faith leader who embraces fairness, equality and the ideals the president-elect himself has called the nation to uphold."

After uttering a few not-so-nice things about Robinson's personal life as well as calling the Bishop out for supporting women as priests, Donohue concludes his remarks on this latest selection by saying: "In other words, Obama has chosen a man who offends Catholics as much as he does Protestants. If that's his idea of inclusion, he can keep it. The only saving grace is that Robinson says he will not use a Bible next week. It would be news if he did."

Whoa. I haven't heard snarky name-calling and pouty insults this good since my teenage daughter got into a spat with one of her friends.

Knowing Warren's view that domestic violence isn't reason enough for a woman to end a marriage (#30 here, if you need to hear it for yourself), all of the readers of this blog know which minister I'd want to sit beside at dinner.

I think my friend Amy, a practicing Catholic, said it best when she explained to me how she balanced her more liberal thoughts with the teachings of her conservative priest. "He'll be praying and I'll be there with my head bowed and having my own conversation," she said. "He'll pray for this and I'll interject that I'm not praying for that thing, and then I'll toss out what I'm praying for."

Ever since that conversation -- and I've never properly thanked Amy for the enlightenment -- prayers don't bother me so much. Just because some person is speaking out loud doesn't mean that his/her voice is getting to a higher power any more quickly than my own silent wishes and thoughts.

There's a new Iowa blog available -- just in time to keep us warm with laughter during this crazy Iowa blizzard.

FADE IN: You're looking into your lover's eyes whose pupils have metamorphosed into green flashing lights, indicating the love train is right on schedule, and before you can blink, the green lights flash red and you get the pull-back, followed by "Say something romantic" as she probes your slumbering soul through your now dilated pupils.

Granted, most experienced lovers bred out of the Boy Scout always-be-prepared ilk have cataloged a number of responses in their mental rolodex, under "E" for Emergency, for such occasions. But execution is not always a guarantee in these on-the-spot moments, especially when your hormones are doing everything in their power to execute a coup d'etat on your brain.

My good friend T.M. Lindsey, a master at satire and author of the new blog, goes on to to offer some suggestions for those not romantically inclined, but you'll have to check the introductory post on his new blog, Say Something Funny, to read them.

Go ahead... you know you want to...

Here are the opening remarks given by Speaker Pro Tem Polly Bukta today, the first day of the 83rd General Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Majority Leader, Mr. Minority Leader and colleagues of the House. Thank you for your trust in me by electing me Speaker Pro Tem for the 83rd General Assembly. It is truly an honor to sit here before you today.

To the Chief Clerk and his staff, both caucus staffs, the legislative Assistants to leadership, legislative clerks, the Sergeant of Arms, doorkeepers, pages, Postmaster, Finance Officers, custodial staff, thank you all for all the hours you spent to prepare this awesome chamber the for this first day of session. And thank you in advance for all the time and effort you will put forth to make this session run as smoothly as in the past.

Family members and friends of the Representatives, especially you who have traveled any distance on this typically Iowa winter day, to witness your loved ones take their oath of office, as new or returning members, I extend my most sincere and warm welcome! Your presence adds to the joy and ambiance of the day.

Today we welcome 18 new members to the Iowa House, and welcome back the returning 81 members. You probably noticed that 18 and 81 do not total 100. It is not my math mistake, Representative Royd Chambers is on active duty in Iraq and will miss the 2009 session. We wish him well and a safe return for active duty in the Iowa House, hopefully for the 2010 session.

Iowa has made history again by expanding our diverse population to match the make-up of our great state. This session shows a record number of African Americans totaling six - a gain of two. The number of female representatives, sorry to say, is three less than last session, but still, we women make up 25% of the membership.

Our Chamber consists of members from all age groups ranging from the late twenties to the early eighties. How proud we can all be of the balance in this chamber in age, gender, race, and creed. I hope we will all remember that each of us brings to this gathering our own unique self with our own unique ideas on how best serve the constituents of our own unique districts. If we are able to keep this in mind as we move forward this session we will be able to treat each other with respect. We need to listen to one another, talk to one another, and work together to do the very best we can for our particular districts as well as for our entire state. Iowans expect this behavior from us, and it can be accomplished.

