PunditMom

Mothers of Intention Summer Reading List

2009-07-06T10:10:00.005Z

Well, the Fourth of July fireworks are over and summer is in full swing! So it's time for this year's Mothers of Intention summer reading list! While we often think about something a little lighter for those days by the pool or at the beach, here are a few suggestions I'd like to make to keep our minds percolating until the kids head back to school:

Womenomics, by Claire Shipman & Katty Kay -- These two journalists have written an eye-opening book about getting us to recognize the power women have in the workplace to create the kind of work experience we want without sacrificing the time we want and need to spend with our families. I was really honored that both of these fantastic journalists agreed to have a book party at Chez PunditMom last week and inspired all of us in the room to rethink how we approach our work lives.

If They Only Listened to Us, by Melinda Henneberger -- A great, quick read about women around the country who've taken control of their own political power that makes you think about what else we should be doing to make sure we're not pigeonholed as "soccer moms."

Have a Nice Day, by Justin Webb -- Justin and his family are friends of ours and they are headed back to England later this summer after many years of living in the U.S. Justin has been the BBC's North America editor and has a fresh perspective on how Europeans view us and our ideas on politics, religion, freedom and a variety of other topics, as well as our penchant for telling everyone to "Have a nice day!"

Life Happens, by Connie Schultz -- Regular readers here know I'm a big fan of Connie's column at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. This volume is a wonderful compilation of some of her best essays on life, love, and family. You won't be sorry you packed this one in your beach bag!

Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters, by Nancy Pelosi -- This little volume is an interesting read as a pep talk from the first woman Speaker of the House to encourage girls to stake a claim to their power, know opportunities when they see them and being active in their efforts to get a seat at the table of power. Who would know better on these things than Pelosi?

The Brethren, by Bob Woodward & Scott Armstrong -- It's an oldie but goodie about the real inner machinations of the Supreme Court. With the current makeup of the highest bench in the land and the upcoming confirmation hearings on Judge Sonia Sotomayor, this, along with The Nine by Jefrrey Toobin, would be entertaining and enlightening reads for the summertime, even if you're not a "recovering" attorney like me!

So there you have it! PunditMom's summer reading recommendations. If you've got some thoughts on non-traditional beach reading, let me know in the comments!

Is Paris Hilton Still Available for a Cabinet Post?

2009-07-05T10:01:00.000Z

As we're coming up on the long holiday weekend, the PunditMom family is heading out to sunny California to visit family. While we're away, I thought it would be fun to revisit a couple of posts from the heat of the presidential campaign last year.

Remember when Paris Hilton decided to run for president? I still stand by my original thoughts at the time -- there might be something to the idea of getting her to serve in some governmental role. Remember how conversant she was on an effective energy policy?

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Plus, I still have to admire the way she seized that moment not only to reinforce her patented image that keeps her in the public eye, but she also planted the seed that maybe she's something more.

Well, maybe she's not, but there's still a lesson for us in this video -- own your message and don't let it be co-opted by others. Granted, a Paris Hilton political video isn't the thing she's going to hang her hat on for keeping herself in the spotlight. But she found an effective and humorous way to turn a negative portrayal of herself into a huge positive. You've gotta like that in a girl!

Now, I'm not suggesting that I want to see Hillary Clinton in a tankini or that Nancy Pelosi should shoot a commercial sitting on a chaise by the pool and a tropical drink to talk about health care. But there is a valuable media lesson we can all learn from Paris.

What slots are still open in the Obama administration? I'm pretty sure she's available to start ASAP!

PunditMom Photo Saturday -- A Peek at the Trip We've Been Waiting For

2009-07-04T10:24:00.003Z

I've been waiting for this trip for a long time. We've been informally planning it since PunditGirl was a baby and now the wheels are in motion. More importantly, the airline tickets have been obtained with the frequent flier miles we've been hoarding since we stepped off the plane with our PunditBaby in January 2001. The itinerary is taking shape and we'll soon be getting together with a few of the other adoptive families who will be sharing this "homeland" tour with us.

So while we're off visiting family this weekend, I wanted to share this news with you! Next March, the PunditMom family will be heading off to China to give PunditGirl her first chance to explore her birth country.

And, just as exciting, PunditGirl and I are going to start a new blog soon to keep track of our trip preparation, how we're all feeling about this adventure and, ultimately, to share our trip with you as we experience it! I'm thinking there might be a book in this somewhere, too -- maybe something like the one PunditGirl's photo is already in!

We'll sight see, visit her hometown and hopefully get to meet with the head nanny of the baby home who will be able to talk with PunditGirl a little bit about her time there, maybe filling in some of the holes about her first months that she asks about frequently. It's scary and exciting all at the same time, so we figured what better way to document this than by sharing!

More to come soon. In the meantime, have a great holiday weekend.

Photo by PunditMom

Sarah Palin Resigns as Alaska Governor

2009-07-03T22:13:00.004Z

Just when we thought the Fourth of July weekend was going to be dominated by continuing coverage of Michael Jackson's death, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stepped in to give us something else to talk about -- her sudden and unexpected announcement that she will resign before the end of the month.

