Becky Burgwin
Pat Buchanan came right out and said it. When asked how Teresa Heinz-Kerry's retort to an editor of the Tribune Review compares to our VP telling Patrick Leahy, "Go F**K yourself," on the senate floor"Buchanan actually had the gall to say, "Well, an argument between two guys is understandable. But this woman needs to be watched. You know she has this huge fortune and she's uppity and Americans need to keep an eye on her. She'll come off in stark contrast to Laura Bush." Boy, that may be the smartest thing he's ever said. She'll come off as a stark contrast to Laura Bush. She'll come off in stark contrast to Laura Bush alright. A talking parrot would come off in stark contrast to Laura Bush. My cat, Dewey, would come off in stark contrast to Laura Bush. A Stepford wife would come off in stark contrast to Laura Bush"well, you get the idea.
And if I have to listen to Chris Matthews ask one more person what they think of Teresa Kerry's comment, I am going to throw something at the television. I think I'm finally convinced once and for all that he is a hack and really doesn't have much to add to the political landscape right now. She was talking to a reporter from the Tribune Review, Chris. You know, The Tribune Review"owned by Richard Mellon Scaife. Earlier, you asked the women senators, "If Bill Clinton was such a good president, why was he impeached?" I have three words for you"RICHARD-MELLON-SCAIFE. Richard Mellon Scaife is a very dangerous man and he bankrolled the vast right wing conspiracy against Bill Clinton. Teresa has been misquoted and harassed by this newspaper for over 20 years. What she said was funny and insulting and not foul or dirty. She, unlike our current VP, has class.
If MSNBC can't be trusted not to flog something like this to death when we're on the eve of the most important election in the country's history, then we're in a lot of trouble. The American media seems to have evolved into a useless institution that is completely incapable of separating the wheat from the chaff. This is very scary.
Teresa has used her money and her brains and her heart consistently for good, for the environment, for those less fortunate and to keep the image of America as a giving, honest and altruistic country alive. DO NOT LET THE MEDIA TEAR HER APART. Don't listen when they say "Beware. She's a powerful, outspoken women with money." Tell everyone within earshot that this is 2004 and that powerful, outspoken women are not called bitches anymore. They're called Governor, Chief Executive Officer, Senator, Supreme Court Justice and, yes, kick ass fighters. Pop culture is full of tough women. Hermione in Harry Potter"the smartest, the toughest and the bravest. Buffy"one tough cookie and the leader of this trend, our hero, Sigourney Weaver.
Just like Teresa, we're brave. We're smart. We're tough and we're fearless.
If you can name one of the most onerous things that this administration is doing to weaken this country and the world at large, it's their war against women. But here's the good news. Women are a much larger voting block than stupid white men. And guess what? We don't need no stinkin' reporters telling us what we can and cannot say.
Teresa Heinz-Kerry is going to be a beacon to women, their daughters and our country. Watch carefully as the male dominated media tries to tear her down and let it piss you off. Let it move you to action. Help as many women as you can get registered to vote and guarantee them that life under John Kerry will be a chance for women to keep the equality they've so honestly earned and guarantee them that their intelligence will be respected, their medical choices will be respected, their power will be respected and their needs will be respected. If not, like Teresa Kerry, we may just have to start kicking some ass.
Ms. Burgwin's writings have appeared in Time, Newsweek, New York Magazine, Counterpunch, Alternet and OpEdNews as well as several other online Op Ed sites. She is on the Board of Aid Afghanistan and one of the contributors to the Peace Project in Assisi, Italy. Send questions, comments, and critiques to rburgwin@aol.com.
