Hilary vs. Condoleezza

There has been some major speculation over who is going to run for the major parties in the next presidential election. People say that the democratic presidential candidate will be Hilary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice will be the republican presidential candidate.

The biographies of both women were placed in this blog in earlier entries. You've now had a chance to read both, and you probably have some personal feelings regarding both. So, who do you feel would make a better presidential candidate? How would a woman president help this nation? Would she help this nation? If you are a Democrat do you feel that a Repbulican candidate would help the nation? If you are a Republican do you feel a Democrat candidate would help the nation? If you are a Republican and a male republican candidate were running against Hilary, who would you vote for? If you are a Democrat and a male democrat candidate were running against Condoleezza, who would you vote for? Would your ties to your party prevail, or would your ties to feminism prevail? Or would you vote for the best candidate regardless of poltical party?

As we enter the next presidential election these are things to think about. You should think about these things before you even know who the candidates are, and rethink them again once you do know. It is important to think these things over and come to a conclusion you are satisfied with. Make the right decision, and that only you can know.

Condoleezza Rice

Biography of Condoleezza Rice

Dr. Condoleezza Rice became the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, on January 22, 2001.

In June 1999, she completed a six year tenure as Stanford University 's Provost, during which she was the institution's chief budget and academic officer. As Provost she was responsible for a $1.5 billion annual budget and the academic program involving 1,400 faculty members and 14,000 students.

As professor of political science, Dr. Rice has been on the Stanford faculty since 1981 and has won two of the highest teaching honors -- the 1984 Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 1993 School of Humanities and Sciences Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching.

At Stanford, she was a member of the Center for International Security and Arms Control from 1981-1986 (currently the Center for International Security And Cooperation), a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and 2000 Republican National Conventions.

From 1989 through March 1991, the period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union, she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender -- Integrated Training in the Military.

She was a member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula . In addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco.

Born November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, she earned her bachelor's degree in political science, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, the University of Notre Dame in 1995, the National Defense University in 2002, the Mississippi College School of Law in 2003, the University of Louisville and Michigan State University in 2004. She resides in Washington, D.C.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/ricebio.html

Your Representative

It is important to know the Representatives in the US House that are representing you in your voting area. If you go to this website:
http://www.house.gov
you can find out who your representatives are. I was going to put up all the female representatives of California along with their biographies, however, it would have been a really entry. So I would encourage you to go to the above website and put in the zip code where you vote and take a look into who your House of Representative Rep is. No matter if your representative is male or female know what s/he is trying to do and accomplish. If you disagree with things that s/he is doing then write a letter to the representative and make an argument for a counter-measure that could be taken.

California Senators

It's extremely important to know who represents us in the Senate. California has a very unique situation in which we have two female senators, meaning 100% of the senators from California are women. I have done research to find the biographies of two senators which you will find below:

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

A forceful advocate for families, children, consumers, the environment, and her State of California, Barbara Boxer became a United States Senator in January 1993 after 10 years of service in the House of Representatives. Elected to a third term in 2004, she received more than 6.9 million votes, the highest total for any Senate candidate in American history.

A champion of quality public education, Senator Boxer wrote landmark legislation establishing the first-ever federal funding for afterschool programs. With her leadership, support for afterschool has risen dramatically. The first federal appropriation for afterschool programs was in fiscal year 1995 – for $750,000. Over the next eight years, funding increased to reach $1 billion per year, covering 1.4 million children. She is now pushing for coverage of 3.5 million children by 2007.

A strong proponent of medical research to find cures for diseases, Senator Boxer is part of a coalition to increase that critical effort. She wrote bipartisan legislation to accelerate America’s contribution to combat global HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. As one of the first in Congress to recognize HMO abuses, she authored a Patients’ Bill of Rights in 1997 and continues to fight for these much-needed protections and for affordable health care. She wrote a bill to make health insurance tax deductible and another bill to let any American buy into the same health insurance program that members of Congress have. She supports revision of the current prescription drug coverage program to make it accessible through Medicare and the right of all consumers to purchase lower-cost prescription drugs reimported from Canada.

