This quote from my governor makes me so proud to be a Pennsylvanian Democrat...not.

Campbell Brown continues to rock. Actual, substantive discussion of how sexism is built into the economy! As gratifying as it is rare.

Now, we need Ed Rendell to say, "I heard what she said, and I admit when I'm wrong. The great qualifications that Governor Napolitano brings to the job include a tremendous work ethic, but that's not because she has no family. It's because, like other hard-working public servants, men and women, with and without families, she's willing to work hard to serve her country."

How about it, Ed? Do you admit when you're wrong?

Well, no.
Janet may have been the object of this particular comment but the comment is commonly directed at single people or people without children. I can state for a fact that as a single, childless male expectations of my availablity to work is different than those of my peers who are married with children.

Love the handle (not everyone reads Malian epics) Sondjata, but it is sexist. While you may be correct about expectations of you as a single person, people rarely if ever mention a man's marital status as an actual qualification for a job. Think about the two previous holders of this position (including the current one). They are both MARRIED and they both HAVE CHILDREN. Are they unqualified as a result? Nope, because they are men.

Laurylen: Though you are quite correct that odds are against such a comment being made about a man (at least in public), The statement is not sexist in the context of the conversation unless you choose to make it so. As I said, whether said publicly or privately single people of any gender are in fact expected to have more time available to work because of a lack of a "home life." it would have been entirely different (and possibly illegal) had the comment been about how she was unqualified because she may decide to have a baby, get pregnant and go on leave. Or if a comment had been made that was specifically related to her gender. There is no such gender specific language used in the clip. Therefore IMHO it cannot be said to be sexist, even if we can agree that it is inappropriate.

The assumption that people without spouses and/or children have no lives is particularly grating and ignorant.
Wouldn't a person without kids to take care of have MORE time for other stuff (i.e. "a life")? To be sure, I don't think your marital or reproductive status says anything re: whether or not you have a life, but if we're gonna dissect it honestly...

Campbell Brown so rules.

Sondjata, you don't understand how sexism works. If the question is raised often about women but rarely about men, it's sexist every time because it's a structural dynamic used to hold women back.

It's like using unnecessary physical strength requirements to keep people out of jobs: there will be women that can pass them, and there will be men who can't, but those requirements will systematically disadvantage women; and that's not an accident, that's in fact why they were often imposed in the '60s and '70s -- as a way to keep women out of jobs.

If we only recognize sexism when people say outright that they are motivated by sexism, we're just encouraging sexists to use code.

I think an early FUCK YEAH is in order for Campbell.

so, YEAH!!!

She is so awesome.

bleh. i live in arizona, and this sort of shit has been thrown at gov. napolitano for YEARS. last time, it was a backhanded way of "accusing" her of being lesbian....supposedly a woman "without a family and children...HINT HINT HINT...." couldn't ***possibly*** understand the needs of families and children. she has neither confirmed or denied (she said something to the effect that she was in love with her work), but it's pretty much assumed here that she is a lesbian. so this isn't just sexist, it's also probably homophobic.

the hilarious part is that gov. napolitano is one of the most popular governors in the country and in arizona history, and is really well-known for her work forwarding education in arizona.

man, i am going to miss gov. napolitano SO BAD. our new governor is an anti-choice looney tune. WAAAH!

Thomas: I'm sorry do I know you? Do we have some sort of familiar relationship where you would know whether or not I know how sexism works? I thought not.

Your statement is wrong. THAT a statement is made most often in reference to women rather than men is a SEXIST phenomenon. that THIS statement in fact applies to single and childless people makes it discriminatory to those in that situation regardless of gender.

You MAY conclude that the statement was made in a "coded" way to make a statement on the governor's gender. That's your opinion but that doesn't make the statement as recorded in and of itself sexist anymore than commenting on the relative high rate of crime in poor black neighborhoods is racist simply for being stated.

Now If you want to take it further consider this:
How many high power executives or governmental officials of either gender have resigned in order to "spend more time with my family" (assuming they meant it)? How many of the same have had families disintegrate due to dedication (or obsession) with their employment? Knowing the answer to this it is quite reasonable to make a comment about the relative "freedom" to "concentrate" on one's job that being single and childless confers.

