Clark discusses women's rights, affirmative action

[Soul On Ice]

The head of the federal Commission on Civil Rights and several other prominent women endorsed retired general and presidential hopeful Wesley Clark on Sunday as he restated his support for affirmative action and women's rights.

snip

Mary Frances Berry, head of the federal Commission on Civil Rights, got a standing ovation from the crowd after she made a brief speech in support of Clark.

"I've dealt with presidents all the way back to Tricky Dick," she said, referring to former president Richard Nixon. "When I talk to (Clark) and when I listen to him, I can see him as a president for all Americans."



http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-01-05-clark-women_x.htm

[Soul On Ice]

1. Do you remember Mary Frances Berry?

During the hearings on the Floriduh selection, she was nothing short of fantastic!

This is serious stuff coming from a woman of her integrity and stature!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. Is she the lady who gave those awesome speeches?

I "think" I know who she is.

[Soul On Ice]

14. She has given good speeches, but

I remember her now so much for the way she handled those hearings.

She's an academic, has written books, is very very progressive and an all-around great woman.

If you're interested, google Mary Frances Berry and I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised!

[Soul On Ice]

15. Okay, I couldn't stand it.

Here's a couple of sites (you should see all the R/W 'hate sites' devoted to her)


http://rules.senate.gov/hearings/2001/062701_berry.htm

http://www.africanpubs.com/Apps/bios/0718BerryMary.asp

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. Pleasantly surprised? Holy cow!

What a biography! She quite a lady!

This excerpt from her Biography says a lot about her and what she had to go through with Reagan. You know, that man the RWer's just adore? :puke: Jimmy Carter appointed her! He's one of my favorite presidents. :)

APPOINTED TO U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
In 1980 President Carter appointed Berry to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a bipartisan agency that monitors the enforcement of civil rights laws. Along with Berry, he appointed Blandina Cardenas Ramirez and commissioned a massive affirmative action study. In doing so, Carter planted "many seeds ... that would later grow to entangle the commission in turmoil under Reagan" theorized James Reston, Jr., in Rolling Stone. When the affirmative action study was published, it supported setting goals and timetables for correcting historic discrimination of blacks and women, particularly in the workplace.

In his 1980 presidential campaign, Reagan had spoken against affirmative action, and the newly published study put him in an uncomfortable position. According to Reston, the Commission on Civil Rights was viewed by Reagan and his staff as "a pocket of renegades that needed to be cleaned out." Reston continued: "Reagan wanted his own people everywhere, and no agency--regardless of ... its historic independence and bipartisanship--escaped attention." In 1984, Reagan attempted to fire Berry, a registered Independent, along with Democrat Ramirez and another Democratic commissioner.

In the Washington Post, Berry expressed her frustration over Reagan's attempt to remove members of the commission who disagreed with his viewpoints. She felt that his actions reduced the U.S. Civil Rights Commission from "watchdog of civil rights" to "a lapdog for the administration." Berry and Ramirez successfully sued Reagan in a federal court and retained their seats on the commission. Berry became known as "the woman the president could not fire." Joan Barthel wrote in Ms. that Berry's "convictions her clinging stubbornly to her outcast's seat on the commission." Berry responded: "I tell the happiest day of my life was when Reagan fired me.... I was fired because I did what I was supposed to do. His firing me was like giving me an A and saying `Go to the head of the class.'"


She sued Reagan!!! AND won! AWESOME! :bounce: :bounce: I DO like this lady and I will definitely keep an eye out for her from now on. Thank You for the links. You were right, she's an amazing woman.

on edit...I forgot to say.....I'm THRILLED that she has endorsed Clark! :7 This is awesome...thanks for the thread!

[DakotaDemocrat]

2. Keep on going, General!

While others are sniping and shooting from the hip, you keep on the issues and bring up new things to advance your campaign to the American people.

Thank you for your support, Mary Frances Berry, and thank you what you've done for this country!

[Soul On Ice]

3. Frankly, I find this most interesting.

There was a thread earlier demanding to know of someone who is truly progressive who supports Clark.

I provide one.

Save for one kind soul, the response is deafening silence.

Guess they actually thought no true leftie could like Clark. Well, I do and so does Ms. Berry...and lots of others.

I wonder if that person and supporters will just ignore this thread altogether...

Oh, well.

[Lurking Dem]

4. kick

:kick:

[maxanne]

6. it's a shame

that information can't be provided here without making asides to supporters of other candidates. This could have been a nice, positive thread.