We have some trying times ahead of us, and it will take a concerted effort on our parts to get us through the difficult decisions, that we will have to make in the weeks and months ahead. Nobody could have predicted the economic downturn, nor the devastating natural tragedies of this past summer. There is work to do and problems to solve, and we will do both because we are IOWANS! We're strong, we're deliberate, we're compassionate, we're responsive and we are problem solvers.

I would like to end by reading a quote from a Texas state senator, Leticia Van de Putte, from her 15 tips on being an effective legislator - honor the institution (I won't read all 15 of them, just the first one). Honor the institution. Thomas Jefferson did it, and so did James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and other builders of our governmental institutions. They worked tirelessly to make representative government work. Now the well-being of our state legislature is in our hands. Preserve and protect it so it remains a strong, co-equal branch of government. Legislative service is one of democracy's worthiest pursuits. It is an important duty that deserves our time, attention and dedication. To work well, government requires a bond of trust between citizens and their representatives. Try to appeal to the best instincts of the electorate, talk about what you stand for, what you intend to do during your time in office and then work as hard as you can to fulfill those promises. Remember why you ran for office -- to make a difference, a difference for the better.

Thank you, and enjoy your day.

One Iowa and PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) have decided to postpone their panel slated for tonight at First Unitarian Church in Des Moines.

This is one of many events that will either be canceled or postponed due to the blizzard conditions in Iowa today. Most of the schools in eastern Iowa are also dismissing early.

Before you head out -- and the roads are fairly slick at the moment and expected to get worse as high winds create drifting -- be sure to check with your local news station to see if your intended destination is closed. Here in eastern Iowa, I depend on KCRG's cancellation list.

4 p.m. Update -- The Iowa Department of Transporation has pulled snow plows in Sloan, Onawa and Soldier from roadways due to blizzard conditions. Visibility is described as "marginal" and road crews cannot keep up with the blowing snow that is causing drifting.

Additional snow plows in other parts of District 3 -- Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dickinson, Emmet, Ida, Lyon, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux and Woodbury counties -- will be pulled off the roadways at the change of shift this evening.

Winds in excess of 45 mph are being reported in this area. No travel is advaised as roadways are likely to become blocked -- the area includes portions of I-29 in northwest Iowa.

Plows will not return to work until the conditions are safe and the workers can make a dent in the snow.

According to the road conditions map available from IDOT, most of Iowa roads are now considered difficult for motorists.

Iowans facing domestic violence or sexual assault are currently able to access crisis counseling, shelters and long-term support from a local program within driving distance. But if the state doesn't soon find a way to maintain the $4 million that funds the programs, all that could change.

Local sexual assault and domestic violence programs rely on a combination of state, federal and private funds to maintain operation. Although the state provided funding for these programs as early as 1979, a number of changes and tight state budget years have dramatically eroded available state funding.

In 2002 the state budget to support these programs was eliminated, and nine programs were forced to close or merge. Subsequently money was taken from the Iowa Attorney General's Victim Compensation Fund as a  stop-gap measure that would allow the remaining programs to continue operating. But the Victim Compensation Fund can no longer support the domestic violence and sexual assault victim assistance programs.

Realizing that the Victim Compensation Fund would not be able to serve its intended purpose -- providing assistance to victims of violent crime -- and continue to fund the domestic and sexual assault assistance programs, the Iowa attorney general's office, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault began pressing state officials several years ago for an independent budget line item.

While mindful of the current budget crunch, the dependent agencies also know that fiscal year 2009 will be the last year that Iowa's domestic violence and sexual assault programs will receive $4 million via the Victim Assistance Grant line item.

"Something has to give," said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. "We have advised the Legislature for several years that the Compensation Fund, which comes from various fines and penalties paid by criminals, would not always be able to fully fund both programs. Now we've hit that crunch time. We need the Legislature's direct appropriation of funds again -- as it did in years past -- for the crucial network of local programs all over Iowa."

