MOMocrats™

Women's Leadership Forum: Oprah & Me

I have to admit, I have a love-hate relationship with Oprah Winfrey.  I kind of love her, and hate myself for it.  I used to tune into her show regularly, but dropped it off my Tivo list after returning to work two years ago.  I decided there was just not enough time in the day to keep up with Oprah and her shenanigans.

When I learned that Oprah was the opening speaker at the Women's Leadership Forum, I was both thrilled and annoyed.  I was thrilled to get to see her in person, but annoyed that I would have to change my travel plans to arrive in Chicago a day early, and pay for an additional night in the hotel.  Rather than risk not making in time, I decided to come early.

I'm so glad I did.

This past year, I've been fortunate to hear some of the great leaders of our time, from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to Al Gore and Bill Clinton.  None of them has impressed me half as much as Oprah.  Oprah has an uncanny knack of reaching right out into the audience and touching each person, speaking directly from her heart to yours.  It's an amazing gift, and I have no doubt that it's one that has led her to be exactly where and who she is right now.  I also have no doubt that she deserves every bit of success that she has earned.  Say what you like, I'm now an unabashed and unapologetic Oprah fangirl.

Women's Leadership Forum: Arriving in Chicago

I traveled to Chicago from California Thursday night to attend the Obama Campaign's Women's Leadership Initiative Conference.  Women from all across the country paid big money to attend the event, part mega-fundraiser and part issues conference.  I am very fortunate to be here, and to be a part of this amazing event.

Scheduled to speak:  Oprah Winfrey (and her BFF Gayle King), Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Joe Biden, Madeleine Albright, Robert Rubin, Laura Tyson, and Barack Obama.  The conference sessions are on everything from health care reform to economics to green energy initiatives.  I will be updating you as the conference unfolds.  There's no wifi in the meeting hall, so I can't liveblog it as I planned, but will recap it as best I can. 

My first impressions of Chicago are from the people that I met, and it seems as though everyone I have encountered is supporting Obama. On the ride to the hotel, I had a pleasant conversation with the cab driver, a young man originally from West Africa.  He asked me where I was going, and when I told him I was here for an Obama conference, he lit up, and said, "I must shake your hand!"

He told me that as a military man himself in his home country, he respects John McCain's service, but he doesn't think a military man is what the US needs.  "Obama understands the people and the world," he said.  "That is what is needed in this troubled time."

I asked him if he were registered to vote, but unfortunately, he can't vote because he is not yet a citizen.  He said he would rely on me to vote for Obama, and think of those who live here and can't vote.  I thought of my Korean mother and how it took nine years for her to become a naturalized citizen, and how much that meant to all of us when she finally became an American.  When he dropped me off, we shook hands, and he said, "I hope Obama will win!  Please tell him I am cheering for him!"

Ten Things I Learned Watching the Presidential Debates

1.  Bracelets are the new Flag Pins.  Next time: gaudy, jewel-encrusted eagle broaches from Harry Winston's Cindy McCain Collection, proving once and for all, "the guy with the most bling wins."
2.  McCain gained sympathy from his supporters by blinking the following message in Morse Code:  "Save me! I used to have integrity, but Rove did what the Viet Cong could not do and beat it out of me."
3.  Waziristan: Finally, we know Dick Cheney's undisclosed location.
4.  McCain once fought in a war with Alexander the Great.  Proving that he is either older than we thought, or he really can time-travel.
5.  Obama agrees with McCain on 8 things.  The other 700,000,000,000 issues, not so much.
6.  It is wrong to refer to elderly people by their first names, because they will get all pissy with you, and say, "You just don't understand..." with an implied "Sonny-boy" at the end.
7.  MCain speaks to Americans like we are a bunch of unruly kids. "Hey, you kids, get off my lawn! I brought that grass back from 'Nam!"
8.  John McCain spent 30 years in the Senate, navigating the Ship of State right into the ground. 
9.  Obama should hire Mike Tyson as his new debate coach, since according to the post-debate pundits, the art of civil debate has now become a blood sport.
10.  Merriam-Webster's should make the following corrections in the next edition: "Elitist" now defined as "person raised by single mom who had to rely on foodstamps, worked his way up with smarts and hard work."   The word "populist"  is now defined as "guy who owns 8 house and 13 cars, ditched his first wife for a younger, richer model, and cares about middle class Americans in an inverse proportion to his poll numbers."

I can't wait for the Vice Presidential Debates! 

Sneak Peak:

Sarah Palin speaks in tongues (gibberish only God can understand) when asked about sub-prime mortgage meltdown and economic bailout plans.  When asked about Foreign Policy experience, she replies, "The President of Pakistan admired my rack...that should count for something, right?"

McCain's Medical Records: Why Not Release Them?