You can watch the full speech which was a little on the bizarre side, especially the part about only dead fish going with the flow. She said she's not wired like a normal politician and doesn't want to advocate for Alaska in the usual manner and so is starting down this new path for Alaska? Palin compares herself with a point guard in her decision? She sure seemed like an overly caffeinated point guard to me and the people of Alaska have to be asking themselves, "What were we thinking when we elected her governor?"

These are some really concerning ramblings by a woman who came awfully close to being the Vice President of the United States. And after reading the Vanity Fair article about her just today, I have to believe she still has political aspirations -- but if so, her actions make absolutely no sense. Maybe in her mind she is carving out a new path to political fame, but it seems like it will be a winding and unlikely path.

Palin says this decision has been in the works for a while, partly because some have mocked her son Trig? Really? I haven't heard any of that. To be honest, her ramblings made no sense and really made me question what is really going on here. And, if she had become vice president, would she be resigning that office today? Or is there some oddly crafted plan to run for the Senate in 2010 or the White House in 2012? And why would anyone vote for her again if she can't even last four years in the Governor's office of a sparsely populated state?

There's sure to be a lot of speculation and analysis over the coming days and I, along with many others, definitely want to be there to see how this unfolds.

My biggest hope is that the very strange tale of Sarah Palin doesn't dissuade other mothers of small children from running for office. There's something to be said for having that perspective in state houses, governor's offices and in Washington, D.C. I hope the strange path that Sarah Palin seems to be on doesn't keep other moms away from the political world.

I think there's more to explore and examine on this story and I am looking forward to writing about it in the coming days!

Sorry for the Brief Delay

2009-07-01T21:59:00.003Z

Sorry I didn't have a chance to write about the health care stuff I had planned for today. Between errands and getting an exciting last minute call from CNN with Rick Sanchez to talk about Jenny Sanford (!), with Rick Sanchez I ran out of time.

But if you'd like something to read, I have a post that could be well worth your while! Think shampoo, free products and Visa gift card giveaway! Trust me, you'll be happy you spent a little time at PunditMom Reviews!

Has Anything Changed When it Comes to Media Coverage of Adoption?

2009-06-30T14:43:00.003Z

Last year at this time, I got all riled up about an article in Vanity Fair and its cover article on Angelina Jolie. As PunditGirl continues to work through the questions in her curious little head about the permanence of adoption and the questions that people sometimes ask her about our family, I was reminded of this post. I don't think anything has really changed when it comes to the politics of adoption or how many in the media write about our families, so I thought I'd dust this one off and see what you think -- has anything changed since I gave Vanity Fair the PunditMom"Stupidest Question of the Month" award?

I only occasionally buy Vanity Fair, but I'm stocking up on some vacation reading and thought the the July issue would be good on the airplane.

Angelina Jolie of the full lips and even fuller tummy is on the cover of July's Vanity Fair with an accompanying article about her motherhood, her children and the impending arrival of twins.

I know Angelina gets a bad rap from a lot of people about her various adoptions, but as a mother by adoption, I don't have a problem with her or her how she's chosen to create her family. She's opened her heart to children who needed families and, as far as I can tell, has done a pretty good job, even with all the celebrity stuff they have to deal with.

Until her critics have adopted a child themselves, I say keep your words to yourselves.

As for the author of the article, Rich Cohen, well, I'm hoping there's a special place in hell for him. No one who has a profile high enough to write for Vanity Fair ought to be asking this kind of question:

"I asked [Jolie whether] there is a special bond between a mother and a child she has carried as opposed to a child she has adopted."

Say WHAT!?!?

Jolie dismissed that ridiculous notion out of hand. But when people like Cohen continue to advance the stereotype so infamously put out in the media by Rebecca Walker last year -- that one cannot love an adopted child as much as one created from one's own flesh and blood -- it serves only one purpose, which is to diminish families that look different than most, families like mine.

Why is it that many people still feel that the bonds of blood are stronger and more lasting than any other? I can tell you from a lot of different experiences I've had in life, that just ain't so.

I realize that without sensational, ridiculous questions like the one Cohen asked Jolie, Vanity Fair probably wouldn't sell as many magazines. But as long as editors and publishers allow questions like his to appear in stories that feature adoptive families, the message that all our children will get is this -- creating a family by adoption is second best and love for a biological child will trump the love for adopted children any day.

PunditGirl is already struggling with the idea of whether love is permanent. I don't need anyone else, even a Vanity Fair writer, feeding that worry.

Jenny Sanford -- The Political Spouse Role Model for My Daughter

2009-06-29T15:24:00.010Z

Personally, I couldn't care less about the personal "antics" of so many politicians these days. It's not really important to my life how people like South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford characterizes "adventure travel."

What does bother me a lot, though, is the money shot we so often see of the wives of philandering politicians -- standing by the side of their husbands, trying to show solidarity and the apparently elusive family values that so many of them talk about before they get caught doing something, well, not so family values-like.

Why do I care? Because sooner rather than later, my nine-year-old daughter is going to start watching more news and she'll see these women who have decided that even though their husbands have done something terrible to them, and to their families, there is still an obligation to stick with them. Personal decisions aside, it just seems that visual is the rule rather than the exception, these days. And the message it sends to our kids is that it's OK for husbands to wander and that wives will still stick around, regardless of how badly they've been betrayed.