Miller, who led a news conference Wednesday at the State Capitol, said the 31 programs are located in 27 counties, but they serve the entire state. Despite the budget crunch, Miller said the current funding levels must be maintained.

"It is difficult for me to ask for this funding in these hard financial times, but I believe this is a matter of justice and a matter of safety," he said. "It's a matter of justice because Iowa has a long record of assisting victims of crime, and not just punishing and rehabilitating criminals. And it's a matter of safety and security and recovery for victims."

The programs, according to Miller, provide "indispensable, life-saving services" that include helping victims with safety plans, finding safe houses for women and children, guiding people through the criminal justice system and helping those who fall prey to violent crime cope with the unforeseen costs of being a victim.

Budget requests, filed by the attorney general's office in October, include a $3.2 million direct appropriation to the programs, ending the mandated link to the Victims Compensation Fund. The attorney general's office would retain the legal authority to transfer money from the fund to the local programs, but only if such transfers were fiscally possible.

"This would put the Compensation Fund on a more solid footing and would permit the Office to pay victims their full benefits on a prompt basis," wrote Miller in his October request letter.

Miller also requested an additional $850,000 for local crime victim service programs. This would provide $850,000 for fiscal year 2010 that was moved in fiscal year 2009 from the Forfeited Property Fund to the grant program fund to replace lost federal support.

According to Beth Barnhill, executive director of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, rural Iowans will likely feel the brunt of any program cuts first.

"The programs most at risk are the rural programs that are heavily reliant on state funding," she said. "They are unlikely to have local resources to make up the shortfall."

Last year the Crime Victim Compensation Program served 5,249 Iowa victims of crime and paid $7.2 million of their out-of-pocket expenses.  The expenses included things such as victim counseling, medical care, funeral and burial expenses, child care required for court proceedings or medical treatment, and compensation of wages lost due to crime-related injuries or court appearances.

During that same time frame Iowa's local domestic abuse and sexual abuse programs served 26,934 victims -- 20,042 women, 5,294 children and 1,058 men. The programs provided 100,814 nights of safe shelter to 4,416 victims and children.

Local programs provide emergency shelters, counseling, medical advocacy, crisis hotlines, guidance for victims going through criminal justice proceedings and many other individualized services. Most of the local programs serve large geographical regions -- some up to six or eight counties -- with small, low-paid staffs of dedicated professionals.

On Sept. 27, 2007, the Iowa programs participated in a 24-hour "snapshot" or requested services in the state. The count from that day showed that services were provided to 813 individuals. But there were an additional 114 requests for services that could not be met because of a lack of resources.

This article is also posted at Iowa Independent.

Here's your earworm: "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence --

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The buzz in Iowa for the past few weeks has been speculation on who would be named to lead the beleaguered Republican Party of Iowa. Thanks to a few pizza parties and videos on his blog, the honor has gone to Matt Strawn.

Strawn is one of the owners of the Iowa Barnstormers, a Des Moines Arena Football team, and he seems to be poised to ram the Republican Platform down the throats of Iowans and into the end zone -- whether they like it or not. Strawn plans to take the RPI into a new technological future, vowing to use social media networking to the party's advantage.

Dave Price reports that Strawn's primary competition, former legislator Danny Carroll, didn't stick around for the news conference following the election by the Republican State Central Committee. While that may or may not be significant, the fact that outgoing chairman Stew Iverson also skipped the press bonanza definitely says something. 

Meanwhile, it seems most of the Iowa conservative bloggers either had a moment of incredible serendipity, or were reading from the same notebook. Albert Bregar, writing for both Red County and the Iowa Defense Alliance, called the election for Strawn "a new era" for RPI. David Chung, the only blogging member of the Republican SCC that I'm aware of, said the election signaled "a new day" at RPI. The anonymous blogger at Krusty Conservative said, without actually saying, that the elections were a slap in the face to Iowa's social conservatives, and signified evidence that the party would no longer be kept in a stronghold. (For the record, Strawn is/was the on the board of Iowa Right to Life, and worked with both Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Mike Rogers of Michigan.)

