Political Punch

Well, the "momentum" has shifted as I Pat, & others stated would happen yesterday. I knew Hillary would win the big 3, as she did. No surpise for me. My dream has been to watch the oh so surprised msm media faces as she trounched obama in the big states needed to win in the general election. Of course the media spin now is: oh yes, great for 5 seconds. Now, the numbers just are not there. Not even a honeymoon period with the media for Hillary. The truth is: she will win with superdelegates & what kind of sham was Florida & Michigan? Since when does this country not recognize 2 huge states in the Primary? We must have those states. The Founders would be horrified. Not count 2 huge states? Doesn't sound legal to me although I am no expert. Hillary might just need the superdelegates, but I also think Florida & Michigan must be counted

Well its good to see that all the Gloria Steinem bashing has stopped and it didn't effect Hilliary's winning Texas, Rhode Island, and Ohio, and for those who think this race is not about gender, and color all one had to do was watch CNN or Fox thats all they talked about. Women have finally come together like the guys and are sticking together. Some may say it shouldn't be about the aforementioned issues but it is from what I can see. I hope she gets then delegates and we finally get the frist female president. One can only hope!

Lai, if you knew anything about Gloria, then you would know your comments are not true. As a westener she fought for all womens rights not just the white middle class but all women, I remember well I lived through those times did you?

Its interesting that men and some women don't mind bashing Hilliary or Gloria regarding thier sex. But yet I never hear that MCcain is an old man, Huckabee is a right wing religious kook!Who cares if Gloria is a feminist. So what does that mean is that some sort of disease? What about all the comments made by some regarding women such as they don't fight in wars ect. Hello is that what makes some men feel like men because they fight in a war. Well I hate to tell you incase you didn't notice some women are fighting right along with the boys. If Gloria had an abortion, so what thats her business, if she doesn't want to get married so what, if she doesn't like men who cares. Why does she have to explain her reasoning to anyone. She is what she is and her opinion is hers if you don't like her who cares. I am sure she is secure enough within herself that she really doesn't care what people say at the ripe old age of 70+. If you don't like her because she is a feminist thats your problem! Why does feminism really gaul some men?

Excuse me. AT LEAST 18,000 people in this country die per year because they have no healthcare in this, the richest country in the world. Sorry for the error.

Hillary has been doing fantastic lately. It's the money game & you know it. Look what happened to the fabulous & caring John Edwards, who set the bar for giving a damn for other human beings in this campaign. Why don't you sell your SUV & go visit some people in Homeless Shelters? Go make yourself useful. AT LEAST 18,000 people in this country have no healthcare in this the richest country in the world. I wonder where all the moola is going? Have you filled your SUV up lately? George Bush & his Oil Cronies are lining their pockets to a vulgar degreee while the people starve and die from no healthcare. Not to mention trying to do away with Children't Healthcare. Which was CREATED by Hillary Clinton.
This Repub Era is like a Charles Dickens Novel. "More please sir, can I have some more porridge"? Why don't you quit stuffing your face with lobster & caviar & go feed some starving children in America? Oh BTW, the American people spoke in the midterms & in this Primary. Americans are sick to death of corporate america getting rich on this & other senseless wars. Rudie Giuliani felt the sting of that public opionion, as will John McCain. People will vote. Oh they will vote. Repubs don't have a chance this year, or for quite a long time. Have a nice day.

I don't know why Gloria Steinem is getting undue attention. I'd like to point out that she is a western feminist, and so her opinions reflect those of second wave middle/upper class white feminists. She's not an ICON of any sort to younger generation of feminists or even older generation of feminists of color. Her position reiterates the fact that those group of feminists(western) don't care of intersectional identities rather they focus only on gender. May I remind Ms Steinem that being a feminist does not mean you must support every female. Feminism is much broader than just touting sexist oppression, it's about social justice; race, class, sexuality etc.

Gloria Steinman is as irrelevant as Huckabee is. Who cares? Maybe she should have been a POW? oh yeah, she has been a POW throughout her entire life because of her enslavement by men

Hmmm. Sort of like how the media has yet to make a peep about Clinton not releasing her tax returns and First Lady documents. And how Clinton got a free pass of "inevitablity" for nearly a year before Iowa. Damn that biased media! They're always out to get poor Hillary. It's not the voters who aren't voting for her, it's the media. I think Steinem might want to wait until Hillary has cut into Obama's lead before parading her disgusting McCain insults for all to see.