That is, until Jenny Sanford.

You had to guess that there was something up with the story of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his quick "decision" to change his trip from the Appalachian Trail to Buenos Aires! When the truth came out, as it always does, it was refreshing not to see his wife at his side, silently condoning what he'd done and the lies he had told.

That's the example I want my daughter to see. Not that there isn't a time and place for forgiveness, but I hate it when these Masters of the Universe get caught and we have to see their wives standing next to them, telling the world implicitly that what happened was OK.

Jenny Sanford is the example I want our children to learn from. She's a strong woman in her own right, apparently gave her husband a chance to make things right when she learned about his affair and when he didn't, there was no big scene -- she just did what she knew she had to do for herself, her children and her own life.

Jenny Sanford was apparently instrumental in making Mark Sanford the political success he is today. According to the Washington Post, when asked about what the South Carolina governor was going to do now without her advice, she responded:

"His career is not a concern of mine. ... He's going to have to worry about that. I'm worried about my family and the character of my children."

That's a pretty refreshing response from a political spouse these days. It's given me hope that in the future there will be space for the aggrieved spouse ('cause you know it's going to happen again) to choose something other than the "standing by your man" photo op and sending a message that sometimes it's better to do what's right for your own life, regardless of the political consequences.

So Much I Didn't Know

2009-06-28T06:09:00.001Z

A friend forwarded this video in connection with some research she's doing for PunditGirl's school. The information is truly amazing, and makes me think about how when I graduated from law school 20 years ago, I thought I knew the world as it was going to be for much of my life.

Yeah, I was SOOO wrong!

Supreme Court Says School Strip Search Unconstitutional, But Where are the Consequences?

2009-06-26T11:21:00.016Z

Six years ago, 13-year-old Savana Redding was called to the principal's office because another girl claimed she had given her prescription strength ibuprofen in violation of the school's strict "zero tolerance" drug policy. When school officials didn't find anything in Redding's backpack or other belongings, they ordered her to strip to her underwear and pull her bra and undies to the side, exposing herself, so they could make sure she wasn't hiding any pain relievers under her clothes.

I can't even begin to imagine how humiliated and violated I would have felt as a young teen if that had happened to me. We're taught pretty early in school that as Americans we have certain protections and rights. Now, the Supreme Court has ruled that Redding's Fourth Amendment constitutional rights were violated when school officials made that extremely questionable decision to ask a young high school girl to strip in the name of "zero tolerance."

In an 8 to 1 decision, Justice Clarence Thomas being the lone dissenter, the Supreme Court ruled that the search that was performed on Redding went beyond what was called for in that situation and that, as a result, her constitutional rights had been violated.

After reading the accounts of the oral arguments, I was pretty sure the court would rule against Redding, opening the door to increasing numbers of overly intrusive searches of students. The male justices jokingly talked on the bench about how high school boys are comfortable with being naked in the locker room and snapping each other with towels, and seemed untroubled by the clear difference between locker room antics and being forced to strip in front of your assistant principal.

At the time, Dahlia Lithwick at Slate recounted:

This leads Justice Stephen Breyer to query whether this is all that different from asking Redding to "change into a swimming suit or your gym clothes," because, "why is this a major thing to say strip down to your underclothes, which children do when they change for gym?"
This leads [Justice Ruth Bader] Ginsburg to sputter—in what I have come to think of as her Lilly Ledbetter voice—"what was done in the case … it wasn't just that they were stripped to their underwear! They were asked to shake their bra out, to stretch the top of their pants and shake that out!" Nobody but Ginsburg seems to comprehend that the only locker rooms in which teenage girls strut around, bored but fabulous in their underwear, are to be found in porno movies. For the rest of us, the middle-school locker room was a place for hastily removing our bras without taking off our T-shirts.

Lithwick also reported that the justice who laughed the hardest and loudest at the idea of high school kids in their underwear was Clarence Thomas. Maybe he was just remembering his own youthful Tom Cruise moment.

After the argument, Justice Ginsburg lamented, seemingly out of frustration, "They have never been a 13-year-old girl. .... It's a very sensitive age for a girl. I didn't think that my colleagues, some of them, quite understood."

Some of my faith has been restored that a little common sense remains at the Supreme Court, but the justices still missed an opportunity to tell parents across the country that there will be consequences to school officials who cross this line -- the justices refused to allow Redding's case for damages against the assistant principal to move forward. So, while we can feel better about the fact that schools should not be strip searching our kids for pain relievers, if they do, there's really no recourse.

Another thing that occurred to me is that given the kinds of questions (and jokes) raised at the oral argument, something must have happened between then and the decision's announcement, because while SCOTUS questions don't always reveal which way the justices are going to rule, they can be a reliable indicator.

But I have to wonder, in light of the apparent change between oral arguments and the decision, what happened to help produce this major shift in thinking?