Since Essential Estrogen focuses on women in politics, it's important to note here, as we have previously, that there is only one woman representative from Iowa's five congressional districts that was elected to serve on the Republican State Central Committee -- and, yes, she was previously elected to serve as the SCC secretary. Because the national organization mandates both a male and female be elected to serve on the Republican National Committee, a woman was elected to that post during the state convention last July. No woman is a part of the newly elected Republican executive board. (Krusty alludes to 'shenanigans' as to why the lone female was stripped of the secretary role after more than a decade of service.)

At a time when the Democratic majority has added to their female presence in the state legislature and in county offices, the Republican minority has lost ground in terms of women representatives. Given what we know about the Republican SCC, this should be no surprise. 

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Although I'm working on a post listing the various elected officials who are taking advantage of social media, there is a new blog that will be of interest to some Linn County residents. Brent Oleson, a newly elected member of the Linn County Board of Supervisors, will be posting his thoughts and insights on The Marion Contrarian. 

All-in-all, Linn County really seems to be leading the way in use of social media by elected officials.

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Although I wrote a short post about the court case involving the woman who was asked not to work at Hooters after she was a victim of a severe domestic violence attack, my post was peanuts compared to what was written by my friend Douglas Burns.

No matter how thin you string the onion rings there's no getting around it: Hooters is a bordello lobby with barbeque, a strip club with wings, and increasingly, one wonders how the sex-as-universal-side for all orders flies in modernity.

Have a look at Burns' column. It's incredible -- and incredibly accurate.

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Cindy Hadish has a report about an upcoming program for Iowa women who are landowners.

...women own about half of the farmland in Iowa, and about 60 percent of the rentable farmland. Research has shown that women have very strong conservation and natural resource values, but don't always feel comfortable accessing the technical and financial resources that would help them and their tenants get the conservation they want on their land.

Women who own or manage farmland in three Eastern Iowa counties - Johnson, Jones and Linn - are invited to participate in a free conservation education program beginning in January.

Click over to Cindy's blog "Homegrown" for more information about the program.

Have you seen this news report from Jennifer Meyer of the Muscatine Journal?

One of eight alleged members of the Latin Kings street gang accused of an September 2008 assault in a Muscatine alley has pleaded guilty.

Robert Murillo Jr., 18, entered the plea Dec. 30, 2008, on charges of willful injury, criminal gang participation and assault causing injury. The willful injury charge was reduced from a Class C to a Class D felony in an agreement he reached with prosecutors.

Murillo and seven other men are accused of assaulting a man Sept. 21 in an alley next to Circle K gas station, 800 Cypress St. According to court documents, the men stated during the assault that the area was "King hood."

There is more to read at the link, including the names of three additional individuals that folks at the Muscatine Police Department would like to find.

When I was in college, I wrote a paper about street gangs that included information given to me by a "stone red" (roughly, a second-in-command) within the Latin Kings (aka Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation in New York). Although the group was formed primarily by Puerto Rican immigrants in Chicago during the late 1950s, it has since expanded its membership to include many other ethic groups. The vast majority of the gang's membership at the time I did the interviews was still Latino, although that could have changed.

Like most street gangs, the Latin Kings formed in response to a situation interpreted as (or possibly a situation of) repression, discrimination and poverty. It began as a club of sorts, where the members pledged to look out for one another. The group developed a five-pointed crown as their symbol, the five points representing respect, honesty, unity, knowledge and love. The crown was colored with what were to become the gang's street colors -- primarily black and gold, sometimes with highlights of red.

As the gang grew -- I believe it is the largest Latin gang in the nation -- the noble beginnings gave way to desperate criminal activity. There are likely many in the gang today who don't know and/or truly understand the five points of the crown and what they represent.

