With Olympia Snowe's surprise vote this week during the passing of the Senate Finance Committee's health care reform legislation, conservative pundits are taking any sexist shots they can at a woman with power who, like, uses it. Media Matters has a good round up, which are pretty ridiculous:
Savage dubs Snowe "Jezebel." After airing a clip of Snowe discussing her vote, Savage played a portion of the song "Jezebel" by Frankie Laine that included the lyrics, "If ever the devil was born without a pair of horns, it was you. Jezebel, it was you." Savage added, "Jezebel is Olympia Snowe. Of course she has thrown over with the turncoats who have stabbed America in the back, dragging us into a socialized medical system against the will of the majority of the American people." [Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation, 10/13/09]Limbaugh: The "voice of the new castrati, those who have lost all manhood, gonads, guts, and courage" applaud Snowe for health care reform support. Anticipating that Snowe was "going to vote yes" on the Finance Committee's health care reform bill, Limbaugh attacked Snowe by praising the "bipartisanship" of the bill using "the voice of the new castrati." Limbaugh described the "new castrati" as "those who have lost all manhood, gonads, guts, and courage throughout our culture and our political system." Limbaugh has previously described the "new castrati" as supporters of Hillary Clinton. [Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show, 10/13/09]
Not to mention Jim Quinn dedicated the Garbage song, "Stupid Girl" to Snowe and Limbaugh referred to Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins by saying, "'Women, damn it.'"
And I doubt this is the end of it. Misogynists, damn it.
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Rush Limbaugh? Making a sexist comment? Noooo...
The New Castrati would be an awesome name for a band. I don't know why, but I giggled out loud when I read that phrase. How a supposedly mature adult and alleged professional can utter the phrase in public, let alone on air, without cracking up is beyond my comprehension.
"And I don't doubt this is the end of it."
You mean you doubt this is the end of it? Or...?
It's a real shame that mud-slinging and misogyny are still socially acceptable. Also, maybe it's 'cause I'm a Canadian but I can't manage being against nationalized health care. It's clearly progress. Of course I'm one of those crazy people who thinks food, water, shelter, medical care, and internet access should be guaranteed rights...
Wasn't the vote not even a tie-breaking vote? In other words, wasn't the bill out of committee whether she voted yea or nay?
In other words, I don't think this was so much about how she "sold out" the Republicans by crossing the line than it was that these misogynist assholes saw an opportunity to scream at a woman and they pounced.
In other words, I don't think this was so much about how she "sold out" the Republicans by crossing the line than it was that these misogynist assholes saw an opportunity to scream at a woman and they pounced.
I agree. I've always truly admired Olympia Snowe. She's ALWAYS been known for having little patience for partisanship, so it's not like it's some huge surprise that she broke from Republican ranks during this vote in order to Get Things Done for her constituents. She's someone that people know is necessary to have around in order to negotiate and break up stalemates.
I agree - while I certainly don't always agree with Sen. Snowe, or her colleague from Maine, Sen. Collins, I do admire them for what they do ... being that rare creature known as a moderate pro-choice Republican, especially in these times of the increased hunkering-down of the far right.
As obnoxious as Limbaugh and Savage are, I hope she doesn't let them get to her. The proof is in the pudding - the people of Maine keep sending her back.
If she'd voted against it, the result would have been 13-10. The bill was held up for weeks and watered down substantially to get her vote. The obstructionist Republicans should applaud her.
Exactly. I'm not sure how anyone is getting the idea that she is radical or turning to the dark liberal side. It seems that her support was more strategic to pass a bill, in the senate, that still doesn't include a public option. She has a lot of influence as a republican since the democrats want bipartisan support for the bill.
I'm so sick of these debates over health care. Too many people in the population need health care today, not months from now!
"...dragging us into a socialized medical system against the will of the majority of the American people."
Pretty sure the majority of Americans actually want health care reform. Still pisses me off that people use the term socialized medicine. Here's an idea...Congress' health care is paid for by tax payers. Let's stop paying for it and see how pissed they all get...or better yet, make them pay for their own damn health care and see how much reform really is needed.
Garbage songs should be used by teenagers, not political commentators... Wtf.
Go ahead guys, have the teabags to drive Snowe out of the party. You need her a lot more than she needs you.
No offense to those women with Republican sensibilities and allegiances, but why do you want to be in a party with idiots like this? If they were just the voice of the cranks, that would be one thing, but the party uses them as some sort of extension of themselves and cowtows to their viewpoints.
I'm a democrat, but if you look at it from a pure power perspective, she has a lot more power as a moderate R in the minority party than as a D. She has tons of influence because the D's want her vote so much.
You know, it kind of offends me when people dismiss any guy who does anything offensive as being "insecure" or whatever. But then Rush Limbaugh gets up on his high horse (a gelding, one assumes) and shouts about Snowe castrating the country (or... something, it's kind of hard to follow), and I find it hard to argue the point.
I think it's worth noting that "Jezebel" is a term used specifically by patriarchal Christians to describe women who are rebellious or non-submissive in any way. Savage isn't just picking a random insult--he's using the terminology of a specific, very dangerous faction within conservative Christianity. (Note that many, many Christians abhor such attitudes.)
I think it's worth noting that "Jezebel" is a term used specifically by patriarchal Christians to describe women who are rebellious or non-submissive in any way. Savage isn't just picking a random insult--he's using the terminology of a specific, very dangerous faction within conservative Christianity. (Note that many, many Christians abhor patriarchy and calling strong-willed women Jezebels.)