I'd like to imagine that maybe Ginsburg had had just a little too much of her colleague's callous remarks, that she marched herself into their chambers and had a little "talk" with all of them. I know that's not really how the Supreme Court works, but I love the visual image of Ginsburg reminding her male peers of the teen years of their sisters or daughters or friends, and that she made them reach back into their own memories of childhood and apply some common sense to this one. I want to hold on to my fantasy mental imagine that Ginsburg turned the ship on this one by asking Chief Justice John Roberts to think about this case and imagine it was his own daughter in Redding's position. If she was able to do that, maybe the Supreme Court has taken a slight turn in women's favor.

A girl can dream, can't she? After all, Ginsburg is carrying a big load for all women and girls until we get another woman on the Supreme Court.

Nico Pitney -- Foot in the Door or Flunking Journalism 101?

2009-06-24T16:09:00.011Z

President Obama made a really big deal out of calling on and highlighting the fact that he called on Nico Pitney of The Huffington Post at his news conference. Pitney asked Obama a question about Iran, which is really no big surprise, even though the point of the news conference was to discuss the health care agenda.

But it turns out, according to Dana Milbank at The Washington Post, that Pitney was invited to the news conference by the White House (usually if you're not credentialed with a hard pass you have to request a pass to get into a news conference at the White House) AND was asked to pose a question about Iran from the perspective of the Iranian people.

Good topic? Yes. Interesting perspective? No doubt. But as a journalist (yes, I AM a journalist, I just happen to have a blog, too) I just have to say -- WHAT?!?!

Don't get me wrong -- I love that the Obama administration wants to call on political bloggers at the news conferences. More of us should be in there (I'm putting that on my 2009 'to do' list now!) But last time I checked my journalism ethics, it's not really kosher to have the person being questioned feed the queries to that reporter ahead of time.

So I have to wonder whether the invitation to attend the news conference was contingent on Pitney asking that question? What if he had said, "Thank you so much! I will definitely be there, but I prefer to decide on my own which question to ask if called on."

That's what I would have said. At least I think that's how I would have responded. Or would it have been too tempting an opportunity to pass up? Would I have rationalized it somehow -- well, just this one time I'll ask the question they want me to. After all it is timely and topical. And it would get PunditMom some really good exposure!

I'm pretty sure I know the answer. I'm disappointed in Pitney and The Huffington Post for agreeing to that condition. I'm even more upset at the Obama White House. I thought they'd be better than that. Next thing you know, they're going to be calling up Helen Thomas like the Bush people to make her give up her seat to someone they think will be more sympathetic to their cause.

Don't call me if that happens. If it does, I'll be out looking for a new profession.

Another Reason to Love Social Media

2009-06-23T14:29:00.007Z

I was all set to write about the health care hearings that are happening on Capitol Hill today, and I promise I will get to that soon.

But today I really need to talk about the deadly crash of two Metro cars on the Red Line in Washington, D.C. and the outpouring of concern and caring I received from so many people online, those who I know in real life and those who I have never met in person.

I did something yesterday I almost never do -- I took a cab to an event downtown for some friends of ours who are moving from the area. Usually I will drive or take the Metro Red Line (though I would not have been on the part that was involved in the crash), which is closest to our house. Because this event was a slightly fancier than the usual type of gathering we get invited to, I wore some heels that, shall we say, are really standing shoes, not walking shoes. Since Mr. PunditMom was already downtown and meeting me, I was going to ride home with him.

I went back and forth all afternoon about whether a cab was worth the expense vs. just hopping on the Metro. Then I thought of walking to and from the stations in these heels and I was convinced that a cab was the way to go.

About half way through the event, my cell phone rang. I glanced at the number to make sure it wasn't the sitter calling from home and let it ring through to voicemail.

When we left the party at about 7:30 p.m. I got the phone message from my pal BeckyDMBR and saw the Twitter traffic with my name all over it -- messages of concern and worry that I was OK. (Please forgive me for not linking your wonderful tweets -- there were so many!!)

Lately I've had a hard time getting motivated to be out here in the bloggy space, even though I have lots of projects percolating in my head. But last night I was reminded in a major way that even though it can feel lonely sometimes tapping away at the computer with little human interaction during the day, there are so many people in my broader universe who care -- not just about me, but about a larger community of people who we never would have "met" but for this world of social media. While it is a little funny that many of us "know" each other through our tweets, our blogs and our Facebook pages, there is something genuine about making these connections.

The only evidence I needed to prove that was the outpouring of concern about me last night.

My life is much richer for the relationships I have made online -- there are so many people I would never gave gotten to know without it. Last night, I had a wonderful reminder that we're all out here for each other. Sometimes we don't always agree about politics or world events. But the level of sharing -- sharing news we otherwise wouldn't know about, sharing thoughts of concern for each other and sharing our life experiences -- is what makes this space worth being in and worth sharing.

Thank you, to all of you, for that.

Love, PunditMom
xoxo

PunditMom Weekend Photo!

2009-06-22T01:10:00.002Z

Busy for the Father's Day weekend, but here's one I like from a fountain on the National Mall!

Photo by PunditMom

Letterman vs. Palin -- More Media Sexism or Just Tasteless Humor?

2009-06-19T08:52:00.005Z

I'm not the only one who thinks that David Letterman owes us all an apology. But it seems like there are only a few of us.