The Senate’s leading defender of a woman’s right to choose, Senator Boxer authored the Freedom of Choice Act of 2004 and helped lead the floor fight for passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. She is now leading efforts to stop extremists in Congress from weakening a woman’s Constitutional right to choose.

Senator Boxer has won numerous awards for her efforts to create a cleaner, healthier environment. She authored the amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure that drinking water standards are set to protect children and other vulnerable populations. She has been a leader in the fight to remove arsenic from drinking water, block oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and along California’s coast, stop the use of human subjects in pesticide testing, and revitalize the Superfund by making polluters – not taxpayers – pay to clean up the toxic waste they leave behind.

Senator Boxer has worked to preserve the safety net for older Americans. She introduced the 401(k) Pension Protection Act to protect workers’ retirement nest eggs by requiring the diversification of 401(k) plans; a modified version of her bill was signed into law as part of the 1997 tax bill. This work set the stage for her active involvement in preserving Social Security.

Senator Boxer has worked to pass targeted tax cuts to help revitalize the economy. She supports a permanent Research and Development tax credit, accelerated depreciation of new business equipment, and a 20% tax credit for broadband investments focused on rural and underserved areas. Along with Senator John Ensign (R-NV), she co-authored the bipartisan Invest in the USA Act to reduce the tax on profits earned abroad by U.S. companies if those profits are invested in creating American jobs. In the 11 months following its passage, the Invest in the USA Act was credited with bringing more than $275 billion in foreign earnings by 500 American companies back to the United States.

Senator Boxer joined colleagues to pass the 1994 Crime Bill, which led to the lowest crime rate in 25 years. She strongly supports a ban on cop-killer bullets and authored legislation to require child safety locks on guns. Her bill to prevent the criminal use of personal information obtained through motor vehicle records was signed into law and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. She also authored the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) while serving in the House and helped steer it through the Senate; it too is now law. She has authored the Violence Against Children Act, based on the successful VAWA.

In response to the September 11th attacks, Senator Boxer authored a bill to protect commercial airliners against attacks by shoulder-fired missiles, and she wrote the law allowing airline pilots with special training to carry guns in the cockpit. She wrote the law to ensure that air marshals would be on board high-risk flights. She has also authored legislation on port security, rail security, and providing assistance to first responders.

Senator Boxer serves on the Senate Committees on Commerce, Foreign Relations, and Environment and Public Works, is the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip, and serves on the Democratic Policy Committee’s Committee on Oversight and Investigations. She has been married to Stewart Boxer for 44 years, and they have two children, a daughter-in-law, and a 10-year-old grandson.


U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein

As California's senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein has built a reputation as an independent voice, working with both Democrats and Republicans to find common-sense solutions to the problems facing California and the Nation.

Since her election to the Senate 1992, Senator Feinstein has worked in a bipartisan way to build a significant record of legislative accomplishments helping strengthen the nation's security both here and abroad, combat crime and violence, battle cancer, protect natural resources and secure millions in appropriations for Californians.

Senator Feinstein serves on the Judiciary Committee, where she is the ranking member of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee; the Appropriations Committee, where she is the Ranking member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; the Select Committee on Intelligence; Homeland Security Subcommittee of Appropriations and the Rules and Administration Committee.

Awards Received by
Senator Feinstein

Judiciary Committee
Ranking member of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee
Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship
Subcommittee
Crime, Corrections and Victims Rights Subcommittee
Appropriations Committee
Ranking member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee
Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
Agriculture Subcommittee
Interior Subcommittee
Defense Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Water and Power Subcommittee
Forests and Public Land Management Subcommittee
Intelligence Committee
Rules and Administration Committee
She is also vice-chair of C-Change: Collaborating to Conquer Cancer, Chair of the Senate Cancer Coalition and the lead sponsor of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, which has raised more than $40 million for breast cancer research.