This is kind of interesting. Wasn't it Gloria Steinem who once was asked why she had not got married & she said something like..."I can't mate in captivity"? Kinda funny. Anyone? Was that her?

Uhmm...Who is the ill informed idiot that just insulted all the GREAT Female leaders all over the world, in Ireland & in Pakistan? Rest In Peace Prime Minister Bhutto. Not to mention all the billions of women all over the world. Are you saying that women don't deserve representation in the 21st Century? The dinosaurs were more evolved than you. Ireland is war torn & had a Female Prime Minister. Pakistan also. Hey Mike...news flash...It's 2008. Way beyond time for a Female President Of The United States. Please go back to 1192 AD where you & your ilk belong. Take Rush Limbaugh & Company with you.

I absoluetly Love Gloria Steinem if it was not for her women today probably would still be dependent upon men for their basic needs. She was intrumental in openeing the doors to education, jobs, promotions and the right to choose their vocation. She is a feminist and proud of it. I take my hat off to her. Her statement regarding MCcain was not demeaning to his military career. She made a statement that because he was a war hero does not automatically make him a leader. He served his country as many had before and will after him. Because she spoke at a rally for Clinton also doesn't mean Clinton is a feminist nor does it mean because Thatcher never stated one way or another if she was or wasn't is mute. Maybe the idiots in this country will get it right this time and elect a person who has the countries interest at heart Mike, and if they choose Hillary I believe we will be better off for it.

i'm a male and i've wrestled with supporting hillary or obama.

but if i thought for one second that hillary is a feminist of the likes of gloria steinem or others espousing the simplistic notions that men=bad, women=good, an apparent hero to some of these bloggers, i would not dream of voting for her.

if you really equate prejudism against blacks and other minorities with gender-based discrimination, then there is little we have in common.

if you really believe it has been better for african americans, subjected to every avenue of injustice, from lynchings to virtually permanent social and economic injustices, with discrimination against women, then you are so self-deluded, so ignorant of history or basic logical reasoning, that i doubt any male or reasonable thinking female could help you.

while you're conteplating your smug, arrogant ideological beliefs (most likely you've never met real adversity in your pampered lives), remember that bill and hillary have been champions of black rights in the south for many years.

I honestly do not believe the USA is ready for a woman president.When men and women can work together,when the law is designed to treat them equally,when a woman can run on proposed policies ,not surround herself with feminists and not make biased speeches supporting people who are over supported already then perhaps the time will have come.There is no way you could compare her with Thatcher who learned all her politics the hard way
and was not a feminist.Neither should being black help or hinder but this american election appears to consist of nothing other than gender or race insults by ill informed idiots.

I'm no fan of either McCain or Steinem. I am a 49 year old transsexual woman. Steinem never did anything for women or for women's progress. Don't forget that Steinem is a transphobe who has made many ugly comments about transsexual people especially transwomen.

Horray! at least someone said it. Unless this country has gone into a deep sleep, I agree the Republicans are on their way out. I'll take Hillary or Obammmmma. With the price of gas, oil, food, lack of health care, dead and wounded soldiers due to Iraq and the promises Bush made and only kept to his oil buddies and elite ask yourself are we better off now or 7 and a half years ago. Unless you want to listen to some more promises which I am sure some will be made, goodbye and good riddance to the Republicans. Spoken by a true Independant.

Thank you Pat, well said, well said. There will be a big shift in "momentum" around 8pm this evening. We've been waiting a lifetime for this moment and more to come. It's our turn.

Whether the Democrats jump on the gender issue or not, well I don't think you have to worry about that. After 7 long years of the Bush Administration, I don't believe this country would elect another Republican for the next 8 years. I think most Americans have had enough and if you like McCains statement we should stay in Iraq, if we have to, then hey why don't you join up! But you have a right to your opinion which I respect!

I think this is great ... Gloria Steinem exemplifies the divisiveness of the Clinton campaign ... now let's chop the electorate by gender ... Bill already took out the race card. I can only hope that the DEM hierarchy gets into this soon.

