About Bush's record on women... where do I begin? How about in August 2002, when John Ashcroft named two women from the "Independent Women's Forum" (IWF) to the National Advisory Committee On Violence Against Women. Well for starters, the IWF twice opposed the Violence Against Women Act, and continues to lobby against its enforcement. It also vehemently opposes affirmative action, Title IX, which provides for equal educational opportunity, Take Our Daugters To Work Day, and Women In Combat. Bush appointed Nancy Pfotenhauer, president and CEO of "IWF", to be a delegate to the UN commission on the status of women. Ironic, no? The activities of the IWF include debunking "feminist myths", and it says reports of rape, wage discrimination, domestic violence and gender bias in schools are either "flat out wrong" or "wildly exaggerated" (Chris Black, Chicago Tribune).

Not convinced? How about his appointment of Dr. Hager, to the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee? Many women I'm sure will be comforted to know that Hager coauthored a book that prescribes "scripture and prayers" as a cure for PMS. He also opposes contraceptives to unmarried women and voted to prohibit emergency contraception for women sold over the counter, because it would be used by "individuals who did not want to take responsibilty for their actions and wanted a medication to relieve those consequences". On the CDC webiste, a fact sheet on condoms mysteriously disappeard. Based on a large pool of scientific study, it encouraged condom use since they are 98-100% effective in preventing pregnancy and STDs. 18 months later, a new fact sheet emerged stating abstinence is the surest way to avoid STDs. The CDC also removed a study that showed no increase in sex activity among teenagers taught about condoms.

The womens bureau of the Dept. of Labor used to post 25 fact sheets on topics including "Women's Earnings as a Percentage of Men's", "Domestic Violence: A Workplace Issue", "Women in Management", "Care around the clock: Developing child care resources", etc. Now they've been replaced by such relevant articles as "Hot Jobs for the 21st century", and "20 Leading Occupations for Women". A recent report by the National Council for Research On Women notes that a required study by the Justice Dept on discrimination in the
insurance industry against domestic violence victims has also mysteriously vanished. Furthermore, a congresionally mandated report on how employers should handle such abused women has been held up by the Justice Dept for more than 2 years. The Dept. of Education archived its guidelines on sexual harassment without explanation. When information on women's issues isn't disappearing without a trace or explanation, women's committees are also being disbanded. e.g. The President's Interagency Council On Women and The White House Office of Women's Initiatives and Outreach are no more. An attempt was even made to disband the Pentagon's Advisory Committee On Women in the Services. Instead, its agenda was softened.

Still not convinced on Bush and his administration's attempts to undermine women's rights? Read the National Women's Law Center report called 'Slip Sliding Aaway', on the erosion of women's rights under the Bush adminsitration. It shows how the Dept of Labor has refused to use tools at its disposal to identify violations of equal pay laws. It has also repealed regulations to allow paid family leave to be provided through state unemployment compensation funds, which would deprive millions of women of the right to overtime pay. The Justice Dept weakend the enforcement of laws against job discrimination and
abandoned pending sex discrimination cases.

At least 300,000 children will be knocked off child care assistance, under the president's new budget. Which also freezes funding for Head Start and cuts funding for after school programs. Factor in cuts to housing subsidies, to prenatal and early childhood nutrition programs, to college grants, to career education, to domestic violence programs, and lower federal grants that result in cuts to public shools, and you've touched upon most issues that affect women and their families. Particularly low to moderate income Americans. Laura Bush went on the Today show reassuring (nervous) women that she doesn't think her husband would ever do anything that would overturn Roe v Wade. Because if there's one gender that this decision, which has always been an issue presided over by men, would affect, that would be WOMEN. Three days later, Bush imposes a global gag rule on groups abroad that receive US funding for family planning. Which stipulate there may no longer be so much as a mention of abortion, even when medically necessary.

He used his wife Laura to kick off the campaign for America's libraries (because she was a teacher, as I understand). One week later, Bush cuts funding for the Library Services and Techonolgy Act, the Reading is Fundamental program and the National Commision On Libraries and Information Science. He used Laura to put a friendly face on policy for the war in Afghanistan, where she spoke out about the Taliban's legendary oppression of women. The hyped "Afghan Women and Children's Relief Act", signed by Bush, turned out to be a paper tiger. He had attached no dollar figures to the act, and only a tiny amount of money was ever committed.

Let's face it. Not that much of the 'ordinary' American public is aware of just how the Bush administration is going about its official affairs, on a day to day or week to week basis. Especially not if they are deliberately hiding, masking or falsifying documented evidence of their actions. Theirs has been called one of the most secretive admininstrations to come along since the KGB. But some information has leaked out and ALL of these little snippets can be corroborated by credible sources. I have and I urge you to do the same IF you have any doubts whatsoever. Especially if you're a woman, since men don't seem to care much about "YOUR issues". That goes double for Republican men, and triple for the classic fat, white Roveian Republican man.

Furthermore, this only scratches the surface about the Bush adminstration's approach to women (by no coincidence, it differs not much from the Christian Right's attitudes toward women, since the Christian Right is one of his biggest supporters). But when you look further back to get a clearer picture, a grave and solemn pattern about how Bush is running his adminstration emerges from this. Showing tthat the two-faced weasel has a four year running history of presenting support for some "good cause" or other, such as a literacy program in an economically deprived state, then two weeks later, long after the photo-op cameras have been shut off, cutting the legs out from under the program in a heartless brush of the pen, whilst behind closed doors.

And how much of THAT kind of stuff was reported to you in the mainstream media these last four years, so that you could have a distinct idea of just what kind of adminstration you were voting for in the last election? In the absence of the truth, what you had was "Bush's word" that "W. Is For Women!", that he's a "good guy" and has everyone's best interests at heart. He dangles the "tax cut" carrot, Americans bite. Americans, the truth is out there. But it ain't gonna find you. And I'm sorry but it doesn't hang around much at the Fox news headquarters either, so don't even bother looking there to find it.