US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard, Iraq War veteran:
US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, someone who truly fights assaults in the military:
US Senator Kamala Harris, former criminal prosecutor:
A word on Kamala, who I do know. Who you sleep with is no one's business -- unless you get a job out of it. If you get a government job out of it -- and she did when she slept with my friend Willie Brown -- it is an issue. Especially when the salary is being paid by taxpayers who do not know that someone is putting their girlfriend on the public payroll. It's an issue if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez puts her boyfriend on her staff is she does so in secret. In terms of Kamala, it wasn't done in public and many people wanted that job but were not sleeping with Willie Brown. It looks unethical and part of ethics is avoiding even the appearance of a conflict of interest. It is an issue and people should ask her about it. Claiming otherwise is justifying people being hired based on whom they sleep with. This does not mean that Kamala is not qualified for office -- or that she's not qualified for the office of the president. Every adult has made mistakes. It does mean that she needs to be asked out it, she needs to be asked what she's learned and what she'd do differently. We all make mistakes, we all grow.
ADDED: "It's an issue if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez puts her boyfriend on her staff is she does so in secret.." If she does so in secret? Yes. If she is open about it, no problem. Her staff needs to be people she trusts. Presumably, she trusts someone she's sleeping with. Consider that a form of nepotism and note that there are members of Congress who have multiple relatives on their Congressional staff. The difference with Kamala is that she had a clandestine (hidden) affair that resulted in a government job (wasn't the salary $70,000 a year?) for which many people were competing. From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES in 1994:
Brown, exercising his power even as his speakership seems near an end, named attorney Kamala Harris to the California Medical Assistance Commission, a job that pays $72,000 a year.
Harris, a former deputy district attorney in Alameda County, was described by several people at the Capitol as Brown's girlfriend. In March, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen called her "the Speaker's new steady." Harris declined to be interviewed Monday and Brown's spokeswoman did not return phone calls.
Harris accepted the appointment last week after serving six months as Brown's appointee to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, which pays $97,088 a year. After Harris resigned from the unemployment board last week, Brown replaced her with Philip S. Ryan, a lawyer and longtime friend and business associate.
To imply that these appointments were inappropriate is to note reality. She received two high paying posts that others were competing for and did so while sleeping with Willie. This appears to be a huge conflict of interest. Kamala is a powerful speaker who can speak to this topic and does not need to be 'protected' from it. She's seeking the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party.
US Senator Amy Klobucher,former criminal prosecutor, supported war on Libya said to support the Anti-Boycott Act but I'm not seeing that support (Kirsten Gillibrand did originally support that act but then withdrew her support for it), you can see bills that Amy sponsored and supported by clicking here:
- “How do you pay for [addiction recovery programs]? Well, I’ve got a good start. And that is, why don’t we pay for it by getting money from the very drug companies that got people addicted in the first place.” — Sen. Amy Klobuchar #KlobucharTownHall
- “On my first day as President, I will sign us back into the International Climate Agreement.” — Sen. Amy Klobuchar #KlobucharTownHall
Marianne Williamson, best selling author, business entrepreneur, citizen advocate, co-founder of The Peace Alliance, founder of Centers for Living and for Project Angel Food.
- In order to fundamentally dismantle systems of injustice, we need to understand where they come from, how they operate, and what part of ourselves subconsciously conspires. #marianne2020
- I will be talking at Harvard Divinity School tonight on reparations for slavery and the role of repentance in national politics. The talk will be live-streamed… https://www.instagram.com/p/BuEM7fIgDOq/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1bkp1bzasjfmi …
- Prosperity and peace do not emerge from sources outside ourselves; they emerge when we unleash the spirit and creativity and genius of human beings. #marianne2020 https://www.instagram.com/p/BuESzbmgeDm/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1ajmexj56w4h1 …
- We need to do a whole lot more than simply elevate the conversation; we need to elevate America... https://www.instagram.com/p/BuC-NVQgfse/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1uhzhpiivex35 …
I know Marianne and consider her a friend. I was not aware until today that she was being attacked and ignored by the press. To right that wrong, we'll include more than two Tweets from her.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren, former college professor and former Republican:
- In many states, child care is more expensive than in-state college tuition. Under my plan for #UniversalChildCare, child care would be free for nearly 9 million kids. And no family would pay more than 7% of their income for child care.
- My plan for #UniversalChildCare would build off the success of Head Start to create a network of high-quality child care options. Federal funding would guarantee every family has access to high-quality, affordable care for kids from birth to kindergarten.
Every one of those women will bring something to the stage in a debate. Each one will also raise the national understanding about experience. (Ava and I addressed the way women's experiences are devalued by society in "Katie was a cheerleader.") For example, one more Tweet from Elizabeth:
When my kids were little, I struggled to find good, reliable, and affordable child care. It felt like an impossible task then – and it still is for many families. That’s why I’m proposing a new plan for #UniversalChildCare.
Get it. Women's experiences are as valid as men's experiences, they are shaped by the world we live in and they can help address wrongs that are otherwise ignored.