It sickens me that women in this country forget the reason they are ALLOWED to enter into professional careers was largely due to women like Gloria. If any of you women happen to remember back in the fifties and sixties is very difficult for women to be excepted even into college for most professions, she helped open those doors some of us take for granted. She did not defame or take away McCains military service she made a statement of comparison which is and should be her right. Now our current President claims fame to serving when he felt like it or as the story goes. Your offensive remarks towards Hilliary just goes to show that there is a division between women and men and women are still not equal in some of your eyes. For all of you who think that your the only ones that served your country some of our parents served in three wars for this country which gives me the right to speak my piece. I hope Hillary gets the nomination, after all men have run this country from its inception and look at where we are today. Oh, and before you start your labelling save your breath, yes I am a proud feminist with an opinion which you may not agree with but a right to speak without the name calling.

I'm sure Ms. Steinem & all women thank you endlessly for your backhanded compliment. Thanks bunches. The truth is that Americans are sick of politicians not speaking their minds & polling before they open their mouths. How "hypocritial" is that? This Country was forged on the "dangerous" words of Thomas Jefferson & the Founders of this Country. Rock on Hillary & Gloria!

When we, as a nation, become enthralled with this sort of unproductive banter, we all lose. Gloria Steinem has pushed open a lot of the doors that some women take for granted that they are now able walk through today. With that respect having been paid, she of all people should know not to speak on topics she is not intimately familiar with. Her words were caustic and will undoubtedly cause more consternation for the Clinton campaign, haiving to control the spill, than it would ever hurt the McCain camp. It is truly an unfortunate thing that people of a public stature so often choose to disregard the respect and responsibility that should accompany free speech. It is because of people like McCain, that Gloria is even able to share her thoughtless remarks. It is hypocrisy that flows in arguments like we're having here. When you spend your entire existence becoming a driving force in the promotion of a right, you must understand the power of ignorant remarks...and the stain that those remarks leave on the legacy of our Nation. Patriotism is not about waving the flag, it is about carrying it, and although I will not vote for him as president, I take my hat off to him as a soldier.

Steinem is a repulsive, narrow-minded dolt. And don't try to compare Kerry to McCain. Kerry is a phony opportunist and wasn't in Vietnam long enough to even qualify for R&R. Any nation that degrades the accomplishments and suffering of its tortured heroes can only accrue contempt and disgust.

I SEE ALL THE MISOGYNISTS ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK. Do all you women haters work for the misoginy boy's club? msnbc? Fine to disagree with a remark, but oh the nasty women hating rhetoric here. Hillary is right. She is surely being maligned for having the audacity to run for President, although, her record is far superior and impressive than obamas. Check out the parody's on SNL. There is great truth in the humor, and it is a sad truth. A truth evidenced here by all these women hating remarks. Go Hillary! BTW, she will win Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and then she will clinch the nomination. What a brave women to put up with all this misoginistic nonsense for a lifetime.

OK, maybe Gloria is right. Maybe spending 5 years in a prison camp in North Viet Nam, being tortured unbelievably so, is overrated, not that big of a deal. I have a possible solution to this ordeal. Let's send Gloria over to that same prison camp, let her experience all the same activities and all the injuries that John had, and in five years, she can come report back to us what it was like.

Women are WAY OVER represented in my home. I actually welcome that population.

Who cares. Look at the source of these tirades. I am sure that these comments will only make us look in disdain at Mccain's long service to this country including half his professional life in the military. But I assume that doesn't matter as much to be commander and chief than being the wife of a former president. And I guess that being a prisoner of war for over five years doesn't show as much guts as taking the embarressment in front of the country by the media over your husband's shennanigans.

If Hillary served a day or even an hour in the military I would have looked at that as a point of pride. You don't need to be in a prisoner of war camp to contribute to be a hero in our armed forces. What is does prove though is that McCain is one tough hombre.

Gloria Steinem needs to check her US history facts. Some of America's greatest presidents, George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and JFK were "trained to kill". She insults our fighting men and women who have given everything for her right to say these things. And besides, serving in the military and being a POW is certainly a hell of a lot more experience than being First Lady. Whatever, and Ms. Steinem, true equality is when people are defined by their character, not their sex. Sen. McCain has shown himself through his selfless service to our nation to be a person of greater character than you could ever be.

On that note, the contention that African Americans have it easier than women do in government is discredited by these, current undeniable numbers:

State Governors
Female: 8
African American: 1

Members of Congress
Female: 74
African American: 42

Senators
Female: 16
African American: 1 (Obama)

Supreme Court Justices
Female: 1
African American: 1

__________________________________

You seem to forget that women are over 50% of the American population. Women are the most underrepresented group in the government.