Some of the most noteworthy accomplishments by Senator Feinstein include:

• California Desert Protection - Protecting more than 7 million acres of pristine California desert -- the largest such designation in the history of the continental United States.

• Calfed - Authorizing $395 million for a balanced program to increase California's water supply, reliability and quality and help restore sensitive water ecosystems.

• Healthy Forests - Reducing the risk of catastrophic fire in our forests by expediting the thinning of hazardous fuels and providing the first legal protection for old-growth forests in our nation's history.

• Lake Tahoe Restoration - Preserving and restoring this treasured natural resource by authorizing $300 million in federal funds over 10 years to match investments by the States of California and Nevada and local authorities.

• Headwaters Forest Agreement - Obtaining funding and brokering agreement to save the "Headwaters Forest," a 7,500 acre national treasure and the largest privately held stand of uncut old-growth redwoods.

• San Francisco Bay Wetlands Restoration - Negotiating public-private purchase of 16,500 acres of salt ponds along the San Francisco Bay - the largest such wetlands restoration project in California history.

• Border Security and Visa Entry Reform - Helping prevent terrorists from entering the United States through loopholes in our immigration system.

• Crime Victims Rights - Giving victims of violent crime a core set of procedural rights under federal law and ensuring that they have standing to assert their rights before a court.

• Assault Weapons Ban - Prohibiting the manufacture and sale of 19 types of military-style assault weapons from 1994-2004.

Senator Feinstein's career has been one of firsts – she was the first woman President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman Mayor of San Francisco, the first woman elected Senator of California and the first woman member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A native of San Francisco, she was elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in 1969 and served 2 ½ terms as President of the Board. She became Mayor of San Francisco in November 1978 following the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.

The following year she was elected to the first of two four-year terms. As Mayor, Dianne Feinstein managed the City's finances with a firm hand, balancing nine budgets in a row. In 1987, City and State Magazine named her the nation's "Most Effective Mayor."

As a Senator, Dianne Feinstein has received a number of awards for her service, including the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service in 2001, which is given to individuals who have served with distinction in public life and have shown a special commitment to seeking out informed opinions and thoughtful views, and she was the first recipient of American Cancer Society's new National Distinguished Advocacy Award in 2004 in recognition of her outstanding leadership on cancer issues in the public policy arena.


http://feinstein.senate.gov/biography.html
http://boxer.senate.gov/about/bio/index.cfm

More on South Dakota Abortion Ban

Here's another article about the South Dakota Abortion Ban:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/us/16dakota.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Why is it that citizens are okay with replacing the law-makers who signed the bill for the abortion ban, but not willing to sign a petition to postpone the passage of the bill until voters can vote on it in November? This abortion ban bill is crucial to the 3rd Wave, so I just want to keep everyone updated about what's going on with it. So far no one has taken this law to the courts, and the main battlefield is the petitions, but South Dakotans won't sign them. Please, everyone keep updated on this issue, and educate others, even after we complete this course. I'd venture to say one of the most crucial aspects of feminism is the right to choose, and we can't have that taken away from us.

Councilmembers

In trying to find out how many women out there are involved in politics I decided to find out what was going on right here: Redlands. Involvement in politics can start at lower levels (but still important!) levels of government. I am happy to report that there are some active ladies in the Redlands community who are making a huge impact.
The first is Susan Peppler she was the mayor and now is on the City Council:

Susan Peppler Councilmember

Elected: November 2003 (2nd term)
Term expires: November 2007

Address: 35 Cajon Street, Suite, 200, Redlands, CA 92373
Mailing: P.O. Box 3005, Redlands, CA 92373-1505
Telephone (office): (909) 798-7533
Fax: (909) 798-7503

COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:
City Committees:

Audit Committee
Cultural Arts Commission (Alternate)
Historic/Scenic Commission
Municipal Utilities/Public Works Commission
Recreation Commission
Sports Park Committee
Trails Committee
Water Committee
Zoning Ad/Hoc Committee
Area-Wide Committees:

