U.S. Rep Ballenger's Remarks Offend Women

December 22, 2002

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.

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