Obama's Misogynistic Associations Haunt Him
by Amy Siskind
It's not been a particularly good press week for two well known misogynists: Rick Warren and Larry Summers. Both men were early selections of President Obama.
If we are to judge our president by whom he surrounds himself with, then what do Obama's selections of Warren and Summers tell us? That Obama's version of diversity does not include gay and women's rights. And in fact, the selection of Warren and Summers will likely be a continual source of salt on the wound of inequality.
President Obama's Inauguration was presided over by Rick Warren. Although Warren is perhaps best known for his opposition to gay rights, he also believes that women are second class citizens.
Warren is back in the news this past weekend for his ties with a Ugandan pastor who is helping to spearhead legislation which, if enacted, would result in the execution of HIV-positive gay men. Warren's unwillingness to condone this legislation sheds further light on his beliefs. How shocking it is to fathom that Obama would choose to be inaugurated by a man so antithetical to any brand of diversity.
Larry Summers, Obama's pick for Director of the National Economic Council, also made news this Sunday. This time a Boston Globe article revealed that Summers ignored warnings about investments while at Harvard, costing the University's endowment $1.8 billion.
Obama's 2008 selection of Summers was troubling. Summers is infamous for a speech he delivered while President at Harvard where he claimed that girls were genetically inferior in mathematics and science. Summers also has a history of being unable to work well with others - especially women.
In 1998, Brooksley Born, then chairwoman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, warned Alan Greenspan, Robert Rubin, and Larry Summers of the risks inherent in not regulating derivatives - the esoteric instruments that would eventually tank our economy.
Michael Greenberger, a senior director at the commission at the time, noted: "Brooksley was this woman who was not playing tennis with these guys and not having lunch with these guys. There was a little bit of the feeling that this woman was not of Wall Street." Summers chastised Born that her suggestion would hurt financial markets, so shush! We all know how this story ended.
Summers also refused to heed the warnings of another woman, Iris Mack, while at Harvard. When Iris expressed concern about that Harvard was inadequately managing the risk inherent in derivative products held in its portfolio, what did Summers do? Fire her.
Finally, Obama's appointed Summers despite his ties to the same Wall Street firms that he is meant to watch over. In 2008, Summers was paid over $5 million from DE Shaw, one of the largest hedge funds in the world. Summers also received $2.7 million from some of the Wall Street banks that were recipients of government bailout money in 2008. Also in 2008, Summers was paid $135,000 by Goldman Sachs to deliver one speech -- the same Goldman Sachs that was the single biggest beneficiary of money that was drained out of AIG.
There's an old adage: you roll with dogs, you get fleas. Well President Obama must be pretty darn itchy right about now. Obama's selection of Warren and Summers is a constant reminder of where women and gays stand in Obama's pecking order.
It's not been a particularly good press week for two well known misogynists: Rick Warren and Larry Summers. Both men were early selections of President Obama.
If we are to judge our president by whom he surrounds himself with, then what do Obama's selections of Warren and Summers tell us? That Obama's version of diversity does not include gay and women's rights. And in fact, the selection of Warren and Summers will likely be a continual source of salt on the wound of inequality.
President Obama's Inauguration was presided over by Rick Warren. Although Warren is perhaps best known for his opposition to gay rights, he also believes that women are second class citizens.
Specifically, Warren's Saddleback Church has encouraged battered wives to stay in their abusive relationships. Hundreds of viewers wrote on our blog about their personal experiences at the hand of Rick Warren's church. Saddleback Church's advice to abused wives: "she" should make a better meal, or "she" should keep the home cleaner, or be a better wife - then "she" wouldn't deserve the beating that her husband delivered.
Warren is back in the news this past weekend for his ties with a Ugandan pastor who is helping to spearhead legislation which, if enacted, would result in the execution of HIV-positive gay men. Warren's unwillingness to condone this legislation sheds further light on his beliefs. How shocking it is to fathom that Obama would choose to be inaugurated by a man so antithetical to any brand of diversity.
Larry Summers, Obama's pick for Director of the National Economic Council, also made news this Sunday. This time a Boston Globe article revealed that Summers ignored warnings about investments while at Harvard, costing the University's endowment $1.8 billion.
Obama's 2008 selection of Summers was troubling. Summers is infamous for a speech he delivered while President at Harvard where he claimed that girls were genetically inferior in mathematics and science. Summers also has a history of being unable to work well with others - especially women.
In 1998, Brooksley Born, then chairwoman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, warned Alan Greenspan, Robert Rubin, and Larry Summers of the risks inherent in not regulating derivatives - the esoteric instruments that would eventually tank our economy.
Michael Greenberger, a senior director at the commission at the time, noted: "Brooksley was this woman who was not playing tennis with these guys and not having lunch with these guys. There was a little bit of the feeling that this woman was not of Wall Street." Summers chastised Born that her suggestion would hurt financial markets, so shush! We all know how this story ended.
Summers also refused to heed the warnings of another woman, Iris Mack, while at Harvard. When Iris expressed concern about that Harvard was inadequately managing the risk inherent in derivative products held in its portfolio, what did Summers do? Fire her.
Finally, Obama's appointed Summers despite his ties to the same Wall Street firms that he is meant to watch over. In 2008, Summers was paid over $5 million from DE Shaw, one of the largest hedge funds in the world. Summers also received $2.7 million from some of the Wall Street banks that were recipients of government bailout money in 2008. Also in 2008, Summers was paid $135,000 by Goldman Sachs to deliver one speech -- the same Goldman Sachs that was the single biggest beneficiary of money that was drained out of AIG.
There's an old adage: you roll with dogs, you get fleas. Well President Obama must be pretty darn itchy right about now. Obama's selection of Warren and Summers is a constant reminder of where women and gays stand in Obama's pecking order.
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