It's probably no secret to some of you that one of my hot button topics lately has been the free ride the media often get when sexism tries to disguise itself as humor. Lots of people disagreed with my objection to the Spongebob Square butt commercial as inappropriately sexist and aimed at children. Now, just when I've cooled down over that one, I've got the whole David Letterman/Sarah Palin smack down to think about.

A few think I've lost my sense of humor and others have accused me of being a closet Republican because I believe that Letterman calling Palin's clothes slutty and joking about her daughter's sex life (I don't think it matters which daughter he was talking about) were sexist, not harmless humor.

I can promise you I have not crossed over to the GOP and my sense of humor is intact.

My gut says that there's not going to be much agreement between the humor vs. sexism camps on this one, but hear me out on why I think it's important to object to what Letterman said, even for those of us who disagree with Palin's politics. When a powerful entertainer with the media platform of David Letterman suggests that a woman governor is a slut and jokes about the sex life of one of her daughters, that sends a message to our children, especially our daughters, that it's accepted in our society for men to make women's appearances and their sexuality the brunt of their jokes. What's worse is that it also says they get rewarded for it, big time.

Some on the political right have claimed that the lack of protest by progressives about the Letterman/Palin saga proves that conservative women bear the brunt of this type of treatment more than their liberal sisters. To prove the error in that argument, I only need two words -- Hillary. Clinton. Not to mention the latest video from the Republican party that not-so-subtly compares Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with that infamous James Bond character Pussy Galore.

It doesn't matter who the political woman of the minute is -- comedians and talking heads alike will continue to use sexist terms in their jokes and "analysis" because it gets attention and attention makes them money. The fact that we're still talking about all this is proof of that. But if we don't call them on it every time -- even if the target is someone of the opposite political persuasion -- they'll keep doing it and the next generation of celebrities and TV personalities will continue that tradition when our children are having children.

Some seem to think that Letterman's remarks were fair game because Palin somehow brought this on herself because she injected her sexuality and her views on abstinence only education into her political persona. But don't we just perpetuate that sexism by adopting that view? Just because Palin made the mistake of trying to use her daughter Bristol as the poster child for her own political agenda, doesn't justify the subsequent sexist jokes of Letterman, which impact all of us, not just the Palin family.

It just seems to me that it's a societal slippery slope if we say that, in the name of humor, it's OK for our kids to see shaking booties selling burgers and high profile comedians mocking women politicians for the way they dress and saying that it's just all in good fun.

My nine-year-old daughter is already starting to doubt herself on a whole host of issues. I've spent plenty of time dealing with some of the Disney demons, so I don't need any help from other entertainment sources when it comes to convincing her that news and entertainment outlets really do respect girls and women.

That's why I feel so strongly that it's important, regardless of our political persuasion, to step up and speak out when this type of sexism continues. We have plenty to debate when it comes to the views and politics of progressive and conservative women; their physical appearance and sex lives should be left out of it. And while we're at it, we can ditch the sexist code words so many use as default, as well.

Where in the World is PunditMom?

2009-06-18T15:40:00.003Z

No, not on a round the world jaunt a la Matt Lauer!

I'm hanging out over at my friend Linda Lowen's place -- About.com on Women's Issues -- where we are pondering the White House Council on Women & Girls and whether it's going to do us any good.

What do you think -- will this task force head us in the right direction on important issues or just be a place holder to keep topics of particular importance to working women and their daughters just enough in the public eye to make us think things are getting done?

Greed Trumps Regulation Every Time

2009-06-17T14:24:00.006Z

My friend David at It's Not a Lecture tipped me off last night that President Obama was going to announce new financial regulatory efforts to help prevent the Wall Street shenanigans that have put us in our current economy and to better protect American consumers.

As someone who spent a bunch of years at the Securities and Exchange Commission, I'm all for trying to find ways to keep the Bernie Madoff's of the world at bay. But I also know that no matter how much regulation is out there, people like Bernie will still prevail. Why? Because no amount of regulation would have prevented what he did -- the Ponzi scheme. Everyone thinks they're going to get rich quick when people like Madoff come along. Many of his victims didn't know they were involved because Bernie went through money managers who were supposed to be looking our for their clients.

As for the mortgage industry and the huge corporations like Enron and WorldComm, no amount of government oversight is going to prevent that kind of fraud because greed is one powerful motivator. If people refuse to comply with reporting requirements or keep two separate sets of books to hide what's really going on, nothing but a whistleblower is going to bring that kind of fraud to light. And big corporations have a LOT of resources to be able to set up ways to get around the regulators and to keep throwing roadblocks in the way of investigations.

Trust me -- I've experienced it first hand.

I don't know what the answer is, but I'm hoping that the Obama administration can change that, though I'm not all that hopeful. Unless and until civil regulatory institutions have the kind of teeth that criminal prosecutors have, fraudulent financial schemes will continue to be born.

No amount of clear disclosure requirements or increased regulation will keep greed from prevailing. If Obama can change human nature, that might be more helpful in keeping fraud and Ponzi schemes from taking our money and wreaking havoc on our economy.

I'm Not Ready for This Yet!

