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Herstory in the Making

My dad had a distinct definition of women's liberation that came in handy when it was time to fix the roof, remodel a room or lug a trunk full of his boxing team's equipment out to the van.
"You're a women's libber aren't you?" he'd say with a grin when I was a teen-ager. "Come help me put a new roof on the shop."
Equal rights were all the rage at our house when there was manual labor to be done. You even had an equal right to grab a hammer and smash your thumb, just like the guys.
Today, I got a slightly different take on the subject when I saw Nancy Pelosi elected the first female speaker of the House in Washington.
A rundown follows on what really went on in the first couple of hours of the new Democrat-controlled Congress.

12:25 p.m. A cheerful milling around on the floor of the House chamber preceded the speaker's election, and many of those milling were children and grandchildren of the members.
Mixed in with the adults in starched suits were kids of all ages turned out in their Sunday best.
One congressman carted around a blue-clad toddler contendedly sucking a thumb. (To be clear, that's the toddler, not the congressman, sucking his thumb.)
Another congressman grinned while a cute little boy stood on a table, grabbed a microphone and yanked it to his mouth, ready to politick.
What with all the kids present, several members of Congress were forced to hang out in the aisles. The Dems were on one side -- the side that cheered the most during the proceedings, and the Republicans were on the other.
Wichita Falls' congressman, U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, was sitting quietly beside U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, during the proceedings. Thornberry's district includes most of North Texas, and Neugebauer's takes in all of Young County and most of Archer County.
12:31 A sign in the chamber showed that 435 members were finally present.
A gaval banged loudly several times, the banging enhanced by proximity to a microphone.
"A quorum is present," a female clerk announced.
The whole process would be a carefully mapped-out performance with occasional ad-libbing and hamming it up allowed, mostly from gleeful Democrats.
A quorum being present was reason enough for a round of applause in the chamber, a high-ceilinged affair with seals, wood paneling, plenty of carpet and officious touches.
A press gallery and a visitors gallery looks down on the seats for the representatives. Both were just about full.
"The next order of business is the election of the speaker of the House to the 110th Congress," the female clerk said.
That was a signal for applause.
It was also Pelosi's cue to stand up in her eggplant-colored suit, gold beads at her throat and grin on her face. She's in her mid-60s, but her trim figure and youthful face say younger. No need to put a number on that.
Pelosi soaked up a standing ovation and exchanged an air kiss with U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel, a New York Democrat taking on a powerful post in the new Congress -- chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
Kisses would abound as the wheels of government turned. Indeed, the 110th Congress appeared to be a very friendly bunch at least in its first minutes.
Pelosi was -- no, duh -- nominated.
U.S. Rep. John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, got a nomination from the Republican side of the room and his own standing ovation.
The next order of business was a long roll call -- 435 people long with one do-over when a member apparently didn't answer the first time.
The routine went like this:
Clerk: "Smith."
Democrat Smith: "Pelosi."
Clerk: "Pelosi"
Or it went like this:
Clerk: "Smith."
Republican Smith: "Boehner."
Clerk: "Boehner."
When it came time for the Republican nominee to vote, the routine went like this:
Clerk: "Boehner."
Boehner: "Boehner."
Laughter rolled through the House chamber.
Clerk: "Boehner."
More laughter.
Chuckles alternated with triumphant votes for Pelosi celebrating a first in the nation's history.
Rep. Joseph Crowley, a New York Democrat, announced another first, casting his vote for "First Italian-American speaker, Nancy Pelosi."
Applause.
For some Pelosi supporters, a pulpit and Bible wouldn't have been inappropriate.
"In the Name of Jesus, Nancy Pelosi," Jesse L. Jackson Jr. of Illinois intoned.
That followed his invoking of Rosa Parks and the "struggle for equality."
1:05 p.m. Some Republican seats had emptied out, maybe for a quick leg stretch, but Democrats -- who also brought the most kids -- stayed firmly in place.
Some of the declarations from Democratic women would have done well to be spoken with Helen Reddy singing, "I am woman. Hear me roar!" in the background.
Rep. Nita Lowey of New York raised her arms heavenward during her vote for Pelosi and said, "Women can do anything!"
"For the empowermen of all women in the world ... Nancy Pelosi!" Rep. Loretta Sanchez of California said.
"For the future of our grandchildren and world peace!" said another congresswoman who appeared to have grandkids snuggled around her.
Before that, Pelosi voted for ... Pelosi.
It was another occasion for a standing ovation.
Neugebauer and Thornberry put in their votes for Boehner when the time came with little fanfare.
1:45 p.m. The surround-sound gavel pounded again at 435 votes.
The clerk announced that Pelosi had 233 votes, and then she said something else about the votes for Boehner, but the cheering and the standing ovation drowned it out.
Republicans stood and clapped. No cheers from their side of the chamber.
Pelosi walked out of the chamber with a gaggle of people who would be her escort.
Then came a nonsurprise annoucement: "Madam clerk, Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi, the representative from California, and the escort committee," followed by their triumphant march back into the chamber.
Cheek kissing, cheers, whistling and applause.
Speeches were also part of the ceremony. (See AP stories.)
And so word of the first female speaker of the House coming to power has spread throughout the land.
Perhaps little girls are dreaming of someday taking the gavel themselves as second in line in succession to the presidency.
Wait a minute. Little girls probably don't what a speaker of the House is.
It's more likely they know what a president is.

Posted by Trish Choate at 03:55 PM | Permalink