Note the following message from a doctor, sent to other doctors as a call to action to the McCain campaign to release his medical records in a way that actual physicians, and not just members of the press can study them.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Fratkin
To: Doctors for Obama

Subject: [DoctorsforObama] McCain's Medical Records

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

John McCain is a 72 year old man with recurrent melanoma, hyperlipidemia, degenerative joint disease, and recurrent difficulty with certain efforts at recall.

These are the limited facts the American people have had access to. Over 1000 pages of medical records were shown to selected journalists for 3 hours with less than 48 hours of notice. The only medically trained journalist was Sanjey Gupta, MD from CNN.

This is the extent to which the American people have been informed. While I am certainly sensitive to the confidential nature of medical records, given the anxiety expressed by many of my patients regarding the risk of lost coverage or lost jobs in this current health economic climate, there are certain exceptions for disclosure regarding public safety.

As John McCain knows, a pilots records are comprehensively available for review by a certifying agency (the FAA, I believe) to insure the fitness of the pilot and the safety of passengers and the public at-large. In the election of the President of the United States of America, that certifying body is the American electorate.

A recurrence of metastatic malignant melanoma would essentially destroy John McCain's capacity as the Chief Executive and the American People have yet to receive a full accounting of the facts regarding his actuarial risk.

If he has had regional metastasis, his risk could be 30% or greater for distant metastasis to the brain, bone, and lung.

As you all know, melanoma is one of the most insidious, pernicious, and aggressive malignancies our patients must deal with and that we attempt somewhat pathetically to control with interferon, interleukins, and dismally active and terribly toxic chemotherapeutic regimens.

In addition, we lack the simple data to sensibly evaluate his cardiovascular risk as we would any septuagenerian in our exam rooms.

John McCain should [MUST] be held accountable by the American people and its agents, the free press, to release without restriction the entirety of his medical records.

Any hesitation to do so would clearly imply that there are significant medical concerns about his ability to fulfill the duties of the President.

Sincerely,

Michael D. Fratkin, MD
Internal Medicine
Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Eureka, California

*Hat Tip to Stephen Fox for sending this information.

Educational Resumes of Obama, McCain, Biden & Palin

Suppose you are a hiring manager and have four young candidates to choose from to work in your business.  The job involves managing a diverse group of people, having a basic knowledge of economics, politics, foreign relations, education, law, and government.  You need someone who is a team-player, is decisive, and has a "get the job done" attitude. 

Looking at these four educational resumes*, without knowing their race or their gender, who would you give an interview to? 

Obama:
Occidental College (Los Angeles) - 2 years studying Politics and Public Policy.
Columbia University (New York) - B.A. Political Science with a specialization in International Relations.

Harvard Law School - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude, Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Law Review.

Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and a B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 of 899.

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester - Business Administration.
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - General Studies.
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - Journalism.
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester.
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism.

I looked at this information about the four candidates, and thought about the disparity that the resumes point out.  The difference between building your life from nothing, and coming from a life of privilege where everything is handed to you.  A life of privilege where you can get into one of the top military schools in the country as a legacy, but party and brawl your way to the bottom of the class.  A life of privilege where you can flit from school to school, taking your time to check out the scenery.  A life of privilege where you know that if things get too tough academically or personally, you can just move on to another school with a less rigorous curriculum, or perhaps go back after a break.  "Privilege" does not have to mean "wealth" in this case.

The DNC: My Favorite Photos, Favorite Memories

Ten MOMocrats spent the last week at the DNC, attending events, meeting politicians and celebrities, writing, videoing, twittering, and watching.  We experienced the highest highs and some of the lowest lows.  We were conflicted when the duties of motherhood called, when a little one tumbled down the stairs, several others started school, and all of our kids missed our hugs and our presence and we missed them.  We had to check our emotions many times, and other times let them flow.

We were a part of history, bearing witness to the fruit of Dr. King's dream so long ago, when some of us were children, and others weren't even born yet.  Barack Obama may not have been our first choice, but we rallied around him, our party, and our nation.  He likes to say that his "is an impossible story" and so, too, is the story of the MOMocrats.

I can't say what my favorite moment was.  There are too many.  I can't describe it adequately in words; words fail me.  All I know is that I was surrounded by a group of women I adore more every second, and cannot imagine the experience without any one of them.  I wished that the other MOMocrats--Stefania, Jen, Joanne, Jenn, and Christine--who planned to come but couldn't make, had been there.  We carried their strength and humor with us, and tried hard to do them proud.

These are some of my favorite people and moments of the Convention. I wish you could have been there.

Illinois Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, Iraq War heroine, and triple amputee, Tammy Duckworth at the Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus.  The Caucus featured a panel moderated by Yul Kwon, Survivor Cook Islands Winner, and in true API fashion, singing.  It was wonderful to see so many APIs, from so many different cultures and circumstances, all in one place.  Growing up in Ohio, we were the only Asian family in our town for many years.  It was wonderful to see so many successful Asian-Americans together with a common goal.