2009-06-16T17:18:00.004Z

As mom to nine-year-old PunditGirl, my mind is generally focused on what's going on with the world of pre-teens. Rarely do my thoughts turn to how I'll feel when she decides it might be time for her to have a family. At the moment, I'm happily in denial about having to face the prospect that is many, many years down the road.

Except when I remember that I have adult stepdaughters, too! One of them just gave birth to the newest member of our family, and I have to admit, I'm struggling a bit with what that means!

I've written more about this new internal struggle at 50-something Moms. Let me know if you've got any advice!

Photo by PunditMom

Mothers of Intention -- Jen of one plus two, If You Build It They Will Come

2009-06-15T10:27:00.008Z

Welcome to this week's installment of Mothers of Intention. This week, my special guest is one of my fellow MOMocrats and world adventurer Jen from one plus two. Jen and her family moved to the jungle recently to pursue their dream of sustainable living. Jen and her family haven't been there long, but they've already encountered some bumps along the way. That hasn't stopped her, though, from reaching out to others. Jen, thanks so much for letting me cross-post this essay from your blog about your efforts to bring a tiny bit of the good fortune we have in America to children near your new home.

***

I took [my daughter] M to visit my artist friend who teachers in a neighboring village. She is a prominent artist in the West. But here, her art classes are taught in a building that looks like this. It's adjacent to the village school which might actually look worse than this.

I didn't realize M would get to participate but she did. She jumped right in with the other kids and learned to make a shadow puppet. The kids here work on the floor or on simple benches inside this dirty, hot building but they don't complain because this is the only art class to be found.

After the puppets were finished the kids put on a show. M is waiting her turn while watching some of the bigger kids perform. Their stories are a bit jumbled but there is much laughter and some shyness, they aren't used to performing like this. The benches can double as work tables, an extremely creative use of simple pieces of wood. M is very proud of her puppet and was even allowed to bring it home with her. Her puppet, by the way, is an apple. She performed with the teacher who used a horse puppet. Of course, the horse ate the apple. Smart horse.

After the class I cajoled my artist friend again and asked her to bring her talent to the kids in our village and she agreed to come for a month over summer but said we have to provide the art supplies because she's already out of pocket with her current work. But it means that the kids in our village will get a chance to exercise their own potential, so that kids like G can come and learn. I remind her again about G, about how much he could benefit from her lessons and she tells me to show her a child who could not benefit from art and I had to agree.

The below picture is of G and M, practicing their art at my dining room table. He still comes round almost every day.

When I told him about the art class his grin was wide and sweet. I come too? He asked. Well of course, G. This class is for you.

Thanks so much, Jen, for being this week's Mother of Intention!

PunditMom's Photo Saturday

2009-06-13T13:48:00.005Z

Yeah, I could definitely use a few more arms these days!

Photo by PunditMom. Art by PunditGirl.

Maybe Republicans Just Don't Like Girls

2009-06-12T06:35:00.006Z

Sarah Palin got dissed by fellow Republicans at a recent RNC fundraiser. Meghan McCain takes heat for not toeing the GOP party line on gay marriage and for criticizing Ann Coulter. And while Sonia Sotomayor isn't a Republican, she's hardly the most liberal judge out there and is being attacked as if she was the next incarnation of Jerry Brown. With all these women on the short end of the conservative's stick these days, I'm beginning to wonder if the GOP likes girls.

Sure, they have a big love-fest with Ann Coulter and Liz Cheney, two women who are adept at channeling the darkest side of Republican politics, but it seems like the GOP increasingly has a problem with women unless they agree that our country is "importing terrorists" or unless they're willing to be mean to small children. In addition to questioning people's political bona fides, I sense a sudden surge in resorting to petty juvenile ugliness if political women don't agree with what are becoming lockstep GOP positions.

Conservative darling Laura Ingraham (one woman the GOP does seem to like) took her disdain of Meghan McCain to the mean girl level of suggesting that her views should be discounted because Ingraham thinks McCain is fat and talks funny. To her spunky credit, McCain finally announced that anyone who wants to mock her size can kiss her fat a$$!

Sarah Palin was the next big thing for the GOP when she was John McCain's running mate, but today the not-so-subtle inferences that she's incapable of anything other than advocating for abstinence only sex education are hard to escape. There seems to be a purposeful blind spot when it comes to processing anyone, especially women, who doesn't gratefully accept the GOP wisdom that men have laid down before them and who decide that perhaps they can -- *GASP* -- think for themselves.

Sure, it could just be that right-wingers don't like these three women -- but there's a pattern that's becoming disturbingly common in how some Republicans talk about women they disagree with. There is a marked increase in resorting to personal insults, mockery and language my third-grade daughter and her classmates know better than to use.

Sotomayor is too judicial to say what she'd probably like to about Republican (and media) attacks that her temperament is suspect because she criticizes lawyers who've come before her if they were ill-prepared or disorganized when they were in her courtroom! I hate to break it to the GOP leadership, but if that's a disqualifier, then every judge I've ever practiced before would be out on their bums!!

