The politics of gender renewed

Posted at 12:16 PM on February 23, 2006 by Bob Collins

There's a little bit of an in-party food fight going on as a result of Sarah Janacek's piece in the Star Tribune today that looked at last-weekend's dust-up over the AFSCME endorsement of Amy Klobuchar, apparently over the objections of some AFSCME members in her office. Specifically she focused on the complaint from the rebellion that Klobuchar is ambitious.

Said Sarah, a Republican, and one of the publishers of Politics in Minnesota:

So much for 40 years of feminism. Women not only have to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan, we also have to look as if we just walked off the set of "Desperate Housewives" while standing over the stove.

And for women running for U.S. Senate, there's a new rule: Don't be too ambitious.

She also referred to the state auditor and secretary of state as "girlie offices," although it seemed clear that she was referring to an earlier point that she made criticizing treatment of Joan Growe by Rudy Boschwitz.

Over to you State Auditor Pat Anderson (courtesy of the blog, Kennedy v. the Machine)

“‘Girlie office’? Sarah didn’t seem to hold that opinion when she was an announced candidate for Secretary of State in ‘98 before withdrawing for personal reasons.”

“Historically, the State Auditor position has been held by men. I am just the second woman to hold the office which is responsible for oversite of over $20B. Regardless of gender, the State Auditor position requires a unique toughness as you are required to make sure public monies are being spent properly.”

Putting my feet up and turning up the sound.

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