Everybody is mad at Steinem, but nobody cared when the Republicans Swift Boated Kerry or when they called Max Cleeland, a paraplegic veteran, unpatriotic for disagreeing with Dubya.

Jorge- I apologize. We seem to agree on this. I was responding to the wrong e-mail. My apologies.

Jorge- You are absolutley insane. When McCain was plucked from the rice paddy after being shot down, the locals wanted to kill him. He was saved by the soldiers who were waiting to torture him for information. He remained in the Hilton, unassisted for several days/weeks. His cellmates knew he was going to die. His arm was severely damaged, as were most of his bones. He went down to a weight that would kill your fat "cheeto-eating ass". The North Vietnamese didn't care about his condition. He should have died. He was the enemy. When the enemy discovered his father was a high ranking officer in the United States military, negotiations began. Don't give me this crap any more.

When John McCain's captors found out that he was the son of a 4-star Navy admiral, they offered to release him. McCain refused to take the offer because he knew that it was part of propaganda stunt. He refused knowing that this would result in even more torture.

If this is not an example of selfless sacrifice and of devotion to public service then I do not what is.

Certainly this level of sacrifice is alien to both clinton and steineim.

no one ever said it did... until the playboy bunny brought it up.

All she said is that being a POW doesn't automatically qualify McCain to be President. It's true. Although it does help explain why he's a little off his rocker.

a cincinnati talk-show host gets raked over the coals for an entire week for having the gaul to speak Obama's full given name. Gloria Steinem insults a war hero's record. Someone who was tortured for years in the Hanoi Hilton, and I struggled to find the story, let alone, anyone calling for an apology. Hey Gloria! Give Jane Fonda a call. I think she knows where there are two seats on an Al-Queada anti-aircraft gun

Gloria Should go back into the hole she lives in

Who does Gloria think she is!!! I mean can't we leave these topics alone it is a disgrace to question John McCain at all. He is a hero and so are all of our soldiers over seas. These are the typical racist comments that prove this country has a problem with racism. Proves to me that this country is not ready for a women or a black president. Lets grow up shall we.

If all Steinem said was (1) that being a POW is not a qualification for being president - which it obviously isn't! - and (2) that she is glad Hillary was not trained to kill - which is a rather innocuous statement - what's the problem? Military and police personnel are the only government servants trained to kill; presidents aren't supposed to do that kind of work. Get a grip, people. I'm truly sorry John McCain had the experience of being a POW, but if all of you think that makes him uniquely qualified to be president, then he has been more than repaid for his time.

What ms steinem said shouldn't suprise people. She co-founded Ms magazine with jane fonda. Back in the 1960s when she was 36 jane fonda aimed an anti aircraft gun gun at American Navy aircraft manned by American service men half her age. jane fonda also broadcast her admiration for the commie Vietnamese over Hanoi radio. While the cameras rolled jane fonda told an American POW to appologize for killing women and children. jane certainly didn't choose to stay with the Vietnamese she admires so much. She came back to the USA to start a business with gloria steinem. and to be admired and make movies for American idiots.

Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda both belong in a zoo cage.

I don't know who is worse, Gloria
Steiman or Jane Fonda. Both are a
disgace to my sons fighting in Irag.
I can only hope that their sons' or some
one they love is never is the situation
of Sen. McCain.

May GOD show Ms. Steinman the errors of
her ways.

Steinem is pathetic; feminism is pathetic. Feminism has never and will never contribute anything to American life but lies and degradation.

Just unbelievable...If someone helping me said this I would be all over myself explaining that they were nuts...

While I do not agree with his political standpoint, I would not ever want to come close to the appearance of criticizing Senator McCain's military record. Not only is it incredibly bad taste to do so, but it's just bad politics. The treatment that he received had nothing to do with him being a man or a woman, it was because he was an American.

To suggest that it is unfair for him to reference his imprisonment (which I rarely hear him do) because he can use it to make political hay is insanity. If you are suggesting that it is unfair that he can make the argument because he was able to be there, are you then inferring that he wanted to be there?

If it is unfair for him to point out his military record as a man, is it not unfair for Senator Clinton to point out her experience as First Lady? Or that she is a woman at all? Is it also unfair for Senator Obama to be black? Have we reached a point where having any experience that differs from the other candidate's is an unfair advantage?

Wake up, people. These are human beings, with lives, and histories, and families, and beliefs, and goals. But for the sake of this election, they are candidates, with standpoints on political issues, which is where we should focus our attention. Get over the soundbytes, and the inflammatory comments, and read about some issues.

