The St. Petersburg Times has an interesting article which talks about the diversity that Democrats have brought to Washington, DC. Here are some excerpts:
....The November election that put Democrats in charge of Congress for the first time in 12 years marked more than a change in party control. It marked a major change in the diversity of the congressional leadership, especially in the House....
...While their overall numbers increased only slightly this year, women and minorities hold more jobs of real influence in Congress than ever before, placing them in a historic position to affect legislation and guide public policy....
.....Under the Republicans, the five top jobs in the House were held by four white men and a white woman, Deborah Pryce of Ohio.
Under the Democrats, the five top leaders include the first female speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and two black men: Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina and his senior chief deputy, John Lewis of Georgia.
Under Republican rule, the chairmen of all 21 House committees were white men.
Under Democratic rule, eight of the 21 chairmen are women or people of color, including Charles Rangel of New York, who runs the House's tax-writing committee; John Conyers of Michigan, Judiciary Committee; and Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, who chairs the House Ethics Committee....
Speaking of shifts-----
Republican Sen. Sam Brownback is going to run for President. In my opinion, Brownback's views on women are draconian. Brownback is against women having choices about their bodies. I would not be surprised if he proposed the use of iron chastity belts for women.Ted Strickland, a Democrat, has been Ohio Governor for two weeks and a letter to the editor in the right wing Columbus Dispatch is already suggesting that he thinks he is above the law. Give me a break! We'll be cleaning up the Republican corruption mess in Ohio for the next three decades and some guy is complaining after two weeks??????!!!!!!!
***This next item has nothing to do with politics----
Lots and lots of unhappy doctors and nurses are talking at a well-known hospital in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It seems that rumors are flying that the hospital may close because the large corporation that owns the hospital is not making enough money. It seems this hospital corporation and the chief administrator do not like taking in the poor and disadvantaged. Doctors, nurses, and staff are very upset about these new policies. Also, nurses and staff members have been forbidden to wear pins that promote cancer awareness. Just prior to the Buckeye national title game, nurses and staff members were told they were not allowed to wear scarlet and gray or Buckeye gear to work. The hospital administrator in charge of all these changes should be ashamed. I thought hospitals were about people caring for people not corporations making profits.