Feminists vs. Feminuts

The National Organization for Women's Marcia Pappas just shoved a shiv into Ted Kennedy's gut. Pappas felt the Massachusetts senator had it coming for endorsing Barack Obama for president over Hillary Clinton.

Kennedy has a lengthy legislative record supportive of issues important to women. He is a pro-choice Democrat. Yet Pappas went ballistic, which happens a lot.

In her toxic scold, she called Kennedy's endorsement "a betrayal of women everywhere." Earlier in the race, she claimed Clinton was a victim of bullying tactics reminiscent of schoolyards. Later, she took the analogy up one X-rated notch to claim Clinton was suffering the degradation of the victim of a gang rape.

Yes, fellow Americans, we have a prominent New York feminist to thank for the mental image of a sex crime committed against a woman who may be the next commander in chief. Rush Limbaugh, that great feminist, couldn't have said it better.

Pappas is like Alex, the character that actress Glenn Close played in "Fatal Attraction." After Kennedy's high praise for Obama, it's a wonder he didn't go home to find a rabbit boiling in a pot on his stove. After Pappas' rant, it is easy to understand why independent-minded women, especially college-educated white women, are turning out to vote for Obama over Clinton.

Pappas' scathing rebuke of Kennedy reads like one of those ransom notes composed of letters cut out of a magazine. It is just that dark and creepy.

For some reason, Hillary Clinton seems to attract hysteria. Speaking of Bill … oh, never mind, let's just say that we did and don't. Even rabid right-winger Ann Coulter said she would sooner work for Hillary Clinton than help fellow Republican John McCain get elected.

Hillary Clinton surrounds herself with people who can't zip it — and by that, I mean their mouths — when even the slightest discretion would help her get elected.

She'll never get Bill on a leash, short or long. But she should at least get control of other surrogates whose embarrassing gaffes stick to her mostly because she refuses to apologize for what's been said.

Just like she refuses to apologize for her Iraq war vote, coincidentally.

Pappas is the wrong kind of feminist: the kind who turns off young feminists who reject the feminist label because some in the women's movement display a seamy anti-man side. Some feminists won't even permit diversity within the gender. Don't get me started talking about the racial gap!

Those of Pappas' feminist brand pit women who work outside the home against women who work at home or who gladly call themselves stay-at-home mothers. Shouldn't gender equity apply to childless women as well as mothers in the workplace?

Some feminists believe that choice ought not be limited to reproductive freedom. We believe a woman has the right to choose whomever she wants as president. Women fought for the right to vote, not the right to vote a certain way. War is a women's issue when you consider that those are our babies fighting in an unnecessary war over oil.

The female candidate backed the war. The last man standing did not.

For some people, race and gender are the only things that matter. To the rest of us, character trumps those.

Obama has significant character witnesses who share his audacity of hope. They include Democratic women I respect and admire and who are known for their strength and independence.

Among them: Jean Carnahan, who became the first female senator from Missouri after her dead husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, defeated Republican John Ashcroft at the polls; Kansas City, Mo.'s, Sen. Claire McCaskill, the former state auditor, who is stumping for Obama on the campaign trail and in commercials; Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who recently gave the Democratic national response to President Bush's final State of the Union address.

Finally, there's Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, who publicly passed her father's torch to Obama.

Fear not; even if Clinton loses the nomination, we still will have a feminist in the White House. Two, counting Michelle Obama.

Rhonda Chriss Lokeman (lokeman@kcstar.com) is a columnist for The Kansas City Star. To find out more about Rhonda Chriss Lokeman and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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