Steinem sucked in the 70's and she still sucks today!

Gloria Steinem is a disgrace and has been for many years. But you have to excuse her. You see, she is such a part of the uber-liberal, left-of-left Upper West Side Manhattan comintern that she is merely saying what she and her emoting, whining, male-bashing female empowerment acolytes believe. I'm glad that she's done this in so public a fashion as it can only help to rally support to McCain and to further dent Hillary. Steinem is such a clueless Lefto fool that she doesn't realize that such statements play poorly in blue collar Ohio and Texas. Again, it's the political tin ear that so many liberal Manhattanites display as they continually forget that, thank God, New York City is NOT and NEVER WILL BE politically representative of this great country.

"I mean, hello? This is supposed to be a qualification to be president? I don’t think so."

Neither is sleeping in the same bed as a president for 8 years.

Obama--Yikes is the dumbest contributor on the web.

Steinem is a non-entity who is still lost in the 1970's. Take whatever she says with a grain of salt; she is yesterday's paper!!!!

I think that most of the media would be kinder to a female pow than to a male. Remember Jessica the pow from Iraq? The media made her out to be a spectacular hero, and she denied much of the claims, later on. McCain is a good candidate for president. Steimem is just mad that she's not going to Heaven!

I don't believe that Senator McCain has ever expressed to anyone anywhere that soley because of his military service, and the years of abuse he suffered in Viet Nam, qualified him to be President of the United States. One should be judged on his/her record of service, not by which public washroom they enter. Ms. Steinham's freedom of speech is compliments of such individuals as John McCain and the Jessica Lynch's of this country. Do we not owe these people the respect of the nation? While Steinem was running around in a Playboy costume serving drinks,others from this country were making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure her the freedom to become a nationally recognized feminist.

This is ridiculous.

McCain's contribution to the American people has nothing to do with his POW status.

Also, tell me Ms. Steinem, how many times was Jessica Lynch asked what she did wrong? The governement and the public holds her as an American hero, when she admits she did nothing to be a hero and couldn't even fire her rifle.

You should be embarrassed by your attacks.

The Hillary Clinton campaign goes from worse to ridiculous.

I am not supporting McCain, but after the tactics of the Hillary campaign and her constant effort to tear great candidates apart she is the last person I would vote for in this election.

Ms. Steinem's comments are a poor excuse in her role as a feminest. We have two sons in military. Our son-in-law came to America as part of the boat lift from Viet Nam. He married our dauther and they had four sons. Any of them would gladly serve in the Military. My great Uncle died in WWI from mustard gas in France. Who does Ms. Steinem think she is? Her ability to speak freely, citicize our elected gov't is a protect right. However, her criticism of an individual who nearly gave his life for her freedom to say "stupid things" is protected. Be ashamed and embarrassed - Ms. Steinem - you are free to run off at the mouth.

However much of a goose Steinem may be, there's every reason to question the received idea that McCain, Friend of Clinton, is a "war hero" -- in fact, there have long been websites, some run by veterans, devoted to the subject.

The fact that McCain survived military service and was held prisoner in Viet Nam ought to satisfy any soldier-cult requirement for the Republican nomination.

Well, obama----YIKES !!! Maybe you got ONE right! Hillary has never claimed to be a unifier, so I guess that in your view it makes it okay for her to be running a negative campaign designed to split the party at a time when we need to be unifying??

Senator Obama has taken the high road throughout the campaign, even in the face of some truly questionable "Mark Penn" tactics.

it's reported already, clinton immediately rejected the comments - anyone who knows more about clinton than the normal tabloid headlines knows she and mccain are friends. there have been broadcasts previous to this statement by steinman where president clinton while campaigning for hillary has talked about how hillary and john are friends.

>>There are just too many examples to cite, but America will much sooner elect a black man than a woman. Even if Hill doesn't make it, she's inspired millions of girls and young women for the future.

I have to disagree. I'm thinking people would rather vote for a black man than Hilary Clinton.

Hilary is a socialist. Unfortunately, so is Obama, and so is McCain. Regardless of who wins, the US is in big trouble for the next 4 years.

NO, obama----YIKES !!! -- I don't get it. Your reasoning is totally flawed. Give it up.