Much later, when the various gangs in Chicago and elsewhere began to pool into one of two groups -- the "Folks" or the "People" -- the Latin Kings seemed to be the only group to understand that such alliances were not always in their best interest. In the 1980s they made the choice to remove themselves from the alliance of the People Nation, at great cost to their members, but the gang ultimately was rewarded in the form of much larger membership. Maybe that was because it was seen as more independent and worthy of respect or more caring of its membership than to use them as fodder in another group's stupidity. In any event, graffiti attributed to the Latin Kings continues to use a five-pointed star, a mark of affiliation with the People Nation.

What you've got in the Latin Kings is a group that formed for primarily noble purposes, a reaction to a situation viewed as intolerable, that deteriorated -- perhaps by design, perhaps by circumstance -- into criminal activity. (Did you know that the Latin Kings set up and operated a health clinic with the help of the Latin American Defense Organization in their Chicago neighborhood?) While there are still aspects of the group that swish back to the street gang mentality most of us have seen pictured in movies and books -- in my opinion the beating in Muscatine is a good example of this, perhaps so good as to be fake -- there is also a segment that is trying to institutionalize or legitimize.

For instance, a group using the Latin Kings name in Spain has registered as a legal, nonprofit and cultural organization. (Similar to what was attempted by the Conservative Vice Lords in Chicago in the late 1960s and somewhat achieved by the Crips and Bloods in Los Angeles in 1992.) By applying for and receiving the legal definition, the Latin Kings organization in Spain can -- and probably already has -- received government funds.

There was also a call in 1994 by the New York leadership of ALKQN for the members to stop criminal activity and become more of a political force. A film called Black and Gold was made about what happened to the members there when they tried to switch their focus.

Sorry for the history lesson, but I've been fascinated by gangs -- actually I've been fascinated with what prompts a population to form a gang -- since I was in high school and met a very loose-lipped member of the Klu Klux Klan. (And, yes, I do consider the KKK to be a gang and not some glorified "secret society.")

What shocked me about this news report and, in retrospect, it should not have shocked me at all is that the ALKQN is in Muscatine. Muscatine! We're not talking about a highly industrialized area. We're not talking about a large city where you can divide up the blocks, appointing one to this group and another to that group. We're talking about a small Iowa town where children ride for blocks on their bicycles and moms push baby strollers to the grocery store. We're talking about a complete sociological re-write of what Muscatine is and what it will become.

When I wrote the paper, my premise related to why the various organizations didn't move into smaller communities. It seemed to me that they were getting pushed around by politicians as they amped up economic development efforts in Chicago. There was a special police task force called the Red Squad that was set up to infiltrate and devastate the street gangs. It was a very hostile environment in which the organizations were set to operate.

Those who were a part of these street gangs told me that they wanted to raise the people of their community up. That they wanted to put an end to the violence and that they wanted to make things better. If that was true, I argued, why not take certain members of your community to a smaller town and start fresh? It seemed to come down to pride and not wanting to be "run out" of their homes and their neighborhoods. They were street or "turf" gangs, intended to protect not only their people but their specific geographic area from others. For them the parcels of property, the schools, and the retail businesses were just as important as the people -- an inextricable fabric of their lives.

If the Latin Kings have come to Muscatine, I hope the city is prepared to break out of the failed mentality that has plagued law enforcement and government when it comes to such organizations. There is an opportunity here, a possibility of working with a strong force of individuals who want the betterment of a place and people. Granted, there must be an immediate stop to any criminal activity, but there must also be a strong line of communication opened and maintained. It is no small task, but I know there is common ground to be found without either group compromising its principles or its pride.

I received word last night from a sister in Texas that a park in the small town of Coweta, Oklahoma will be named after our brother, Jimmy Lee Campbell, a U.S. Army veteran who died in Vietnam.

Because I was so young when he was killed in action, I have no direct memories of my brother and only one photograph that shows the two of us together, which I've scanned and included with this post along with a better picture of him. I'm not sure how to adequately express what growing up in the shadow of my family's grief for him was like. Most of my brothers and sisters, all being older, have their own cherished memories of Jimmy. In that aspect, I feel especially cheated.