Administrative Services Policy Committee - League of California Cities
CONFIRE Board of Directors (Chairwoman)
County Solid Waste Task Force
Director, Inland Empire, Desert Mountain Region - League of California Cities
Gangs and Drugs Task Force
I-10 Corridor (Alternate)
Legislative Task Force Committee - League of California Cities
Northside Advisory Committee
North South Transportation Corridor Study (Alternate)

As you can see her duties are large and vast. There are 5 members posted on the City of Redlands website for City Council and TWO of the seats are filled by women. The other woman who is making a lasting impression on this community is Pat Gilbraeth, as you can read from her past history she was also the mayor!!!



PATRICIA GILBREATH
Mayor Pro Tem

Elected: November 1993 (Fourth term)
Term expires: November 2009

Address: 35 Cajon Street, Suite, 200, Redlands, CA 92373
Mailing: P.O. Box 3005, Redlands, CA 92373-1505
Telephone (office): (909) 798-7533
Fax: (909) 798-7535
COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:

City Committees:

BEDAC Commission
Citrus Commission (Alternate)
Library Board (Alternate)
Planning Commission
Street Tree Committee (Alternate)
Area-Wide Committees:

Measure I Ad Hoc Committee
OMNITRANS - Chair
Redlands Chamber of Commerce
Redlands Community Foundation - President
SANBAG Commuter Rail Committee - Chair
SANBAG Major Projects Committee
BACKGROUND/EMPLOYMENT

B.S. in business Administration, California Polytechnic University
Masters of Business Taxation, University of Southern California
Certified Public Accountant (1976)
Tax Partner - Eadie & Payne, CPA
Past President - Estate Planning Council of San Bernardino
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Citrus Belt Chapter of California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Past President of the National Association of Women in Construction
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Past Mayor - City of Redlands (1999-2001)
Past President of Redlands Sunrise Rotary Club
Past Finance Chair - Redlands Symphony Association
Past Chair - Redlands Chamber of Commerce Building Fund Camp
Treasurer-First Congregational Church of Redlands
Past Campaign Chair for Redlands Area United Way
Past Governor's Appointee to Developmental Disabilities Area Board
Past Governor's Appointee to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities
Redlands Community Hospital Board


I've advocated that women become involved in politics in ANY way they can. If these women who are clearly busy and have jobs outside of being a council woman make time for their work, families and obligations and still manage to make it a priority to change their community for the better. What is your excuse? Excuse for not voting? While I understand that many of us college students are busy, and I am not trying to condemn any of you. I just want this to serve as an example that women can multi-task and be involved. I feel like the "there is too much pressure on women" " I can't make a difference" are simply EXCUSES that women across America continue to say. However, these are just 2 normal women who are changing the course of our community. It is time for us ALL to band together and do what is in each of our own abilities to start the change!!!


http://www.ci.redlands.ca.us/clerk/peppler.htm

Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is considered to be the first feminist of our time. How many of you know who shes is? Well, here is a chance to learn about a woman who helped start it all and is still working for us-- women of America to continue to give us a better life. She is in the National Woman's Hall of Fame and is revered by many feminists all over the country.

Gloria Steinem has said, "If the shoe doesn't fit, must we change the foot?" This thread runs through her life as an activist and change agent, dedicated to fashioning a world that does fit the needs of its people.

Steinem's lifelong career as a writer and journalist began after college. A co-founder of New York magazine in 1968, Steinem was always active in a wide array of political and social causes. She became a major feminist leader in the late 1960s and in 1971 co-founded MS Magazine, where she serves as contributing editor today. In 1971 she was a co-convener of the National Women's Political Caucus and in l972 helped found the MS Foundation for Women, which raises funds to assist underprivileged girls and women. She is a founding member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and her books, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (1983) and Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem (l992) are best-sellers. Steinem's lifelong activism has inspired women of all ages to fight for their rights, to take risks, and to defend the rights of others. Her writings form a lasting legacy of ideas and personal revelation that continues to inspire and inform.