Hey Steinem: remember Jessica Lynch? She received tons of coverage for being a POW. I do not ever recall McCain getting such coverage during his LONG stay at a Hanoi Hilton. Why the press covers this has-been and out of touch loon and why political parties (well, Dems in this case) court her is beyond me.

to Vickie....

Someone needs to have a nice sit down chat with you about the birds and the bees. You wouldn't be here without a man.

You are clearly one of those women that feels that perceived misogyny must be balanced with definite misanthropy to make things "balanced."

It takes both strong men, and strong women to have a strong and civil society. Tearing down men, like people like you and Steinem do, is not of any benefit to our society.

Gloria is so right!!! I have been deeply disturbed by the media's naysaying of Hillary in this race. So she isn't the best speechgiver. She's been a woman in a man's world since she was a teen hippy politico, who has been fighting for under-served populations her entire life.

Listen to the debates: Hillary is a smart, strong, coherent, action-oriented woman with a plan, yet she is continually harped on by the press: When she was the presumed winner, she was put down as cold, and out of touch, or blamed for her husband's mistakes. Then when she was down, they immediately began predicting the race was over, that advisors were telling her to quit, and that she'll be the ruin of the Democratic Party.

Wake up, America! Watch Tim Russert's face in the last debate when he questioned Hillary about NAFTA. He repeatedly pressed her so hard, that his face blew up like a blow fish or frog. Puh-lees. He then turned to Obama with a much looser style of questioning.

There are just too many examples to cite, but America will much sooner elect a black man than a woman. Even if Hill doesn't make it, she's inspired millions of girls and young women for the future.

I am well into my sixties and I remember Gloria Steinem ranting and raving about women's rights.

However, the only thing she has ever really done is sat in a corner, scream and probably satisfy herself. These may be in the incorrect order.

It is unfortunate that ugly ghosts seem to periodically re-appear.

I believe, Madam Steinem, that someone who is willing to go to war and get shot out of the sky, captured in battle, killed, tortured whathaveyou - whether they be John McCain or Jessica Lynch - show by their actions that they would be willing to give their lives to protect their country.

So, um, yeah, I think that plays into the Personal Caliber part of the equation for "Can You be President or Not". Big Duh.

I don't remember *ANYONE* making comments about Jessica Lynch, or the other POW Shoshana Johnson, saying they "asked" for it, or "did something wrong".

This is part of the slash-and-burn mentality of 60s radicalism, and has no place in this day and age. I don't feel I need to hate men, in order to get ahead. Sorry.

Clinton is loosing because she is *divisive*. If women were *truly* considered weak, there'd not be a single woman in power - but we have Nancy Pelosi as house speaker, Condi Rice as Secretary of State. And someday, as long as it's not Hillary, we will most definitely have a female President. But it will come from *our* generation, who try to work together, rather from Steinem's generation, who only look out for themselves.

Politics as usual knock down your opponent.It wasn't bad enough to watch Hillary play the gender card , whine and display different moods/personalities now she diminishes the worth of those who have been tortured on our behalf.
As a woman I feel Hillary is taking away advances woman have made to date. Why can't she just state her qualifications and STOP tearing her opponents donw with these horrible personal attacks.
We need CNAHGE for sure. After this I pray we will have an OBAMA-MCCAIN civil respectful campaign.
this was a low blow horrible attack. McCain is a decent man and that was just uncalled for remark.

I respect Gloria Steinem for her work in the past as an advocate for women. That being said, I was really angered by her comments yesterday regarding John McCain. John McCain endured extraordinary physical and emotional pain and humiliation during the Vietnam War. He represented his country honorably and has shown character in ways Ms. Steinem could never imagine. Her comments showed her ignorance and did nothing to help Hillary Clinton in the campaign effort. People like John McCain make it possible for Gloria to state her beliefs openly without fear of reprisal. Does she get it?

She has a great point.

Being a prisoner doesn't qualify you to be president. Pity shouldn't play into anyones decision for president of this country.

I remember Steinem when she was making
alot of noise while I was raising six
kids. Where was her "humanity" when she
had an abortion in London. One mixed
up cookie (or is that Kookie) if you
ask me. She denigrated the role of woman
in society. She did not glorify it.

Gloria is a part of the "it takes man-bashing to prove you're really liberated" crowd that preaches swinging the pedulum too far the other way is owed them. It is illogical to overlook that reverse sexism is somehow not still sexism but if you point this out to them, you'll get more of the screaming banchee illogic. As a woman, I have never subscribed to this thinking and I hold them accountable for the damage they have caused our culture.

