OPEN THREAD: Donna Brazile plans address for WHM
March 28, 2009
by SantaFeK
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Donna Brazile invited to speak at Department of Justice for Women’s History Month
Open Forum. We invite your comments.
Donna Brazile will be making remarks at a Women’s History Month event at the Department of Justice on March 31. She was invited by Attorney General Eric Holder. A flyer sent to employees of the DOJ said that “Supervisors are encouraged to grant official time to employees to attend the event.”
Ms. Brazile made the following statement:
During my remarks, I will pay tribute to women who dare, women of courage and the many milestones we have achieved and the path ahead,” Brazile said in an e-mail. “I am going in my capacity as an Adjunct Professor in the Women and Gender Studies at Georgetown University — not as a CNN contributor, ABC news consultant or Vice Chair of the DNC [Democratic National Committee]. Perhaps, I am going as a woman of valor — a woman of courage to pay tribute to women who work at the DOJ and elsewhere.
We ask our TNA readers and members to contribute their thoughts on Brazile’s appearance at the Department of Justice.
It is good Brazile is talking about Women’s History Month. A little earlier in the month would have been nice! And I think that writing to women in Washington about being more vocal starting at the beginning of Women’s HIstory Month will be helpful.
If course, our SOS was right there with celebrating it at the beginning, but she is very aware of feminism and is a feminist.
Trying to get other women with high profiles to be just as vocal next year seems like a good goal.
Interesting that she is attempting to compartmentalize her various rolls as an adjunct professor in womens studies, political operative , commentator and enforcer of the RBC rules and bylaws. Her performance at the RBC meeting in May was a true display valor alright. A real profile in courage. Cannot wait to hear about her vision of the path for women in the future. I am sure she has written something about it somewhere in her scholarly writings as an adjunct professor at Gerogetown. Anyone have a link to something she has written? Good for Ms. Brazile. More power to her.
I used to watch AbC this week sunday mornings, where she serves in one of her capacities. heard plenty of her attacks against the woman contender last year. she fall for me with phyllis schlaffly.
she still waiting for her mule. she has no sensitivity for injustice to women. guess we are the rich ladies who employed the slaves. that women fought for the freedom of slaves being themselves hold in conditions not much unlike slaves and were forgotten after african americans got their rights, has not entered the world of Donna Brazil.
watch the u-tube from may 31 RBC meeting in DC and you know where her alliances are.
Will attendees be searched for rotten tomatoes and other fruit? Can they bring protest signs or will they only be allowed to wave signs approved by Donna?
Supporting Hiliary or sarah in the last election is not a litmus test for feminsim. If it is then the goal of a 52 percent majority will never happen. Donna has had many avichements and accomplishments so it is better late then never.
Ok everyone—I’m holding my nose (three clothespins on it) and clapping.
I felt just a ripped off by her as anyone. But she is a prime example of the “post-election guilty wake-up call” trend I’ve been referring to. Certain people who had felt that both women’s rights and African-American advancement were important and chose the African-American rights first this time are going to come to our cause with a big guilty undercurrent. Let’s let them in. We can’t change the past, but their guilty energy we will need on our side for the great plans we have for our future.
My salespeople (I’m a Sales Director with Mary Kay) always say in the beginning that they don’t want anyone buying from them because they feel sorry for them. I always say—–who cares why they buy as long as they buy?
Supporting our cause with a guilty conscience is just fine. Oh, they’ll never admit to it—they’ve got their own pride to consider. Let’s just take their help and their votes. For the common good…..
A litmus test for feminism is to NOT participate in trashing women candidates but to apply the same standards of conduct and analysis towards them that are applied to men. Donna Brazile failed that litmus test. Sometimes, one’s other achievements are not enough to compensate for that one big failure.
Cynthia,
I absolutely agree. Although the way Donna is referring to herself as “a woman of valor” makes me want to throw up, I think her bizarre egomania is coming from a place of guilt. If it is dawning on Donna at this time that she is in fact female, I say, let her in and let’s celebrate. And talk.
I’m willing to accept Donna into the fold. I can’t support having her making a speech as a “woman of valor” to celebrate Women’s History Month at the DOJ. I rather Holder chose Phyllis Schafly. With all of the highly accomplished women available to Holder, why Donna? This has got to be a political payoff of some kind. Holder has to know how this is going to play with many women. If he doesn’t, he’s too stupid to be the AG. And Donna isn’t showing any signs of post-election guilt. She is still gushing.