Quotes by Gloria:

I've yet to be on a campus where most women weren't worrying about some aspect of combining marriage, children, and a career. I've yet to find one where many men were worrying about the same thing. (One of my favorites, this is soooo true!!)
A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.

Each individual woman's body demands to be accepted on its own terms.


http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes.php3?author=Gloria+Steinem
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/steinem/steinem_bio.html

Hilary Clinton

Hilary Clinton is both a woman in politics and a woman who is continually mocked by the media. While some women believe that Hilary made her career in politics because of her husband's name, nevertheless she is a female political icon? Is she feminst? Many criticize her because she didn't leave her husband, the President when he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, but does that fact alone NOT make her a feminist?

Is she a role model for women? She is one of the very few women senators, and represents the large and popular state of New York. She has written her own books, including It Takes A Village and whether you like her or not she is a representation of women in politics.

Once in a while Hillary is depicted as a strong and intelligent woman, some even believe that she will run in the 2008 Presidential Race. It has been theorized that she could run against Condeeleza Rice and could win! Her opponents believe that she will never be elected President, because the Democrats would not indorse her. Even if they did would she have the support of women? Would you support her? When you see the picture above with her in a dominatrix outfit how do you feel? Is this the way you see her or are you motivated by her?


Biography:

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton observed, "Our lives are a mixture of different roles. Most of us are doing the best we can to find whatever the right balance is . . . For me, that balance is family, work, and service."

Hillary Diane Rodham, Dorothy and Hugh Rodham's first child, was born on October 26, 1947. Two brothers, Hugh and Tony, soon followed. Hillary's childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois, was happy and disciplined. She loved sports and her church, and was a member of the National Honor Society, and a student leader. Her parents encouraged her to study hard and to pursue any career that interested her.

As an undergraduate at Wellesley College, Hillary mixed academic excellence with school government. Speaking at graduation, she said, "The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible."

In 1969, Hillary entered Yale Law School, where she served on the Board of Editors of Yale Law Review and Social Action, interned with children's advocate Marian Wright Edelman, and met Bill Clinton. The President often recalls how they met in the library when she strode up to him and said, "If you're going to keep staring at me, I might as well introduce myself." The two were soon inseparable--partners in moot court, political campaigns, and matters of the heart.

After graduation, Hillary advised the Children's Defense Fund in Cambridge and joined the impeachment inquiry staff advising the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. After completing those responsibilities, she "followed her heart to Arkansas," where Bill had begun his political career.

They married in 1975. She joined the faculty of the University of Arkansas Law School in 1975 and the Rose Law Firm in 1976. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation, and Bill Clinton became governor of Arkansas. Their daughter, Chelsea, was born in 1980.

Hillary served as Arkansas's First Lady for 12 years, balancing family, law, and public service. She chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, Legal Services, and the Children's Defense Fund.

As the nation's First Lady, Hillary continued to balance public service with private life. Her active role began in 1993 when the President asked her to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. She continued to be a leading advocate for expanding health insurance coverage, ensuring children are properly immunized, and raising public awareness of health issues. She wrote a weekly newspaper column entitled "Talking It Over," which focused on her experiences as First Lady and her observations of women, children, and families she has met around the world. Her 1996 book It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us was a best seller, and she received a Grammy Award for her recording of it.

As First Lady, her public involvement with many activities sometimes led to controversy. Undeterred by critics, Hillary won many admirers for her staunch support for women around the world and her commitment to children's issues.

She was elected United States Senator from New York on November 7, 2000. She is the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate and the first woman elected statewide in New York.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/hc42.html

Women in Governmental Offices

Entering a new millennium we certainly have more women in high governmental positions, however, the number is certainly nowhere near the actual representation of women in the United States. The number of women in the US congress has gone up from 3% in 1979 to 15% in 2006. While this 12% increase is a big change in the past 27 years 15% is still a long ways a way from the equal representation of 50%. Currently there are 14 female senators (out of 100) in the US Senate, which is 14%, 2 of which are from the state of California. Each state elects 2 senators, which means 100% of the Senators from California are female. Currently there are 67 congresswomen in the House (out of 435) which is 15.4%. California elects 53 people to the House of Representatives; of those seats 18 are women, which is 34%. The one representative for the Redlands area is Jerry Lewis, a male, which of course means 0% of women hold that office. It is also a know fact that none of the US presidents have been women, so that is also an office that has 0% for women. These percentages are for female held governmental offices of the US government.

