Emily’s List Event About Bashing Men, OKing Abortion, Not Helping Women

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 20, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Emily’s List Event About Bashing Men, OKing Abortion, Not Helping Women

by Mary Katharine Ham
January 20, 2009

LifeNews.com Note: Mary Katharine Ham is a writer and at the Weekly Standard blog and previously the Online Editor for The Washington Examiner. She is a noted television commentator on pro-life and conservative political causes and was the managing editor for the web site Townhall until last year.

Kay Hagan, the new Democratic senator from North Carolina, signaled the dawning age of bipartisanship Sunday as she spoke to the pro-choice women’s political group, EMILY’s List at an Inaugural Luncheon.

The group was gathered to celebrate the wins of Democratic women in the Senate, House and governorships, but the group couldn’t help but indulge in a mean-spirited outburst for one of the nation’s most famous conservative leaders— Jesse Helms, the five-term Republican senator from North Carolina, who died this past summer after a long struggle with health complications such as cancer and heart problems.

Hagan threw a juicy T-bone to the pack of pro-choice activists with her remarks:

"Speaking at an abortion-rights women’s luncheon in Washington on Sunday, the Greensboro Democrat noted that she was taking the seat of former Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, drawing boos from the audience."

First, there’s nothing like a group of liberal women for clinging to bitterness in the face of overwhelming victory, huh? From their point of view, putting Kay Hagan in the seat of the staunchly pro-life Jesse Helms should be reason for celebration, but did they take the opportunity to cheer their up-and-coming female ally? Of course not.

Instead, they used it to disrespect the memory of her recently deceased, male predecessor. Women’s empowerment apparently requires an unhealthy preoccupation with male adversaries, both in electoral defeat and death.

Second, Kay Hagan likely knew exactly how this group would react to her mention of Jesse Helms, but she dropped his name to earn cheap political points with a group that will back her no matter what. It wasn’t necessary.

What she should remember at times like this is that she has to run for reelection in a state that, thanks to Jesse Helms, remains very Republican.

Now, if some enterprising Republican oppo-research person were to get his hands on video of this luncheon and find that Hagan made no attempt to stop the booing, or worse, smiled her way through it, the people of her home state would not take kindly to the sight of it.

No matter what she thinks of his views, Helms remains the longest-serving popularly elected senator in the history of the state, and he deserves far more respect than Hagan’s supporters gave him.

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