Latest Eleanor Smeal Quotes from Interviews

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• In New York that probably has more lawyers per square foot than any other state in the union, more women lawyers. I mean, it to me shocking that this can happen in 2008, but fortunately, you had a governor who was sensitive enough to this outrage that he pointed it out to the nation, and is trying to do something about it.

  Eleanor Smeal

  New York, Mean, Squares

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• We've spent too much on how to destroy and blow up things with the military and too little on our health care, and too little on education, and it goes on.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Military, Blow, Goes On

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• One of the problems and the reason why Carolyn [Maloney ] wrote the book, the Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated is that some people think we have made it when we have not and there's much to be done.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Book, Thinking, People

  Source: www.blogher.com

• As long as we can be just the sidelight, the side issue, issues that deal with human beings, both men and women and children that should be given more prominence are not.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Children, Men, Issues

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• We need some rules changes. This is an outrage that this, the oldest democracy has now, you know, ranked - when I say ranked 59th, it means that in the percentage of women, in our national parliament, our National Congress, is now ranks 59th from the top. That means 58 countries have more women than we do in percentage wise.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Wise, Country, Mean

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• We're doing quite well in some states, but there are states that you can't - I mean, it's just ridiculous the representation of women, and having been an advocate for women, lobbied in many states as well as here at the national level for women. People behave differently when there are women at the table, men do. Our issues get higher prominence. We're taken more seriously.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Taken, Mean, Men

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• We think it's so important that we get [Carolyne] Maloney in that seat [in Congress]. It's one of the reasons; we also think that she is a unique person that deserves it and would help advance women's rights.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Unique, Thinking, Rights

  Source: www.blogher.com

• It's going to be very important that we as women's rights advocates are involved in redistricting of both the states legislatures and of the House of Representatives and that we not lose seats but we gain seats for talented women and our country, but we're lacking behind.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Country, Rights, House

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• The gag rule must be eliminated, and it's just the gag rule, we're not talking now even about funding abortion. We're talking about, you know, counseling and speaking, so that's one. That can be reversed by an executive order. [George W.]Bush put it in the first day he got in office. We hope that [Barack] Obama takes it out. He had cut off funding for the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, even though Congress had appropriated. It is injured women who are the poorest of the poor.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Cutting, Order, Talking

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• We want this - and I - we hope that right when they come back, that the Congress passes the Lilly Ledbetter Act which would correct the Supreme Court decision that was just recent that essentially guts wage discrimination law. It's been in place for years. It was gutted by this Roberts Court. We want it to be reversed by legislation. We hope that Congress passes it and that is on the desk for [Barack] Obama to sign as one of his first acts once he's sworn in. So it - I could go on, we have quite a well-developed list.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Years, Law, Decision

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• Many family planning clinics and - and programs that service women have refused now to take women's - United State's money because they feel that it would be unethical, and it could injure their clients even more, their patients even more. That has to be changed.

  Eleanor Smeal

  United States, Would Be, Clients

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• I mean this is not like a very dry political book. This is - it was a very quick and entertaining and interesting read because there were so many stories, at least for me, of real women and - and sort of the issues that they face, and her commitment to wanting to help them.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Real, Book, Mean

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• The gag rule is, is that if any program receiving United States funding for Family Planning cannot mention, cannot speak the word "abortion" in the Third World.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Abortion, Receiving, United States

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• I've known Carolyn [Maloney] for years, by the way. I knew her when she was on the City Council and knew her when she was - when she was running, and we endorsed her very early when she ran for Congress, yet I didn't know some of the stories in here of herself and her struggle, and - and she makes a very - you know, it's - it pulls your heart as well as - but it's very practical.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Running, Struggle, Heart

  Source: www.blogher.com

• Carolyn Maloney is really constantly thinking, "How do we improve things?" You know, sees the glass always half-full, and you have to be an optimist to work in Washington. So that's what I - we admire so much about her.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Thinking, Glasses, Half

  Source: www.blogher.com

• I personally think that people should get the book because it is like a blueprint. It shows you the work that needs to be done if we're ever going to get economic equality, health, reproductive health, violence. I mean, it's every category.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Book, Mean, Thinking

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• I'm not going to say that all the cabinet appointments of the men and women, you know, obviously we might have some reservations on some, but the women's movement has congratulated them for some of the appointments and is urging and encouraging more women in the Executive Branch and high areas.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Men, Branches, Might

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• We think that Hillary [Clinton] will be a symbol and a reality for the women of the world, and it's very important because so many - so many underdeveloped countries, not the least of which is Afghanistan, the women of the world need help, and she understands those issues and is a lightning rod for them.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Country, Reality, Thinking

  Source: www.blogher.com

• We would like, still the numbers to increase, and so we're hoping that there's far - there will be many more women in the cabinet. It appears there will be and we're hoping that will happen. And - but the ones that have been picked, by and large, we have worked with. There's a couple that we haven't, but there - they look like their bio's are great and so we're - we're pushing on.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Couple, Numbers, Looks

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• I think that we're just fortunate that you have an experienced legislator: 26 years of fighting for our issues in line. I mean, there's nobody, there's no man, nor woman that is being mentioned that has the legislative experience that she has and the passion in her heart for advancing the cause of women.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Passion, Heart, Mean

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• Carolyn Maloney identifies with the possibility of being raped, that's why she hung in there for the Debbie Smith Bill. So it - it's essential that in New York, if we can't get a prominent woman in New York, where can we? I mean there's so many states that have never even had a woman senator. We're still on our first this and our first that.

  Eleanor Smeal

  New York, Mean, Essentials

  Source: www.blogher.com

• I mean, how many men would have gone on to the floor of the House as Carolyn Maloney did and wear a burkha to show the fight of Afghan women.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Mean, Fighting, Men

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• We have so few women in Congress. We are so underrepresented and whether we like it or not, we are in area - in an era that still the women, the handful that are there, have two jobs: they represent the constituency that they're from, and they also represent the women of the nation or the state or sometimes as Maloney has done, of the world.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Jobs, Two, Done

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• I'm not a prejudice person, and I've worked with many male legislators and some have been excellent for us, so I'm not speaking against a class of people.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Class, People, Males

  Interview with Joanne Bamberger, www.blogher.com. December 22, 2008.

• She [Carolyn Maloney] understands the whole picture. She is comfortable with these issues 'cause she is chair of the committee, and she's dogged and will make sure the average woman and man is represented as well as making sure that our financial system stays afloat. In other words, she gets it and she has represented the financial district, but she also represents the average person and definitely the average woman.

  Eleanor Smeal

  Men, Average, Issues

  Source: www.blogher.com