DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE A WOMAN....

Patricia White's trouble with NOW (Joan Vennochi, October 6, 2005, Boston Globe)

[Patricia] White is a candidate for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council. She finished sixth in the recent city preliminary election. On election day, the top four vote-getters will win at-large seats.

If White, the daughter of former mayor Kevin H. White, cannot upset the preliminary election results, she is out. For that reason, she is reminding voters that if she is not elected, Boston will have no female at-large city councilor for the first time since 1973. At a Monday rally, White also showcased her credentials on issues important to women, such as healthcare, elder care, and education. She worked on their behalf at the Heinz Foundation, Work/Family Directions, and Boston Partners in Education.

Her credentials do not impress NOW, which did not endorse her.

According to Emily Hall, acting director of NOW's political action committee, endorsements are based on an analysis of a candidate's stand on five issues: abortion rights, economic justice, racial justice, gay and lesbian rights, including same-sex marriage, and domestic violence. All candidates are invited to answer questionnaires; some are invited in for follow-up interviews.

NOW endorsed three male at-large candidates -- incumbent Felix Arroyo and challengers Matt O'Malley and Sam Yoon -- because ''their answers perfectly matched our issues areas, they have lots of energy, lots of ideas, and they will really stand up for women's issues," said Hall. She said White, while prochoice, was not ''as strongly committed to all areas of reproductive rights" based on the information she provided via questionnaire.

...doesn't matter if you're pro-woman....it only matters that you be 100% pro-death.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 6, 2005 7:58 AM