The small town of Coweta, which was even smaller when the Vietnam war was raging, has the distinction of having lost the most boys per capita in the nation during the Vietnam conflict.  My brother was the eighth soldier killed from Coweta. His graduating class of only 37 students had 14 men who saw action in Asia.

Jimmy was a high school football stand-out and, according to the people who have spoken with me, was well-liked by all who knew him.  After he graduated from Coweta High School, he attended Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton and played ball there. He was attempting to transfer from that college to one closer to home when he was drafted on Feb. 12, 1969.

My mother told me that she went with him to the airport when he was required to report for duty. My mother, who already had a full head of gray hair, said he touched her darkly dyed hair and told her she should just let it go gray, that she was beautiful regardless. Then he turned and, without looking back, ran up the tarmac and onto the plane. Mom never again dyed her hair.

Like the story above, I have filed away other family informational tidbits. For instance, I know the orange and white pick-up truck driven for years by my father was actually purchased by Jimmy and given to Dad for safe keeping when Jimmy was drafted. I remember the big tears that rolled down my father's cheeks when the truck had to be replaced. On one hand, I'm sure it was a reminder of the son that had been lost. On the other, it was probably the last physical link to Jimmy.

Thanks to my mom, who was always a pack-rat, there is an official paper trail of what happened -- in the form of Western Union telegrams from the military and a few newspaper clippings. I've scanned three of the telegrams that were sent. The blacked-out portion covers the home address, a residence that members of my family still occupy.

This first telegram is from December 1969. It was sent to inform the family that my brother had been "slightly wounded in action in Vietnam on 15 December 1969 by fragments while ona (sic) combat operation when a mine detonated." The note goes on to say that Jimmy received wounds to his left hand, left leg and both arms, and that he was being treated at a hospital in Vietnam.

"Since he is not repeat not seerrritously (sic) wounded no further reports will be furnished."

A newspaper article written after Jimmy's death has this to say about the December incident:

"The youth was wounded once before, on December 15. It was a booby trap explosion that has claimed many U.S. victims. He suffered hand and arm injuries, was hospitalized six weeks and returned to his outfit in the Chu Lai area."

I've never gotten the courage to ask the question of living Vietnam veterans that I want to ask about this incident. I don't understand why the Army was so adamant about his wounds not being serious, even labeling them as "slight," but then kept him in the hospital for six weeks. Until the day of my mother's own death she believed that Jimmy should have been sent home at the time of the December injuries. My understanding from the men that served with Jimmy is that he was not fully healed -- or perhaps that he would never heal well enough -- to be effective as a member of the unit. He was slowed by the injuries and, possibly, that led to the event that would claim his life.

The next telegram is dated Feb. 9, 1970. It was sent to inform the family that Jimmy had been seriously injured. "[Your son] was wonded (sic) in action ... by fragments from a booby trap ... He received wound to his abdomen. A Laparotay (sic) has been performed. The attending phychian (sic) says his condition is of such serverity (sic) that there is cause for concern."

Two days later on Feb. 11, 1970, my brother died.

There are several more telegrams among the things my mother saved. The others detail how Jimmy's body would be shipped by the military, the expenses the military would pay (between $75 and $250) and how arrangements should be made with the local funeral home.

Posthumously, Jimmy was honored with several awards by the military. Among them were the Vietnam Military Merit Medal and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm in July 1970. He was also given the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, both in May 1970, and assorted other awards.  Before his death, he was given the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and others for marksmanship and excellence.

Although I do not know this as fact, I was told that one of the men who served with my brother in Vietnam was instrumental in having the park dedicated in Jimmy's memory. There will be benches placed within the park in honor of the many, many other young veterans from Coweta who gave their lives in service to country.

And now that I've taken such a sentimental journey, I have a favor to ask of our readers. The dedication of the park is scheduled to take place Feb. 14. Would you all please pray or send positive thoughts to Old Man Winter? If the weather cooperates, I will be able to travel south for the ceremony.

Ed Tibbetts of the Quad-City Times has a report on how the PURSE PAC, a women's political fundraising organization founded in the fall of 2008, hopes to draw more women to the Republican Party of Iowa.