I agree with Cynthia. I am no fan of Brazile, and I spent a fair amount of time last summer skewering her on my blog. She deserved every bit of it and I’d give her more of the same under the right circumstances.
However, when it comes to a win-win-win like women’s history, who the hell cares who the advocate is? It’s something. It’s a start anyway. Maybe she’s having a few click moments herself. I don’t really care. I just care that one more government entity is on board, even if it is the very last day of the month. Color me grateful for scraps, but I am. A wave never just materializes; it is built drop by drop. This is a drop.
LOL—–LOL—-LOL
it’s just funny to me how Phyllis Schlafly’s name is the one odious name that comes up all the time to defend or illustrate someone’s position. She’s history—-thank God!! And I don’t see anyone scrambling to take her place….
And under a certain age, people have no idea who she and her Eagle Forum are. Which is a good thing. Some things are just best forgotten.
samanthasmom—-I’m not singling you out on my above comment. I just hear Schlafly’s name mentioned with some frequency. And I agree with you on absolutely everything you said—100%. But somehow I’ve moved on (it’s a miracle really!!)
Donna said that Bristol Palin was “fair game” in the general election campaign. Valor, courage? Not. I have a problem trusting people who have stabbed me in the back. I don’t trust Donna Brazile. Whether she feels an ounce of guilt is far from clear to me. It is not enough to to speak in general terms about doing away with sexism and that we all should move along together as if it never happened. It is not enough to say that she hopes to see a woman in the White House someday, just as she wants to see a Latino president, an Asian president, a Native American president someday. I want to hear some contrition from her about the sexism and misogyny of 2008 that not only helped elect the first African American president, but was also extremely divisive and damaging to women. I doubt we will be hearing anything like that in her speech at the DOJ event.
How about “Move on but never forget”?
We have no alternative but to move on. Never forget, absolutely.
I see it as yet another smack in the face from the Obama administration. Part of the larger smackdown.
I get the picture, already. They (the men of the Administration) will tell us *who* is a Feminist and who is not. They will set the bar for “valor.”
I’m holding my nose. But I won’t be clapping.
Jere asked about this in one of her comments, but I would like to know what her credentials are in Women and Gender Studies.
What has she published? What is she teaching? We have distinguished Women’s Studies people as members of TNA, so I would really like to hear from them. How can we read Brazile’s publications? Are there any?
Donna Brazile has been out of the public eye for a few months.
Is she about to get a position in the administration, I wonder?
SomeHopeyChangey, it would not be surprising to see DB get an appointment. She earned it. The ones that win get to pick their people. She wanted DNC Chair. Perhaps the consolation prize is soon to be awarded. Like I said, more power to her.
I don’t see this as anything positive. Eric Holder had to invite a woman, so did he invite a feminist? Did he invite a woman who has stood up for other women? No. He invited Donna Brazile, whose behavior last year was appalling and distinctly unfeminist. It’s a slap in the face to the women’s history event. You know the gambit: Invite a woman, but choose a woman who has made it clear that women’s rights don’t matter.
As for why Brazile accepted, it’s because she’ll accept any opportunity to honk her horn. “Woman of valor” my foot.
I agree with Dr. Socks.
Woman of valor my foot…
I think Donna is a horrible example of feminism. I will not forget what she and Pelosi and Howard did to Hillary–the only candidate actually prepared to be President in 08. She is an egotistical exhibitionist. I don’t buy this business of forgiving deliberate destruction of a qualified woman to “let the AA guy go first.”
I’m with Violet, SYD and Nell. If Donna wanted to pitch in and act rather than speak, I’d be first in line supporting her. Accepting kudos is hardly worth applause, when it’s hard to tell what she’s accepting kudos for.
Brazile is an accomplished and successful citizen. I happen think that she exemplifies the sort of self-promotion and self-service at all costs (to others) that has served us so well in the financial industry recently.
Obviously, Brazile has a right to her ambitions and her success, which she has earned. This business of proclaiming herself as a woman of valor and a woman of courage is not merely redundant, it is unseemly to me.
I am with you John, Octagolare, Nell, YSD, Ellis and Violet.
