And In This Corner We Have...

On Monday's The View, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura verbally body-slammed Elisabeth Hasselbeck on the topic of torture. Ventura, who was waterboarded during his military training, reconfirmed an earlier comment that waterboarding is - in fact - torture.

"If waterboarding is OK, why don't we let our police do it to suspects so they can learn what they know?" he asked. "If waterboarding is OK, why didn't we waterboard [Timothy] McVeigh and Nichols, the Oklahoma City bombers, to find out if there were more people involved? ... We only seem to waterboard Muslims... Have we waterboarded anyone else? Name me someone else who has been waterboarded."

Hasselbeck attempted to defend the "enhanced interrogation techniques" but her Republican talking points could only get her so far. She quickly shifted the debate to Nancy Pelosi's alleged dishonesty about President Bush's torture program.

"I think what's worse is the fact that it happened," replied Ventura. "If we hadn't waterboarded to begin with, none of this would be a controversy, would it? Torture is torture. If you're going to be a country that follows the rule of law, which we are, torture is illegal."

Zing! Watch the smack-down below:

Apply for WeLEAD Class of 2010

Celebrating its fifth year, WeLEAD is a bipartisan leadership training program for women ages 21-25 and FREE of charge to those admitted. Run by the Women & Politics Institute’s (WPI) Young Women Leaders Board (YWLB), the program is aimed at helping the next generation of women succeed in politics and public service.

WeLEAD seeks to increase the number of women working in political professions such as the administration, congressional staffing, non-profits, lobbying and campaign consulting, as well as to encourage young women to run for elected office. One of the goals of WeLEAD is to empower and inspire young women, and to help them develop the confidence to succeed.

For the 2009-2010 session, WeLEAD will consist of seven training sessions from August 2009 through graduation in May 2010. These sessions are each held on a Saturday in the months of August, September, October, November, January, February, and April, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at American University. In addition, there are evening programs in October and January highlighting the work of important political women and a Congressional Dialogue in March that provides participants with the opportunity to meet with women members of Congress.

The application to apply for the Class of 2010 is June 1st. To learn more information or to apply, click here.

Our Fabulous Political Woman of the Month: Heather Higginbottom

Top of the morning, political divas and divos! Once again, I’ve decided to spotlight a woman who is accomplished, dynamic, poised, politically savvy and just plain fabulous all the way around. This month that woman is Heather Higginbottom.

One of the leading ladies in the White House, Heather was named, by President Barack Obama, as Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council on November 24, 2008. Prior to that, she served as Policy Director for the Obama for America campaign, overseeing all aspects of policy development. Take notes, my friends!

From 1999 to 2007, Higginbottom served as Senator John Kerry’s Legislative Director. She served as the Deputy National Policy Director for the Kerry-Edwards Presidential Campaign for the primary and general elections. She has also served as a Legislative Assistant and as Deputy Legislative Director for Senator Kerry. After the 2004 election, Higginbottom founded and served as Executive Director of the American Security Project, a national security think tank. She started her career as an advocate at the national non-profit organization Communities in Schools and worked on President Clinton’s ‘President’s Summit for America’s Future’ where she coordinated the role of communities of faith in the Summit.

Higginbottom received her Master of Public Policy degree at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University and her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester.

Everyone who knows this talented chica (and I’ve had the pleasure!) can attest to the fact that she is one sharp, classy, and fashionably fierce lady with the passion and smarts needed to get the job done. A woman shaping our nation in a time of economic crisis, we applaud you Heather Higginbottom!

So three cheers and two snaps for our Fabulous Political Woman of the Month! If you have someone you’d like to nominate for next month, hit me up!

CNN Gets "Punk'd"

Actor and "Punk'd" host Ashton Kutcher pranked CNN and its founder Ted Turner on Wednesday after beating the cable network in a twitter challenge. After claiming 1 million Twitter followers in April, Kutcher donated 10,000 mosquito bed nets to charity for World Malaria Day and vowed to "ding-dong-ditch" Ted Turner.