I am gratified to see Dee Dee Meyer's (ex Clinton press secretary) new book "Why Women Should Rule The World" get mixed reviews and on this same basis-- it's more of that reverse sexism crap as it's opening premise.

You've got to wonder whether having been a Playboy Bunny qualifies Ms. Steinem to comment on the qualifications of a Presidential candidate.

Mac is a hero not because he was shot out of the sky but as a result of his actions in a very, very long time after that. This shows personal fortitude. What character traits so far exhibited can Clinton show? First Lady duties can be exhausting and intimidating. First term senator regimens are also rigorous. Just ask Rocky Obama

obama----YIKES !!! said:
"some of you men, and some of you women, even, will never understand a woman's position, or view.....it's just asking too much for you to DO. Now, there ARE some men who CAN TRY TO understand a woman's view of the world, but they are so few and far between that I can count them on 1 hand....."

I didn't know there was A single woman's position of view. This campaign has already proven that women hold a diversity of positions and views. Senator Clinton has repeated shown a bias for the Gloria Steinem side of positions and views. Remember "I wasn't some little woman 'standing by my man' like Tammy Wynette." and then "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life."

Yes, many women share those views, but don't delegitimize those who don't.

obama----YIKES !!! your views are so slanted as to be comical. I am no McCain supporter, and I do think there are many veterans who have more claim to heroism than pilots and POWs. And McCain's "heroism" and patriotism will only take him so far.

But again, Gloria Steinem is NOT the person to point that out. It's just not her place and she doesn't have the cred.

Women veterans have too long been ingnored, and their contributions minimized. And it is only recently that women are taking more direct major combat-related roles which certainly are being recognized, even as they continue to face stigma and dangers related to their gender.

But transforming women into fighting machines and "heroes" is an unfortunate way to gain equality. I'd rather see us working for peace. The number of Ireq Veterans Against the War who are women is encouraging.

But your inability to see that Gloria Steinem -- who contributed great things to the women's movement back in the day -- is wrong in this instance, is disappointing.

Mara -

I don't think you could have put it any better. I'm disappointed - well, that's an understatement - by Senator McCain's vote on the recent waterboarding bill. I hope he - well, I don't want to use a phrase unacceptable on the forums, but this may be equivalent - reacquires some native courage?

But the issue here, as you point out, is the dismissal of the senator's war record in a ridiculous diatribe that, if Senator Clinton truly had anything to do with authorizing it, will only cripple her campaign. And I will say that I highly doubt she had anything to do with it. She's too busy worrying about Texas and Ohio at the moment, I think, to be concerned with a general election that at this point she is not favored to enter. Additionally, she and Senator McCain appear to be friends - you don't generally hoist shots together in Russia, unless under diplomatic duress, if you don't like the person you're drinking with.

I like Hillary Clinton, and I do not believe she would ever countenance any attack on Senator McCain's war record. I think this was simply a matter of Ms. Steinem displaying boorish and ignorant behavior.

Nope - sorry I'm wrong. Not about McCain - he's a hero and the concept that it's gender-based is silly.

But McCain voted No, not Yes, on the Intelligence Authorization Bill - which effectively gives the CIA the go-ahead on waterboarding. I'd like to see more on this issue and McCain's vote. It looks like a reversal of his honorable, long-standing, and sometimes solitary stand against torture. Call me silly, but the tenets of the Geneva Convention seem more important than anything Gloria has to say.

Ms. Steinem's comments were so far out of line that it's really difficult to justify responding to such childish idiocy. Still, one must.

I have no great love for John McCain's views on a number of issues, but I would never denigrate the service he rendered to this country. He spent 5 1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton, suffering indignities that would have broken lesser men, yet still refused early release when it was offered to him. His military record - and that of his family - is stellar.

Yet here we have Ms. Steinem, cheapening for her readers what should be a universally acknowledged admirable record of service, and in the process making feminism, on the basis of her role as an early icon in that movement, look loony. Women should have equality of opportunity; very few would deny that nowadays. But Ms. Steinem's point is nothing short of ridiculous. A female POW in the Vietnam era would simply not have become one in the same circumstances as did Senator McCain, nor would she have faced the same level of interrogatory intensity.

Ms. Steinem owes Senator McCain an apology. Although I am a lifelong Democrat, I consider her irresponsible comments unacceptable.