Stand by your man

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Counterpunch Weekend Edition
May 22 / 23, 2004

Feminists Stand By Their Man
Abortion, Judges and Kerry
By BRANDY BAKER

The thought of anti-abortion zealots winning appointments to the Supreme
Court under a Bush presidency was the one factor that terrified many
into staying the course with the Democratic Party in 2000. Voters, many
with pinched noses and sick stomachs, pulled the lever for Al Gore and
the idea of Roe V. Wade being overturned has motivated many to promise
support for John Kerry this November.

On Wednesday, John Kerry told the Associated Press that he was open to
the idea of appointing anti-abortion judges "as long as it doesn't lead
to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade."1

All hell would be breaking loose right now if Ralph Nader said something
like this. The leaders of the feminist movement were ready to tar,
feather, and run Nader out of DC when he blundered and proposed that if
Roe V. Wade were overturned, abortion would be protected because the
decision would go back to the states. Elizabeth Cavendish, Interim
President of NARAL Pro-Choice America has only this to say about Kerry's
statements: "There's a huge difference between Bush and Kerry on choice
and this is not going to undermine the pages-long documentation that
Kerry is pro-choice."2 Yes, Nader was wrong to say what he said in 2000,
and no, he is not perfect, but what many do not know (and what the
mainstream feminist movement will not tell you) is that Ralph Nader
recently signed to NOW's platform of political, social, and economic
rights for women.3 Kerry has not. And not long before Kerry told all of
us that he was no redistribution democrat, Nader spoke up for cleaning
people4: a segment of the workforce that is overrepresented by women and
people of color. Cleaning people only are noticed if someone is unhappy
with their work.

The problem is that we have a single issue women's movement that is not
equipped to address the collective oppression of women who are on the
lower rungs of the economic ladder because the movement restrains itself
with blind support for the Democratic Party. Ralph Nader knows that
abortion is not the only concern of the majority of this country's
women, which is why he will stick up for those who clean the houses of
the limozine liberals who are campaigning the hardest for Kerry.

Despite the fact that we won Roe V. Wade under the anti-choice Nixon
administration and we did not have abortion providers in over 85% of all
counties under Clinton, many see a Democratic Party presidency vital to
securing abortion rights. Kerry's statements kill the myth we are
guaranteed pro-abortion judges if he becomes president, it also kills
the other argument that ABBers have been promoting: you know, the one
that claims that we can build a movement after we get a Democrat in
office and that Democrat will do all of the right stuff. John Kerry said
that he would be open to appointing anti-abortion judges to the Supreme
Court only 24 days after what many have said was the largest
demonstration in American history. Movements work, but the two party
system does not.

1 CNN.com. "Abortion advocates stand by Kerry"

2 ibid.

3 Nader Supports Economic, Social and Political Rights for Women

4 Ralph Nader Urges: Celebrate National Cleaners Day

Brandy Baker can be reached at: bbaker@xxxxxxxxx

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