On Wednesday night, Kutcher and his wife, Demi Moore, arrived at the Atlanta offices with a banner displaying his Twitter name @aplusk and placed it over CNN’s neon logo sign. Earlier on Wednesday, Ashton and twitter fans showed up at Teddy's Atlanta restaurant, stacked hundreds of boxes of Ding Dongs at the restaurant, and repeatedly rang the bell.

“You know, CNN lost. That’s what happened,” Ashton told a crowd of more than 100 fans who came along to watch the shenanigans. “I’m just fulfilling a promise I made… that I’d do this thing and I’m doing it.”

LAME prank but I applaud him for his tweet donation to charity! Kutcher will appear on Oprah Friday to celebrate the win again.

Watch Ashton Kutcher address his tweeps prior to the prank:

Michelle-O-Watch: A Slammin' Look

I just had to share this photo because Michelle O looked absolutely fabulous in the pictures from the White House Poetry Slam on Tuesday, May 12th. SNAPS!!


Check out more photos from the event here.

Hill Still A Climb for Female Staffers

From POLITICO.com:

Even with a woman wielding the speaker’s gavel, Washington can still feel like the old boys’ club it once was.

Consider the top leadership offices in the House and Senate. Women run just two out of 17: those of House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio and House Democratic Caucus Co-Chairman Xavier Becerra of California.

While Congress has mostly sloughed off its reputation as an unruly domain for cigar-smoking skirt-chasers, female staffers complain that the clubby atmosphere of congressional offices — and its after-hours equivalent in Capitol Hill bars — still makes it easier for men to climb the career ladder. And some are frustrated that Congress hasn’t done more as an institution to make the ascent to top staff jobs more even.

“Congress has a terrible track record” when it comes to elevating women to the top jobs, said Stacy Mason, the executive director of WomenCount, a group established after Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic presidential primary.

Republican staffers are particularly dissatisfied with the lack of gender parity among aides on their side of the aisle.

“Are there powerful Republican women? Yes,” said one senior GOP aide. “But there’s also a men’s club. To say it’s frustrating would be an understatement.”

Some even suggest the gap — however real — might hurt the GOP as the party struggles to rebuild its brand. “If the party is going to effectively communicate to women, it just makes sense to have more women around the decision-making table,” one former top GOP aide said.

Democrats give themselves higher marks for promoting women to top jobs, but many acknowledge room for improvement. To that end, four women launched the Women’s Congressional Staff Association last summer to build a network of female peers on Capitol Hill. The bipartisan group has since swelled to more than 100 members, and founders would like to someday see a member in every office.

Read the rest of the article here.

How to Build Your Kitchen Cabinet

Over the last few months, I’ve been working with some women leaders to start a Women in Public Policy organization on my campus. Shocker. On Thursday, we had our first “Building Your Kitchen Cabinet” Happy Hour at a hip and swanky LA bar/ restaurant. No, it didn't have anything to do with assembling a cabinet. It had everything to do with how to help women build a network of like-minded, smart and capable women that are willing to have your back when looking for a job, running for office or starting a non-profit.

The event could not have gone more fabulously. We had a great turnout of graduate, undergraduate and alumni women interested and involved in the fields of public policy, public health, philanthropy, law and public affairs. Complete with yummy drinks, delish aps, Women in Public Policy trivia and great conversation.

The reality is that we live in a society where who you know can make all the difference in the world. And it's the understatement of the century if you're in the field of politics. Therefore, we need to know how to tap into new and existing networks and find ways to build our "kitchen cabinet." A little shy about networking?

Here’s a Networking 12 step program, courtesy of the eHow Careers & Work Editor:

1. Stay in touch with people you like and respect even if they can't help you immediately. You don't want to go to someone only when you are desperate.

2. Talk to people you don't know everywhere you go. Cocktail parties and weddings are just the tip of the iceberg; don't forget about airplane rides, supermarket lines, sporting events, festivals, bookstores and so on.