Some of the group's leaders met with Quad-City-area Republicans Monday at a reception hosted at former state Sen. Maggie Tinsman's home.

"We are of the belief it's going to take a lot of people doing a lot of different things to change the results for Republicans in Iowa," said Diane Crookham-Johnson, chairwoman of the new group called PURSE PAC.

The group plans to seek out Republican women to work on and donate to political campaigns and to run for office themselves.

The idea is to focus on common interests, such as limited government and lower taxes and not on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. There are other groups that do that, leaders say.

"I view this as an add-on," said state Rep. Linda Miller, R-Bettendorf, a backer of the group who was a co-host of Monday's reception.

PURSE stands for "People United for Republican Sisters' Elections" and, as stated in the quoted text above, this PAC has presented itself as being more inclusive of pro-choice Republican women who wish to run for office. All-in-all, it sounds like a noble calling.

I will, however, have to agree with my writing cohort Renee when she takes offense to pink invitations decorated with lipsticks and high heeled shoes. (This is how The Des Moines Register described the invitations sent out prior to the first PURSE PAC meeting. I cannot link to that story because (unsurprisingly) The Reg no longer has it publicly available on their site. Tibbetts' report doesn't provide details of the latest event invitations.)

While I'm the type of person who loves a new shade of lipstick and will probably host a ceremonial burial when my favorite designer sweater finally sheds its last thread, there is a time and a place for everything. If political women -- Republican or Democrat -- want to be taken seriously by the women of Iowa, then they would be behooved to take the overall plight of women seriously. Want more women to join your political group? Then form a group that identifies with and acts upon the issues that concern and impact women. Once you do that, gimmicks won't be required.

Jael Silliman, a nationally and internationally known women's rights speaker, will be keynoting an event in Iowa City on Jan. 17. Her speech is titled: "The Global Women's Movement Today: Opportunities and Challenges - A View from the Field."

The event, which is slated for noon at the Congregational Church on Clinton St. and hosted by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, will be catered by Mama's Deli. Reservations -- $7.50 for members, $8.50 for non-members of the Council -- are due by noon on Jan. 14.

Silliman is the program officer for Women's Rights and Gender Equality, a part of the Human Rights Unit, Peace and Social Justice Program of the Ford Foundation. She has also served as the program officer for reproductive rights.

Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, she was a tenured associated professor in the Women's Studies Department at the University of Iowa. She is the recipient of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission International Human Rights Award and an Open Society Fellow. In addition, she is an accomplished author.

Waitress at Hooters couldn't work because wounds left her without required glamor

Iowa Administrative Law Judge Teresa Hillary has ruled that a 27-year-old Illinois woman is eligible for unemployment benefits from a Davenport Hooters restaurant. The woman, Sara Dye, was a victim of domestic violence and the judge found that bruises she received at the hands of her attacker (unidentified in court records) were not workplace misconduct.

Dye and her managers at the restaurant agreed that she should take time off this fall after she suffered a violent attack that left her bruised and in the hospital. After taking some time off, Dye said she was subsequently fired from employment because of the attack and subsequent bruises. Hooters managers, however, argued that she abandoned her job.

The bruises left on Dye's body would have been visible as the waitress donned the scanty Hooters uniform -- a violation of 50-page company policy that dictates how Hooters Girls should look while on the job.

"The handbook states that you have to have a glamorous appearance," said Gina Sheedy, a corporate manager, after admitting to the judge that Dye would not have been allowed to work because of the bruises.

If you're interested in reading more about the arcane requirements for being a Hooters Girl, there's a more in-depth story by Clark Kauffman at The Des Moines Register. Frankly, I'd rather clean toilets than parade around in Daisy Duke's and a tight t-shirt. Then again, the only time I want to dress up as if I'm going on a big Saturday night date is when I'm actually going on a big Saturday night date.

If you are a victim of domestic violence -- male or female -- there is help. If you are on a safe computer (i.e., one at a public library or one that your attacker does not have access to) please visit the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. If you need immediate help, please call the 24-hour statewide hotline at 1-800-942-0333.