[Soul On Ice]

11. I know how you feel

I really thought it was bad form for that other person to presume no progressive would ever back Clark.

[maxanne]

12. but it's not

bad form for you to carry a grudge to another thread?

[Soul On Ice]

20. Lighten up

I wasn't 'carrying a grudge'.

If I could find the other thread, I would have posted this there.

After being so stomped on there, I thought an endorsement by one of the most left-wing democrats in the country might have caught the person who challenged me and s/he might have weighed in.

No big deal. There are plenty of other places to continue your flame wars. You don't like Clark? Why keep coming back to this thread?

[maxanne]

21. Oh, I get it

I call you on your behavior and I'm initiating a flame war? Kindly reread my first post - any of my posts - and tell me where I've said anything remotely resembling a flaming. :eyes:

[Soul On Ice]

22. If you look at your post before this

that I am responding to now, you are not so subtley referring to a rule here. If I had done what you obliquely referred to, I would have been guilty of breaking that rule. I had not done that.

You played a type of political game very reminiscent of your candidate's and trying to wreck this thread is not nice either.

It's too bad there is so much animosity from a lot of the people who support Dean on DU because we are all going to evenually have to come back together and I certainly do not want anything to prevent that from happening.

[maxanne]

23. Again

You're blaming me for your behavior. Sorry - I'm not buying.

As for your saccarine "come back together" statements - ha! Ha! Ha!
Looking at my posts and yours, who is engaging in candidate bashing?
*HINT* - it's not me.

[xultar]

5. Welcome Soul on Ice...Xultar AKA Turra What

does Soul on Ice mean?

You in Alaska?
You Ice Skate?
Ice Fish?
Cold?
Hockey?

[Soul On Ice]

13. Ah

In the late 1960's, there was a man by the name of Eldridge Cleaver. He belonged to an organization called The Black Panthers. His first book was called "Soul On Ice". I figure my soul is on ice until something good starts happening for our country...and he wrote it some 35 years ago! uh oh Then, if you check out my sig line, that kind of fits in as well.

But, to be specific, I think when equal treatment is denied, part of you goes dormant but not dead: hence, 'soul on ice'.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. wow ok thanks Soul on Ice...i didn't know you had posted this

[Lurking Dem]

8. From the article...

"As president of the United States, I'm going to stand up for choice, and I'm going to make sure we protect women's reproductive rights," he said to enthusiastic applause.


This is so vitally important I can't even express it. Let me just say I once had to cross a picket line with pictures of supposedly aborted third trimester fetuses for a D & C after my 5th miscarriage so I feel very strongly about this issue.

I am a firm supporter of General Clark. That said, whoever the Democratic candidate might be after the Primary, we have to get the current asshole out of office or we are doomed!

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. Well,

then beware of Dean. He REFUSES to make pro-choice a litmus test for judges he appoints to the federal benches. WHY NOT? I have NEVER gotten an answer to that question. Anyone who is pro-choice should be wary of that stance. JMCPO

[Larkspur]

16. With 3 weeks to go and a gender chasm as wide as the Grand Canyon

I guess Clark finally figured out that he needed to do something to address that glaring hole in his support. Will it be too late, too little for Clark on the gender gap issue?

[Soul On Ice]

18. Oh, now, why'd you have to spoil

a happy little thread.

BTW, Clark never had a gender gap.

Do you like Dean's temper tantrums? Exciting for you?

[Larkspur]

27. What temper tantrums?

I love Dean's empowering language and his torrid critique of Bush's policies that are ripping off America. That language gets me excited and motivates me to help Dean's campaign in NH, where I was yesterday (Manchester), and brave going out to meet undecided voters with temperatures starting at -4 degress to a high of +8 degress.

[maxanne]

19. I think it will be in NH

Larkspur. Dean's been here since last spring speaking about his views on choice and equality for women - and those views were very persuasive to the women in my state.

[Jerseycoa]

17. I am so happy about this

:bounce:

[MoonRiver]

24. What a wonderful endorsement!

Mary Frances Berry is a true patriot who attacked the dark forces following Theft 2000, long after all the Dem wimps in Congress had bent over in submission to His Lowness.

:toast:

[Clark4VotingRights]

25. This is one of Clark's best endorsements.

He will continue to earn such endorsements.
He's serious about civil rights and voting rights.