Seriously, isn't it clear? Lots of men and some women in the GOP seem to be afraid of those who deviate from the approved party line. It's sort of like the political equivalent of the old Saturday Night Live skit where every theater-goer describes the bad magic show in the same words --"It was as good as Cats. I could see it again and again." Wander from the Rush Limbaugh-approved script and you're smacked down as a critical, short-tempered, unqualified, plus-size diva.

Maybe I shouldn't raise the issue. If the Republican party isn't careful with its continued slams against women who think outside the small conservative party box, it will find itself with no women other than the current handful who seem to enjoy playing the inflammatory games of Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich. As a Democrat, that's OK with me -- but I know there are plenty of moderate Republican women who are looking for a reason to stay in the party and feel like that's becoming more difficult. If the way the party is set up now doesn't change, all those bullies will find themselves without women voters.

The good old boys are going to need those votes -- unless they're planning on cloning themselves in time for November 2012.

Update: Just found this study at Bonnie Erbe's blog. Maybe this has something to do with how some Republicans view women ... ???

Speak Out for Laura Ling & Euna Lee

2009-06-10T11:37:00.008Z

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the North Korean government would use non-military Americans as political bargaining chips. "Convicting" Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee of illegally crossing into North Korea and sentencing them to 12 years at hard labor (though it was suggested by the North Korean government they they aren't reporters but are really spies) is a tried and true tactic from the Soviet era.

I'm wondering, though, why more of us aren't speaking out about having the government work toward their release? Sure, there are political channels that need to be observed and no one wants to have Kim Jung-Il get up on the wrong side of the bed, thereby jeopardizing the lives of Ling and Lee -- or possibly ours with his threats of using nuclear weapons.

But if women -- ordinary women like those of us out here in the blogosphere -- speak up a bit, ask questions and petition for something to get done, how can that hurt? It seems to me that the collective voices of women around the world expressing concern about these two who've been held for three months could help, even if just a little bit. Women's voices are powerful -- just ask my friends over at MomsRising!

We can E-mail or call the State Department or contact our elected representatives to call for them to take whatever measures are necessary as quickly as possible to have them released. If we become the proverbial squeaky wheel, more people will talk about it. You can be sure if it was Anderson Cooper or Tom Brokaw in that North Korean prison, we wouldn't even have to talk about this.

What if it was one of us? What if someone we know was sent overseas for work, imprisoned and separated from their families, including children? I know I would want as many people as possible to speak up for me, even if they didn't know me.

I've never met Laura Ling or Euna Lee. I know women just like them, though -- hard-working dedicated professionals trying to make a living and hoping to make a difference in the world. It's easy to think of them as semi-celebrities, working for Al Gore's news channel. But they're women who were doing a reporter's job trying to shed light on stories the rest of the world needs to hear.

A Facebook movement is underway, but we don't really need Facebook, do we? All we need need are our real voices on the telephone and in letters to the ones in Washington who have the power to make something happen.

What do you -- are you with me? Have your cup of coffee and then call or write the State Department or your Senator or U.S. Representative. If they hear from plenty of us, it just might help bring Laura Ling and Euna Lee home a little bit faster.

Update: Head over to Care2 to sign a petition to free Laura Ling & Euna Lee.

If Only the New Disney Princess Could be More Like Mulan

2009-06-09T15:36:00.009Z

I hate that Mulan gets included as a Disney "princess."

As a mother of an Asian daughter, I've always loved her story as an example of the empowered girl -- she's not a princess (even though she is marketed that way), both of her parents are alive in the story (unlike most Disney princesses who are motherless), she's smarter than the boys, she saves herself AND she saves China from the Huns while the men poo-poo her efforts and look like a bunch of ninnies. She rails against wearing her society's version of a gown, doesn't ride her horse side saddle and has killer aim!

So as the media make much of the soon-to-be introduced new African-American Disney princess, (first her name was supposed to be Maddy, now it's Tiana) I have to wonder whether we can really look to her as a role model for our daughters, whether they are girls of color or not. Of course, girls should know that princesses can come in any color, but why can't we get past the whole princess thing when storytelling involves girls?

I know it's all about money and profits and what works when trying to attract children and their parents to the movies and the merchandising. But what if Maddy/Tiana didn't need to be a princess?? What if our daughters (and sons) could see an animated tale of a girl who meets life's challenges head on without a tiara or a man, like Mulan?

Call me crazy, but there have to be more Mulans out there. If Disney and others would make movies about them, maybe we'd have to stop worrying as much about how real women are portrayed, say like Sonia Sotomayor? If we didn't have the Disney version of womanhood running through so many aspects of our lives, maybe we'd be a little closer to terms like "assertive" would be considered positive compliments, instead of demeaning insults.

Camels, Elysee Palace & Why it's Cooler Than Ever to be President

2009-06-08T13:45:00.009Z

As you can tell by the title of this post, my political brain has gone a little soft as I'm trying to sort out keeping up with my wonky stuff, a few new projects and "strategic alliances" as they call them in the business world, and managing a nine-year-old for 13 1/2 weeks of summer vacation. You heard me -- 13 1/2 weeks. School finished up for PunditGirl last week and now she's off until September 9 (Labor Day is VERY late this year).