People have a right to get angry at one another. People have a right to to disagree. No one, regardless of anything you've done, has a right to injure you. Conversely, no employer has a right to fire you because someone else has abused you -- even if such abuse shows outside your uniform.

Several blogs do this end of the year question-and-answer post (Creative Dubuque, This Woman's Work, Reassigned Time and others) and this year I've decided to join in. (Because this is more personal and doesn't really fit with what is typically posted on Essential Estrogen, I've placed the bulk after the link.)

Although the Republican State Central Committee won't be casting votes until next weekend, the six candidates interested in being the next chairman (no women are under consideration) of the Republican Party of Iowa spoke in a candidate forum at the organization's Des Moines headquarters today.

Those interested in the job are:

• Andy Cable, Eldora, current chairman of the Hardin County Republicans
• Danny Carroll, Grinnell, former 12-year state representative
• Paul Pate, Cedar Rapids, former CR Mayor, former Iowa Senator, former Iowa Secretary of State
• Matt Randall, Ames, founder of Young Professionals of Iowa
• Christopher Reed, Marion, the 2008 U.S. Senate candidate who ran against Tom Harkin
• Matt Strawn, Ankeny, one of the Iowa Barnstormers owners and a former congressional aide

Since the meeting was in Des Moines -- which is a whole other sore spot for those of us in Iowa's second largest county -- I didn't attend. There is an excellent eye-witness/reporter's notebook report available from O. Kay Henderson of Radio Iowa. There is also a series of Tweets (postings to Twitter) available from the blog Iowa Defense Alliance.

There is nothing yet available at the Hawkeye GOP blog, authored by Republican State Central Committeeman David Chung. Of course, since meetings in Des Moines often lead to lunches and/or dinners with friends afterward, this shouldn't be taken as a sign that he won't be posting his thoughts if he was able to attend.

For what it is worth, if I were sitting on the Republican SCC, I would be casting my vote for Pate. He's proven himself and is seasoned. When it comes to fund-raising, he can get the job done. Also, he seems to have a plan -- something the RPI seems to be lacking these days. Most importantly, however, Pate would not necessarily be seen as a win or loss between the embattled social and fiscal conservatives. He's someone who could reach to both and, perhaps, actually strike some sort of compromise or truce.

What the RPI is missing -- indeed, what it always seems to be missing -- is a strong female voice. The Republicans select three people from each of Iowa's five congressional districts as members of the State Central Committee. Of those 15 individuals only one -- a person from the 2nd District -- is female. (And, yes, they did name her as their secretary.) Of course there is also the one nationally-mandated female representative to the Republican National Committee.

If the Iowa Republicans want to make some waves, they should consider dropping the appearance of the good ole boy network in favor of something a bit more representative of the state.

I've been remiss in reading any non-urgent-looking e-mail over the past few weeks of crazy holiday happenings and, in our household, my oldest daughter's New Year's Eve birthday celebration.

As I sifted through the Christmas greetings, hopes for a brighter New Year and, of course, last minute money requests, I found an incredible gem sent by the Iowa Women's Foundation.



"How lovely to think that no one
     need to wait a moment,
            we can start now,
                 start slowly changing the world!"
                                              ~Anne Frank

The photograph is circa 1943 by Gordon Parks. It is part of the collection at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Photography Center.

There are two things that really appeal to me about this message and photograph. First, I love the sentiment. It doesn't matter what we've done or haven't done over the past day, week, year or decade... we can start something new and real right now. As the saying goes, we are the ones we've been waiting for.

I'm not sure how many times as a young girl I sat out with bits of fresh bacon and string in search of crawdads by a creek. More often than not I had my good friend Barbara at my side. I imagine that once we returned home after sliding down the creek banks and stomping in the clear water that we looked a lot like the two girls in this photograph.

Maybe, now that I really think about it, there aren't two things like about this message, but the complete harmonizing of a single message: "Our past has shaped us, but has yet to define us."