Let’s take a look at the California State Senate and California State Assembly, as well as current state Governor positions held by women. Currently 8 women hold positions of state governors (out of 50), which is 16%. California has never had a female governor, which is 0%. Currently in the California State Senate there are 40 positions, 11 of which are held by women, which is 27.5%. The California State Assembly houses 80 representatives 25 of which are female, which is 31.25%.

These positions are only elected positions, these percentages are not of any appointed governmental positions, such as the courts, however the numbers speak for themselves. While on average the State of California itself has higher percentages of women in higher governmental offices there is still a significant amount of change that needs to happen in order for equal representation to occur. If you talk to people who believe there is equal representation of women and men in elected offices please direct them to this site or any of the sites cited in order to better educate everyone on the need to elect more women to office.

Sites Used:
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml
http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/senators.htp
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset7text.htm
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cawp/Facts.html

Timeline

2001 Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from New York, the only First Lady ever elected to public office. She won an open seat in a general election.

2001 Condoleezza Rice became the first woman to hold the post of National Security Advisory (formally known as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs) when she was appointed by President George W. Bush.

2001 Elaine Chao became the first Asian-American woman to serve in a presidential cabinet when she was appointed Secretary of Labor by President George W.Bush.

2001 Gale Norton became the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Interior, appointed by President George W. Bush. Norton was the first woman elected as Colorado's Attorney General and served that position for two terms.

2001 Ann Veneman was appointed by President George W. Bush to be the first female Secretary of Agriculture. She had previously been the first woman to serve as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

2001 Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey became the first female former governor to serve in a presidential cabinet-level position when she was appointed administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency by President Bush. She had been the first woman elected governor in New Jersey and served two terms in that position.

2001 Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) became the first woman to hold the position of vice-chair of the Senate Republican Conference during the 107th Congress (2001-2003).
2001 Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) became the first woman to serve as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

2001 Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was elected by her colleagues as House Democratic Whip, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. Congress.

2001 Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) became the first woman to chair the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She also served as House Minority Whip-at-Large.

2001 Sila Calderon (Popular Democratic Party), former mayor of San Juan, became the first woman governor of Puerto Rico.

2002 Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became the first woman to head her party in Congress when she was elected by her colleagues as House Democratic Leader.

2002 The election to Congress of Linda Sanchez (D-CA) meant that for the first time, two sisters served together in the House. Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) was first elected to the House in 1996.

2003 Arizona became the first state where a woman governor succeeded another woman governor. Jane Dee Hull (R) was succeeded by Janet Napolitano (D).

2005 Washington state became the first state to have both a woman governor (Christine Gregoire, D) and two women serving in the U.S. Senate (Patty Murray, D and Maria Cantwell, D).

Since 2000 the idea of women in politics has grown to a new level. Women are now taking governor positions in states and continuing to pass their reign onto women.
Even though women as a whole in America are still aren't regarded as equal to men, especially in the realm of politics, it looks like times are slowly changing and helping women for the better. Sisters are now serving in congress together, Washington state politics is dominated by women (governor and both senators). This is advancement for all women across America, of every color, shape, size and ethnicity. Some think it is sad that women are still having firsts in politics, firsts that men do not have any more and have longer surpassed. Personally, I think it is truly beautiful that women are becoming more involved in the politically arena. We can not change the advancement of men from the past, we can only change the future for women and for us all.