Healthcare: A Tale of Two ERs

On Wednesday of the Democratic National Convention, I spent over six hours in an emergency room and two urgent care facilities, trying to get treated for a bronchial infection that I feared had turned to pneumonia.  The story of the treatment I got (and didn't get) in two different urgent care facilities on the same day illustrates why healthcare in this country needs serious, thoughtful reform.  John McCain may claim that everyone has coverage by going to an emergency room, but I wonder when was the last time he visited a public hospital ER to see what goes on there.

I started getting sick the week before the DNC.  My family had taken a few weeks of vacation prior to the Convention to travel the Western States and some of our glorious national parks.  While at Yellowstone, I developed a nasty cough that kept me up through the night.  I went to the Medical Clinic at the park and saw a doctor who diagnosed me with "allergies, asthma, and altitude," gave me an albuterol inhaler, and sent me on my way.  A 10 minute visit cost $247, which may or may not be covered by my insurance.  He did not do a chest x-ray or anything more than listen to my breathing with a stethoscope and take a short history.

I got to Denver, and since I had no other symptoms other than being tired and the hacking cough, I tried to do all the activities I was supposed to do to cover the DNC.  We were working from 8 am to 1 am most days.  I took a turn for the worse on Tuesday night, with uncontrollable coughing, headache, joint pain, and chest pain.  I slept maybe two hours that night, and got up with no voice, a raging sore throat, earache, and could not stop coughing.  After consulting WebMD aka The Hypochondriac's Bible, I started to worry that I had developed pneumonia. I decided to seek medical care again.

I called my insurance company and asked for a referral to an urgent care clinic.  They gave me three names and numbers in Denver.  MOMocrat Donna was helping me and asked the hotel staff for a recommendation.  They first suggested an urgent care clinic downtown, then said that the Denver Health Center right across the street, was over-staffed for the convention, so we should try there.  They thought I could be seen quickly.

DNC08: Emily's List Gala: Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, & Nancy Pelosi

I had the opportunity to attend the Emily's List Gala on Tuesday during the DNC.  Emily's List is a PAC that fundraises for pro-choice women running for national office.  The Gala was to celebrate the pro-choice women in Congress, and featured an all-star lineup including Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama.

I arrived a little late, since I was attending the WomenCount Celebration about 15 blocks away, so when I got there, the event was in full swing.  I walked in as Rep. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland paid tribute to her colleague Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who passed away the week before the convention.  A number of events I attended this week honored Rep. Tubbs-Jones, and I was sorry that I didn't know more about her.  Mikulski said that her friend and colleague Stephanie would not want people to mourn her passing, and Stephanie would probably quote a labor leader of the past who said, “Don’t mourn, organize!”

Her message was clear:  don't wallow in the sadness of a loss, but use the energy to do something productive and positive.  It seemed fitting that this tribute came just before her introduction of the first featured speaker:  Hillary Rodham Clinton.

My Brush With Kos, and the Golden Ticket

Winning by analogy--

I just got a golden ticket. Literally.

Here in the Big Tent, Kos of Daily Kos stood up and waved two delicious Thursday night lilac colored passes edged with gold gilt: Hall press passes to tonight's Barack Obama acceptance speech. (Hall press passes are the inner sanctum, baby. As close as press is allowed.)

Now, you may know that 10 of us MOMocrats are here. Through the insane grifter skills of our fearless leaders and O.G. MOMos CityMama (shout-out to you and AT&T for the cell phones, girl!) and Glennia (The Silent I), we managed to get 9 passes for our DNC-attending crew for this magical night. We worried and fretted about how to get that last pass, begging and pleading and importuning to anyone who looked like they could possibly help us.

No luck.

Some unfortunate MOMo was going to have to take one for the team. Definitely an uncomfortable, unhappy proposition.

So when Kos suddenly stood up and waved the two Hall press passes around--the Golden Tickets--Julie P. and I leaped up and joined the crowd around Kos. He debated about how to distribute them. What would be fair?

Hillary Clinton Fundraiser in Los Altos Hills, California

My husband, 8 year-old son and I went to a fundraiser on Thursday night for Hillary Clinton.  It was billed as a "unity event" where Obama and Clinton Silicon Valley supporters got together to help pay Clinton's debt, munch appetizers and red, white & blue Hillary cookies, and hear Senator Clinton speak about party unity.  It was co-hosted by two of Silicon Valley's powerhouse fundraisers, who combined their considerable donor lists to get people out to help Hillary (and the party) pay off some of her $20 million campaign debt.

My husband and I supported Edwards and Obama in the primary.  Our son, however, is a die-hard Hillary fan.  When we got the invitation, we asked him if he wanted to have the chance to meet Hillary, and he said, "Yes!"  I asked what he would say to her if he got to meet her, and he said, "I want to tell her she did a good job in the election."

I thought that would be something she might like to hear, coming from a little boy.  During the primary season, he pointedly told me, pointing out his placemat with all the President's portraits on it, "I want Hillary to win because, do you see any girls here?  NO. It's a girl's turn."