Reforming Womens' Rights?

W's newest crusade seems to be improving his image to the Muslim world. As I read Dowd's latest from Saturday's NY Times, I learned that he's appointed Super Spinner Karen Hughes to the post.

W. thinks so highly of Ms. Hughes, his longtime Texas political nanny, spinner, speechwriter and ghostwriter, that he put his Lima Green Bean, as he called her when she prodded him about the environment, in charge of the critical effort to salvage America's horrendous image in the Islamic world - even though what she knows about Islam could fit in a lima green bean. Why get any Muslims involved in reaching out to Muslims? That would be so matchy.

The real role for the newly minted ambassador hasn't been defined yet, but so far it looks as if Ms. Hughes's first priority will be to take her spinning skills, honed for W. in 2000 and 2004, to improve his image, and his policies' image, on a global scale.

Just as she retooled Bush as "a reformer with results" and a "compassionate conservative," Ms. Hughes plans to inundate Muslims with the four E's: "engagement, exchanges, education and empowerment."

And on Thursday he had this to say:

The way to defeat our enemies' "hateful ideology," he said, is to offer an ideology "that says to young girls, you can succeed in your society, and you should have a chance to do so." He also said, "Hopefully, the drafters of the constitution understand our strong belief that women ought to be treated equally in the Iraqi society."

Riiight, women ought to be treated equally... How about telling that to the #3 Repug Rick Sanitorium.

In his new book It Takes A Family, Santorum outlines how he believes a womans' place is in the home, you know, taking care of the kids she's required to spit out. From an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

"In far too many families with young children, both parents are working, when, if they really took an honest look at the budget, they might find they don't both need to," Santorum writes.

Many women, he adds, have told him that it is more "socially affirming to work outside the home than to give up their careers to take care of their children."

That ideology, he says, has been shaped by feminists who demean the work of women who stay at home as primary caregivers.

"What happened in America so that mothers and fathers who leave their children in the care of someone else -- or worse yet, home alone after school between three and six in the afternoon -- find themselves more affirmed by society? Here, we can thank the influence of radical feminism," Santorum writes.

"Sadly the propaganda campaign launched in the 1960s has taken root," said Santorum. "The radical feminists succeeded in undermining the traditional family and convincing women that professional accomplishments are the key to happiness."

Yep.

Sanitorum also had some nice words for one of his many corporate sponsors, Wal-Mart:

He also rails against the "hostile cultural climate" -- influenced by the moral values shown on television shows such as "Friends" and "Sex in the City" to violent video games -- where parents must raise their kids, and praises companies such as Wal-Mart for refusing to sell some music CD's with offensive language.

No shit he'd say something like that. Looking back on Will Bunch's post Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Wal-Mart).

Now, if the Dems had a candidate to stand up against Sanitorium who will not take PAC monies and stand up for what s/he believes in no matter what... Oh wait, we have one right here! His name is Chuck Pennacchio and he needs the support of the netroots because the PA Dem leadership has chosen to fall in line behind Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. already. Where Chuck stands on the issues. Philly lawyer Alan Sandals is also in the running for the Democratic nomination.