[News-releases] Ballenger Remarks Offend Women

BALLENGER REMARKS OFFEND WOMEN

Statement of NOW President Kim Gandy

Another member of Congress has embarrassed himself and his party -- not by 
making a mistake, but by saying what he really thinks.

Not only did U.S. Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-NC) tell the Charlotte Observer 
that former colleague Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) is "a bitch," but in his 
attempt to explain the insulting comment, he implied in a local radio 
interview that the sentiment was justified because he considered McKinney 
divisive, pushy and "less than patriotic."  One must wonder whether he 
would have made the same statement about a white Congressman he considered 
to be pushy or divisive.  I think not. His statements demonstrated beliefs 
about race and gender that do not belong in the U.S. Congress.

Ballenger continued his self immolation by saying that his "choice of 
words" was a mistake and wrong, but he did not apologize to McKinney.  More 
likely his choice of beliefs was the real problem.  He then added fuel to 
the fire by announcing that he was "proud of his civil rights record," 
which is at 8% with Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (still better 
than Bill Frist), 7 % with the ACLU, and an F from the NAACP.

Rep. Ballenger apparently believes that "segregationist feelings" are 
acceptable if you have a run-in with a Black person.  Does this mean that 
when he has an argument with his wife, we'll see it in his votes on women's 
issues?  If a person with a disability is "too uppity," will he have 
negative feelings about all people with disabilities?  Representative 
Ballenger's words -- and the beliefs behind them -- are offensive to North 
Carolinians and to decent people all across this country.