But as I read and watched the coverage of President Obama's grand tour last week, it occurred to me that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be the leader of the free world. Not that I'd want to have to figure out the economic crisis and force myself to politely hold my tongue about Newt "I-don't-hold-any-elective-office-but-I'm-going-to-shoot-my-mouth-off-anyway-just-to-be-a-pain-in-the -ass" Gingrich. But I could go for some of the perks!

I've always wanted to travel to Egypt. It's on my list, but since we're working on the grand China trek to take PunditGirl back to the country of her birth for next year, I don't think that's in the financial cards. Seeing the photos of Obama strolling near the Sphinx was great, but I wondered where the obligatory camel ride was? Apparently many of his staff took the opportunity, but Obama didn't. Why?

Can you imagine how often Fox News and Limbaugh would show those photos to mock Obama in some way? Shades of Michael Dukakis in the tank and John Kerry windsurfing! Tempting as it might have been to play the tourist, Obama's mind was already a couple of steps ahead of the media, beating them to the punch by taking away their chance for months of mockery! You've got to like that in a President!

But the part I really loved reading about was the Obama's time in Paris. Even though he told the Paris news conference that he wasn't going to have time to play tourist, he did carve out some time for speed sightseeing with the family. One thing in particular got me -- Sasha Obama celebrated her eighth birthday by having lunch at the Elysee Palace!! I'm not a great birthday party planner, but I'm pretty sure that trumps the bowling party PunditGirl had when she turned eight!

So with cool stuff like seeing the pyramids and getting one-of-a-kind birthday celebrations for your kids, maybe it is time to consider a run for the White House. Or at least I can hope for a Constitutional change so PunditGirl can run and invite me over!

PunditMom's Photo Saturday -- Variation on a Theme

2009-06-06T10:27:00.005Z

I know this photo is similar to last week's, but I'm so drawn to the late afternoon light that streams through our little used dining room. There's something about the way the sun shines through the shades at this low angle and hits my amber-colored bowl, that I just have to keep coming back to this.

I hope you'll bear with me until I find just the right combination of light, shadow and inspiration!

Random PunditMom Concerns

2009-06-04T13:34:00.004Z

I'm feeling a bit off my game these days -- so much to write about and not much time to do it as end-if-the-school-year obligations and events pile up.

But maybe you can help me out with a few things on my mind:

1. How can we change the direction of the country if much of the media is still co-opted by the right?

2. On a similar note, how can we focus on the real issues of the country that need to be addressed when the media plays lapdog to the Cheneys, especially their new darling Liz Cheney?

3. When Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg feels that her opinions are dismissed because she is a woman, but the same points are lauded if they are made by one of the other eight male justices on the court, what chance to the rest of us have?

Yeah, I'm feeling a little lost in the progressive woods these days.

*sigh*

Mothers of Intention -- More Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lesley Jane Seymour on Global Poverty

2009-06-01T15:04:00.012Z

Welcome to this week's edition of Mother's of Intention! Instead of having a guest post, my guest Mother of Intention is someone I interviewed recently about the fight against global poverty.

So many of us are trying to find ways to make a difference in our communities, sometimes politically and other times for social issues. We do what we can, but of course change can happen a little more quickly when those with slightly higher profiles decide to get involved with causes.

More Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lesley Jane Seymour is a supporter of CARE, a humanitarian organization dedicated to fighting global poverty. CARE recently held its annual national conference to help teach women how to lobby and approach lawmakers on behalf of some of the poorest women around the world. Seymour thought it would be a great idea if she could convince a group of her readers to attend the conference with her, so she launched the 40 Over 40 Making a Difference effort, which ended up being 50 Over 40!

50 MORE readers accompanied Seymour to the conference to learn about how they can lobby Congress on behalf of the poorest women around the world, with the focus being on securing the positions of women in their families and communities to better their economic situations.

Just days after conference, over 25 new co-sponsors in Congress signed on to the Child Marriage Prevention Act that was in the works, which is important because one of the goals of this year's CARE conference was to bring attention to plight of so many girls around the world who are forced into marriages at incredibly young ages.

While Seymour was heading back home on the train after the conference, she took some time out to talk with me about why she thinks she, as a magazine editor, should be promoting women's activism.

"We have the power and the time to help. It's our obligation to change the world and our readers want to help do that," Seymour said. "But to do that, we have to know how the legislative process works and get Congress to work for us." And that's where the work of the Care National Conference came in, teaching her and other 400 others how to navigate Congressional offices on behalf of causes they believe in.

Seymour talked with the "50 Over 40" who accompanied her, and said so many were anxious to be more involved in helping to make change for women around the world.

"These women said they had all written checks to charity in the past, but that just giving money alone didn't feel tangible to them. They wanted to work on a project that could do something with a specific impact," said Seymour right before she almost missed her train stop because of our chat!

If I had been paying more attention, I would would have signed up for the Care conference, since it was held in Washington, D.C. Because what better information to have as Mothers of Intention, than knowing how to get doors opened and phones answered in the offices of our lawmakers. Just think what we could accomplish if more of us knew how to get that kind of access.

Maybe we should ask Seymour for 60 Over 40 next year?