South Dakota law bans nearly all abortions

This article was recently published:

Legislation sets up court challenge

PIERRE, South Dakota (AP) -- Gov. Mike Rounds signed legislation Monday banning nearly all abortions in South Dakota, setting up a court fight aimed at challenging the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

The bill would make it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless the procedure was necessary to save the woman's life. It would make no exception for cases of rape or incest.

Planned Parenthood, which operates the state's only abortion clinic, in Sioux Falls, has pledged to challenge the measure in court. (Read the text of the law)

Rounds issued a written statement saying he expects the law will be tied up in court for years and will not take effect unless the Supreme Court upholds it.

"In the history of the world, the true test of a civilization is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society. The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them," Rounds said in the statement.

The governor declined all media requests for interviews Monday.

The Legislature passed the bill last month after supporters argued that the recent appointment of conservative justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito have made the Supreme Court more likely to overturn Roe v. Wade.

South Dakota's abortion ban is to take effect July 1, but a federal judge is likely to suspend it during a legal challenge.

Rounds has said abortion opponents already are offering money to help the state pay legal bills for the anticipated court challenge. Lawmakers said an anonymous donor has pledged $1 million to defend the ban, and the Legislature set up a special account to accept donations for legal fees.

Under the new law, doctors could get up to five years in prison for performing an illegal abortion.

Rounds previously issued a technical veto of a similar bill passed two years ago because it would have wiped out all existing restrictions on abortion while the bill was tied up for years in a court challenge.

The statement he issued Monday noted that this year's bill was written to make sure existing restrictions will be enforced during the legal battle. Current state law sets increasingly stringent restrictions on abortions as pregnancy progresses. After the 24th week, the procedure is allowed only to protect the woman's health and safety.

About 800 abortions are performed each year in South Dakota. Planned Parenthood has said other women cross state lines to reach clinics.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Since 1973 women have had the constitional right to have an abortion, during their first trimester in all 50 states. These abortions were regardless of circumstances and could be performed all over the United States. The second and third trimesters were left up to each individual state to make laws regarding them. The right to choose was established in '73 with Roe v. Wade. Roe was a woman who lived in Texas and wanted to have an abortion, however since this was not out of medical necessity it was illegal. She took the case all the way to the Supreme Court who sided with her and who decided that a woman's right to abort fell under the right to privacy in the 14th amendment. This privacy was established by Griswold v. Conneticut 1965 which allowed married couples to use condoms as a contraceptive device.
It is shocking to think that in 1965 it was illegal in Conneticut to use or learn about condoms. Wow, has our world widened along with our view points. A woman's right to choose has been supported by the courts through the years, and to think that one governor thinks he has the power to change the lives of all women in America is shocking and scary all at once.
Mike Rounds is trying to take the American judicial system by the throat and challenge the precedent that was set. Mr. Rounds is quite intelligent to know that the new conservative justices on the court will most likely side with his point of view. What does this mean for American women? By taking this case to the Supreme Court, since this law has already been challenged by several groups is an ideal way to have Roe v. Wade looked over again. It is not uncommon for justices to look over cases from the past and overturn them. Overturning cases is what the judicial system is based off of. If Roe v. Wade is over ruled American women will have no other choice but to take abortion into their own hands.
Back alley, natual abortions and women throwing themselves down staircases will no longer be unheard of. Women will be forced to revert back to these primal methods of abortion. If Mike Rounds thinks that this piece of legislation will lead to a verdict by the supreme court that is favorable to him; that this decision will stop abortions, he has another thing coming to him. He must think about the other options that women are left with: abortion or adoption, leaving their babies at hospital drop offs, suicide.
As women we need to protect ourselves and one another. Continue to rally together for pro choice and start looking into methods of abortions that do not need to take place in a clinic. We need to write our congress representatives and express our whole hearted position on pro choice and id they do not vote pro choice they will no longer have our vote when it comes to reelection. As for the Supreme Court, there is nothing that we can do directly. They are supposed to be unbiased individuals who interpret the constitution, we can not threaten to not reelect them, because they are justices for life. I implore all women who are pro choice to take a minute out of their day, write their representative, together we can form a pro choice movement!!