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clinton speech

Originally uploaded by l@in.

Today, Joanna and I met up with a friend to go see Hillary Clinton’s final campaign speech at the National Building Museum. We waited in the hot June sun with hundreds of others snaking around the building until we finally got inside. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait in the heat for too long, though we couldn’t see much from the second floor. We did hear the applause for Terry McAuliffe as he arrived and joked amongst ourselves that perhaps Bill had stopped off for a snack at the Burger King nearby as we watched the clock and waited.

Clinton is great speaker. She certainly did not disappoint today as she managed to address the disappointment of her supporters, the historic nature of her campaign, the need for full inclusion in the Democratic Party, and throw her full support under Barak Obama as the presidential nominee in a concise and eloquent manner.

I won’t lie, I’m genuinely sad that she didn’t get the nomination. I believe she is the best candidate for the job. I am also sad that this election will not send the first woman to the White House in a position other than First Lady.

I am, however, heartened by her speech. In hearing it live, as well as having time to reflect while awaiting her arrival I realized that there are important take-aways from her campaign. These points are especially pertinent to me as a woman. It’s difficult to explain, but I do feel that this election process has exposed the very serious cracks in the foundation our nation was built on. Sexism and racism are still present in our collective psyche. They are easy issues to ignore or try and overlook because they’re difficult to deal with. They’re messy, and personal, and emotional, but in order to really deal with them, one must do it head-on. It requires dialog both internal and external. There is no excuse for either, but I do feel as if sexism is easier to ignore. I heard a pundit on tv once I returned home this evening talking about how the idea of a glass ceiling was a “ridiculous” idea. Granted, the man was on Fox news, but I was still shocked that he said it. Shocked that he thought that was an okay comment to make as if months ago almost every news poll was asking the question if America was ready for a female President. They asked the question if we were ready for a black President too, and frankly I’m just kind of appalled that we’ve got to ask the question, even though it’s clear that we do, because we’re not sure about the answer.

Anyway, it’s a lot to process. Seeing Clinton speak this afternoon was inspiring to me. She was confident and gracious and conceded without being defeatist. I think it’s a good lesson. It got me thinking about what I might do to change my thinking about failures, both small and large, and how to work towards success in my own life. I came up with points made in Clinton’s speech today that I think would be helpful to me.

1. It’s okay to be proud and vocal about your accomplishments.

One of the first comments I heard about the speech today while watching the news was that she talked about herself a lot. My first thought was well… yeah, it was about her campaign. But then I really thought about it - she is able to talk about her own accomplishments without being self-aggrandizing. I think that’s important, especially for women, because I think we’re taught to down-play what we do and wait for someone else to congratulate us for our accomplishments, which ultimately, doesn’t do anyone any good.

2. Don’t stop just because other’s think you should.

People have been advocating that Clinton drop out of the race for months. If she had, we may never have seen just how much support was out there. I think it’s a good lesson in not giving up, trying your best, and having faith in yourself and your goals.

3. Just because you fight hard, doesn’t mean you’re going to win.

I think that sums it up. Along with this though, I think it’s easy to assume that because you didn’t win you weren’t good enough to win. In actuality, that’s not always the case.

4. Be thankful.

Clinton was thankful for the opportunity to run for President, for her supporters, her family and friends, and for the opportunities afforded her. It’s cheesy, but it’s easy to forget to be thankful.

5. Be gracious, exhibit grace.

Throughout the campaign, and even before really, I have always been a little amazed at Clinton’s graciousness. The speech she gave today must have been extraordinarily difficult, but she did it very well. I feel as if the ability to do this is born of a little hardship.

But that’s it. It was a good race. Now, time for a Democrat in the White House.

Today is Blogging for LGBT family day.

For me, almost every issue of this nature is both personal and political and the two are ever intertwined. Currently in 31 states there are no legal protections if you’re fired because of your sexual orientation. In numerous states there is no second parent adoption. And yes, kiddies! Virginia is far, far from gay friendly. Usually if you’re not married and applying for a loan where there needs to be a credit check, each individual is required to pay whereas a married couple pays a single fee together. And if you’re gay and married, good luck with those federal taxes.

On a strictly personal level, referring to or not referring to your partner in the workplace is always a fun conundrum. Everyone else seems to have no issue bringing up their husbands, wives, children even when the context is completely inappropriate. Do you take your partner to the holiday party, the company picnic? What if you have kids?

On the upside, California finally did the right thing. New York inches in that direction. And it’s nice to have friends who email you about how cute you and your partner’s kids would be, and at the end of the email realizes - hey wait! You guys can’t have biological children. Because, to her my relationship is completely natural, and she wants to be an auntie.

There’s a great post on Queercents about traveling as a family. Pandagon also has a post up. Hopefully by the end of the day other big feminist blogs will post as well.

This is the best thing ever. Yay, Philly!

City, Scouts battle over discrimination policy

“A battle between Philadelphia and it its local Boy Scouts council is likely to end this month, when the scouts’ lease on their 80-year home at 22nd and Winter Streets runs out May 31.

The building, built and maintained by the scouts over the last 80 years, sits on city property and has previously cost them $1 per year to occupy.

However, if the Philadelphia Boy Scouts council, called Cradle of Liberty, hopes to retain the building, it must agree to pay market rate rent - about $200,000, according to city officials.