3. Learn to ask "What do you do?" with comfort, sincerity and interest.

4. Become a better listener. Ask a question and then be quiet until you hear the answer.

5. Practice your own presentation of your skills. Learn more than one approach, whether frank or subtle.

6. Keep a great updated brochure, business card or other form of information about yourself on you at all times. Get comfortable handing out your card.

7. Take classes to improve your public speaking, body language and writing skills.

8. Join every networking club and association in your field.

9. Follow up on any lead, no matter how minor.

10. Remember people’s names and repeat it when you speak to them.

11. Keep track of people's birthdays and send them birthday notes.

12. Talk in terms of the other person's interests and find common experiences, activities, interests, etc.


Check out a video of the event here.

The Sunday Funnies

HOT or NOT: The Week-In-Review

HOT: Joe the Plumber is Quitting the GOP. The man who once served as the mascot for the GOP during the '08 presidential election has decided to leave the party. Joe the Plumber cited overspending by Republicans as the reason for his dissent but also said he would not support any cuts in defense, Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. Rrrrrrrrrright.

NOT: Hannity Attacks Obama For Putting Mustard On His Burger? Sean Hannity officially ran out of material and criticized Obama for ordering a “spicy” or “Dijon” mustard on his cheeseburger at Ray’s Hell Burgers in Arlington, VA. Sounds like a plate full of desperation topped off with a condiment of hateration.

HOT: Palin's Popularity Plunging In Polls. According to recent polls, Connecticut Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell has taken Sarah Palin’s spot as the most popular governor in the county. What’s more, Senator Lisa Murkowski is now the most popular politician in Alaska.

NOT: GOP Appoints Sessions to Judiciary Committee. GOP leadership has appointed Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions to replace Arlen Specter as the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sessions, who was nominated to become a U.S. District judge by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, has been called a "crypto-segregationist" for racially insensitive remarks he's made in the past. Now, that's how you rebrand a party.

HOT: Ridge Not Running For Senate. After much speculation, PA Gov. Tom Ridge has decided not to run for the Senate in Pennsylvania. The decision is a letdown for Republicans hoping for Ridge to run against Specter in the general election. And, another one bites the dust.

NOT: Dick Cheney’s Advice to Republicans. In a radio interview, Dick Cheney stated that it would be a mistake for the Republican Party to become more moderate. Because loving torture and appointing racially insensitive committee heads seems to be working so well.

Why Elizabeth Edwards Stands By John

From CBS.com:

(CBS/AP) Political wives stand by their men more often than not.

Now Elizabeth Edwards, in her new memoir, "Resilience," reveals why she stood by her husband, former 2008 presidential hopeful, John Edwards, after she learned he cheated on her with a former campaign worker, Rielle Hunter.

Edwards, who has terminal breast cancer, appears on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Thursday to talk about her new book and how she learned Edwards was cheating.

In the taped interview, Edwards says John Edwards met then-42-year-old Hunter at a hotel. Her pickup line, according to Edwards, was "You are so hot."

Elizabeth says she cried, screamed and vomited when she learned of his infidelity. But even after John initially revealed the truth to Elizabeth -- just days after declaring his presidential run in 2006 -- she stayed with him.

"He should not have run," Edwards wrote in her book, adding that she wanted her husband to drop out to save her family from media scrutiny. The Edwards have three children: Cate, Jack and Emma Claire.

On The Early Show Wednesday, Dr. Robi Ludwig, psychologist and contributing editor of Cookie magazine, told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez why many political wives stand by their cheating spouses.

"You know, (the wives) may understand that with these kinds of people -- these men are in the spotlight, they're very powerful, there are women throwing themselves at these kinds of men," she said. "I think, in some way, (these women) make a deal, whether it's conscious or unconscious, they understand that, if you enter into a political relationship, you might be dealing with a guy who might cheat, and to really keep the whole picture in mind. Do you want to maintain your life? Do you want to fight for a person you love? Maybe at the end of the day that's what's important."

Read the rest of the article here.