My point being we have a snippet (kind of like that photo of Obama supposedly snubbing Hillary Clinton's handshake) of which an assumption has been made about intent. Just because I do not share that assumption does not mean that I "don't know how sexism works." I'm not sure how you came to feel entitled to judge someone you don't know as not knowing "how sexism works." but I suggest you re-evaluate your own "structural dynamic" for a disposition of entitlement.

It's kind of a peculiar comment given the fact that Ed Rendell's wife Midge is a Federal Appeals Court Judge. It's not like she's been unable to dedicate time and energy to her job due to the existence of Ed and their son.

SEXISM. period.
double-standard. ew, but true.

I'm not so sure this is a clear cut case of sexism. The first person nominated (Bernard Kerik) withdrew from nomination because he employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny. Tom Ridge ( The next director) resigned his position saying, "After more than 22 consecutive years of public service, it is time to give personal and family matters a higher priority". Lastly, Michael Chertoff, a family man, is criticized frequently as being a failure.

If the statement from the governor was said with these people in mind, I would tend to think it is a "single v. married" statement.

Campbell Brown is AWESOME.

Gov. Rendell's statement is offensive on a couple of different levels.

It is assumed that upon marriage, women become the caretakers of their family, which becomes their "other job". Men do not have this responsibility automatically put on their shoulders following marriage; their assumed role is to advance their career, work hard, and be a good provider.

As an example, these assumptions became evident during Sarah Palin's vice presidential bid. I recall many people making the comment that she should have been home taking care of the new baby instead of running for VP/holding public office.

The assumption that Gov. Rendell is making is that since Napolitano is not married and has no children, thus no family to take care of, she can spend every waking minute of her day devoted to her work as AG. (His statement also assumes that she needs only 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night, which isn't healthy for anybody).

In making that statement, Rendell is implying that a married woman could not provide that same level of work committment than could a single woman or a man, both of whom are free from the responibilities of managing a family.

So yeah, he manages to be both sexist and offensive to people without children.

What bothers me about this video is that no one seems to care that the workplace obviously doesn't value work/family balance for fathers. Why should women want the same treatment as men in this regard? My uncle used to work at the White House and he had to quit because it sucked his time away from his young son. It was such a big deal for a man to choose family over work that newspapers wrote about his decision. We, as women, are not going to enjoy an equal partnership at home until men can make time for their families and still be considered "team players" and "on the make." We shouldn't be asking for the right to work harder and longer than we can reasonably bear.

What bothers me about this video is that no one seems to care that the workplace obviously doesn't value work/family balance for fathers. Why should women want the same treatment as men in this regard? My uncle used to work at the White House and he had to quit because it sucked his time away from his young son. It was such a big deal for a man to choose family over work that newspapers wrote about his decision. We, as women, are not going to enjoy an equal partnership at home until men can make time for their families and still be considered "team players" and "on the make." We shouldn't be asking for the right to work harder and longer than we can reasonably bear.

What bothers me about this video is that no one seems to care that the workplace obviously doesn't value work/family balance for fathers. Why should women want the same treatment as men in this regard? My uncle used to work at the White House and he had to quit because it sucked his time away from his young son. It was such a big deal for a man to choose family over work that newspapers wrote about his decision. We, as women, are not going to enjoy an equal partnership at home until men can make time for their families and still be considered "team players" and "on the make." We shouldn't be asking for the right to work harder and longer than we can reasonably bear.

What bothers me about this video is that no one seems to care that the workplace obviously doesn't value work/family balance for fathers. Why should women want the same treatment as men in this regard? My uncle used to work at the White House and he had to quit because it sucked his time away from his young son. It was such a big deal for a man to choose family over work that newspapers wrote about his decision. We, as women, are not going to enjoy an equal partnership at home until men can make time for their families and still be considered "team players" and "on the make." We shouldn't be asking for the right to work harder and longer than we can reasonably bear.

What bothers me about this video is that no one seems to care that the workplace obviously doesn't value work/family balance for fathers. Why should women want the same treatment as men in this regard? My uncle used to work at the White House and he had to quit because it sucked his time away from his young son. It was such a big deal for a man to choose family over work that newspapers wrote about his decision. We, as women, are not going to enjoy an equal partnership at home until men can make time for their families and still be considered "team players" and "on the make." We shouldn't be asking for the right to work harder and longer than we can reasonably bear.

eek! sorry! I don't know what happened! I only pressed the button twice!