At issue is a Boy Scouts’ national policy toward homosexual men, who are barred from serving in leadership positions in the organization…“

Tonight I adapted this awesome recipe for Dark Chocolate Cranberry Blondies and delivered it to Hillary HQ for the volunteers calling voters in Texas and Ohio.

the recipe with my adaptations:

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 kosher salt
1 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cups dried cherries

Lightly grease 8 x8 baking dish.

Melt butter in pan, remove from heat and cool. Stir together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Stir in flour and salt, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain, then add chocolate and dried cherries. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is a light golden brown. If using a 9×13, the brownies may be slightly thinner, so be sure to check them early; it is better to check once or twice than to have overdone blondies.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Again not my recipe, but the way I adapted it. I think it turned out very well.

I made some calls to voters on Saturday, and was amazed that many of the people that I talked to weren’t aware of the so-called Texas “two step” process. Others regretted that they couldn’t make it to the caucus because they had work. What a really screwy system. Regardless, tomorrow should be an exciting day.

Go Hillary.

0225081905.jpg

Originally uploaded by l@in.

Saw Hillary Clinton tonight at Lisner Auditorium on the GW campus and I must say she rocked it.

I am seriously considering campaigning for her in Ohio this weekend.

Recently we watched the first season of 30 Rock, and were really impressed by the show and how funny and well written it is. So we watched Saturday Night Live last night for the first time in I don’t even know how long because Tina Fey was going to be on. We were not disappointed. This was by far the best moment in the show:

What’s John McCain doing right now?

If you know me, you probably know I’m a Hillary supporter. I volunteered for her senatorial campaign until the whole cancer fiasco became too consuming to continue. I waited for her to officially announce her presidential run with great anticipation and was thrilled when she did. I won’t skirt the gender issue - I am extraordinarily excited about a viable female presidential candidate. Especially a Democrat who is wonderfully qualified, erudite, capable and can command campaign dollars. I really thought that the first viable, female presidential candidate would be a Republican. For once I am happy to be wrong.

I could keep gushing, but Dorothy really sums up my enthusiasm and general feelings on the election when she says,

“…your vote will be historic this year. And I’m not trying to influence your vote in any way; that’s your vote and yours alone. In fact, I really like Barack Obama. I’m tremendously moved by his words… if he wins the nomination I will support him 100 percent and put up yard signs and wear pins and vote with gusto. But that doesn’t mean I can’t vote with gusto for Hillary right now.

What has always bothered me about the way these campaigns have been framed is that one is transformational and the other is the same old same old. Certainly, the Clinton name is a standard-bearer in American politics. But why raise one candidate’s “otherness” above another candidate’s? In our nation’s 232-year history there has never been a black man or a woman president. Ever. So why pit them against each other? Both are extraordinary. Both would signal a massive seed change in the culture of our country.”

I’m also excited about Hillary’s recent endorsement by the American Nurses Association, and am of course, looking forward to voting next Tuesday.

…or at least sandwich meat.

Via DCist - have you heard about the sandwich scandal? Of course the congressperson in question is from Indiana.

Shocker!

Joanna thinks that a campaign should be started to send Congressman Souder (R) a grilled (not toasted) sandwich every day. Now, where can I send a campaign donation for that?

When I met Kara Jesella, co-author of How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter to the Greatest Teen Magazine of All Time, at Pete’s monthly party Chuffed! held during the ALA conference and she said she was doing a piece on librarians for the NY Times, I was intrigued. Fluff piece for the style section? Probably. Fun? The odds certainly looked good. And really if I had a dollar for every time someone quipped that I don’t look like a Librarian, I’d be on vacation right now. So while the “hip librarian” thing might be a new cliche, maybe with a true glut of these articles I can stop trying to come up with a reasonably amusing response every time someone comments on my appearance when I tell them my profession.

I am a little surprised by the twitter over the article (pun intended), although I suppose I shouldn’t be. While I will try to maintain, as my friend Carrie (who is also quoted in the article) put it, some emotional distance from the content of a story that I didn’t write, I will say, that as I stated, it’s true that I finally decided on library school after listening to a zine curator at a public library speak. She was passionate and articulate, and worked in Salt Lake City, for the love of God. I saw her at what was once the Underground Publishing Conference which has since morphed into the Allied Media Conference. The conference that year was full of people who were focused on getting information “out there” to people. Among them, naturally, were librarians, library students, and a great many people who recognized the powerful role that librarians can and do play within society. For me it was less, the job sounding “pretty awesome“, but more opening up the possibility of what the job could be. That it could be more than a job, really but perhaps a personal philosophy, of a dedication to putting information in hands where it was necessary, and useful, and in some, albeit extreme, cases life-changing. To supply an abused woman with the information she needs to get help, to give an elderly world-traveler who can no longer fly on a plane an book that will make them forget that they’re in their own living room, to show a student how to get the information they need to write a good paper. That’s cool. That’s hip. And maybe when I’m done I’ll celebrate with a $10 cocktail, because I’m in DC and that’s just how much a cocktail costs when you miss happy hour.

At the end of the day as Kendra notes, the article wasn’t for us, us being library types. Jessamyn points out that,

“As someone who talked to the author of this article at length about politics, I think the problem was that the publishable article was about hipness but the article the author *wanted* to write about was about progressive politics… I agree, fluffy article, but if it can get a little more attention to the leftist aims of some librarians, I’m all for it.“

I couldn’t agree more.