To assume that Donna has any capability of feeling guilt is beyond me.
verybody was upset about Valerie jaret who kept a much lower profile on women gushing. But Donna Brazil who showed so obvious disdain for Hillary.
it is another spit in our face. no feminist should show up to this farce.
department of justice celebrating women’s month. LOL.
let’s quizz them what they know about women and justice?
wth questions like such
who was the first and hopefully last woman being hanged for beign a single woman and not being able to keep her kids out of criminal actions?
who was the woman being sentenced to death for being married to a spy?
anna belle’s blog might lead you to answers.
to Cynthia:
Schlafly is not gone yet. she is getting less energetic, but still does considerable damage.
was very active this year in Missouri to kill the ERA there. Probably had also some influence on the tie in Arkansas a few days ago.
and she and her following make sure the ERA will not see the floor in Florida this month.
Schlafly also updates her propaganda. less talking on same sex bathrooms, but same sex marriage and abortion. she is able to hang hot topics an the ERA to defeat equal rights for us.
LOL, nothing like awarding yourself medals for valor and courage. well, I guess she’d have to–being that she obviously wants them and it’s not like people are lined up waiting to pin them on her. but talk about proof of somebody being a legend in her own mind…her own statement says it all!
Unbelievable. I hope Eric Holder is already embarrassed. He should be.
I see that there is someone else posting as “Nell” so I have changed my name to differentiate myself. (I participated last week in a rather heated discussion of male domination of certain threads here.)
Agreeing with the general consensus, Brazile is a terrible choice to speak to DoJ employees in honor of Women’s History Month. I can’t think of another Democrat who was more divisive (for both the party as a whole and women in particular) during the primaries than she was, going so far as to tell us Clinton supporters to either get on the Obama bandwagon or get out of the way.
Until I hear an apology, I will neither forgive nor forget.
D.B. was happy to backstab HRC, Sarah Palin and anyone else in the way of her door-holding for The One. If she had offered her views honorably, in a “well, this is my preference and here is why” it would be one thing. But she did what she could, as most of The One’s clueless supporters did, to throw elbows and rumors for HRC esp., relentlessly and heartlessly. It wasn’t enough to simply be for another candidate? She had to be skewered??
Now DB is honored – a woman of valor??
She embarrassed herself for a year, and her current sidelining by the party – along with Obama hitman Howard Dean – is the only beacon of hope I see. I think they are embarrassed for the vicious attacks on HRC and want to leave the perps in the rearview.
I switched to independent voter status with pleasure. Despicable people like DB left me gaping in horror. The only thing worse than a male chav. pig is a female one. Who is roped into enabling yet another entitled male.
Not ready to ‘move on’ without an ounce of regret from DB – who helped savage the chances of the best hope for a woman president in a generation.
And for what – the current admin. is so great?
(The One objected to HRC on her “war” stance – yet he proposes troop levels higher than Bush had?? The One wanted change yet leaves all the Bob Rubin treasury bobble-head dolls in place – with the addition of sexist pig in chief Larry Summers?? This is change?)
She’s WHAT? The soi disant woman of valor? Does anyone else remember the woman of valor ticking off who all no longer was needed or belonged in the Democratic Party, back when she was hustling for the O?
A woman of Squalor is more like it. Y’all are a lot more forgiving than I am.
I’m angrier at Pelosi and Brazile than Dean and Reid because they should have known better. Dean may have had more power during the election but my anger goes to the gender sellouts.
Cynthia,
I took no offense. Phyllis Schafly is my own personal nemesis. My mother was as apolitical as it gets. She only bothered to vote if the trip to the polls included lunch at her favorite restaurant, but somehow Schafly got to her. My mom was a strong opponent of the ERA based on the newsletters that flooded our mailbox from Schafly’s organization. Mom used to plead with me to stop working for the passage of the ERA because it would “ruin life” for women in the US. I wish no harm to Phyllis, but I wouldn’t mind hearing that she has retired or has a permanent case of laryngitis and both hands in casts. For many of us second-wavers, she is the poster child for the opposition. For me, Donna Brazile is a poster child, too.
To Boston Nell, I knew there was another Nell but I rarely post and didn’t know if I was posting in my dreams or not. I am just an occasional poster on issues that really get my blood up. This one did. I am with a very small group of 6 gals here who still meet as a “Hillary group” even tho we now have changed our name. Looking forward to meeting Cynthia in May.
I used to live in DC area and used the think Donna B was ok. No more. She is s traitor to her gender. Not that I feel strongly about it!
LOL, Asheville Nell! I, too, would see one of your posts, thinking it was mine and then light would dawn, as in, “Hey wait a minute–I didn’t say that!” (not that I disagreed with you…)
I’m an infrequent commenter here, too. Maybe we can call ourselves A-Nell and B-Nell.
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