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Pete Souza / White House
President Barack Obama met with senior advisers on Dec. 29 in the Oval Office. Valerie Jarrett was the only woman among them -- her leg is just visible in front of the desk.
A photo of President Barack Obama meeting with his nearly all-male staff – a barely visible Valerie Jarrett being the exception -- to discuss fiscal cliff negotiations prompted questions at Wednesday's White House briefing about the number of high-level women in his administration.
The issue has gained relevance recently as news unfolded that the president would appoint men to all of the highest-profile cabinet positions (State, Defense and Treasury), even as some women were in the running. The number of women senior staff shrank even further Wednesday with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announcing her resignation.
Responding to a question from NBC’s Chuck Todd about whether the picture “embarrassed” President Obama, press secretary Jay Carney immediately listed the names of women in the administration.
“Two of the three deputy chiefs of staff are women,” Carney said. “The White House counsel is a woman. A woman runs homeland security for this country, Secretary Napolitano.”
He also named Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services, who he described as the “cabinet secretary in charge of the most important piece of domestic policy legislation in a generation.”
Neither Napolitano nor Sebelius would have been in the picture that spurred Wednesday’s discussion, as their departments do not deal with fiscal issues.
“Including Valerie Jarrett, women serve in key policy roles here within the White House, as they do throughout the administration,” Carney said. He listed yet more women: Cecilia Munoz , Director of Domestic Policy, Tina Tchen, chief of staff to Michelle Obama, Nancy Hogan, White House personnel director Nancy Hogan.
“This president is committed to diversity,” he continued. “Look at the record.”
He continued to list more women, repeating Janet Napolitano’s name. He also named Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who had been in the running for the secretary of state position until she pulled her name following months of controversy about comments she made about the Benghazi attacks.
Concluding, Carney said: “This president has made two appointments to the Supreme Court, both of them women.”
Leave a Comment:
This is such a non-starter. His record does indeed speak for itself as Carney has pointed out by naming the many women that are in the current administration. I am all for diversity, but I am also of the mind that it should be the "best person for the job" and not whether or not they are hired based on being male or female.
so the war on women is now exposed as being silly --- but someone rode that into an office --- and the lie is confirmed.
thanks
Would you remind us again, when someone who chooses the moniker "billy-bob" means a @!$%#? lol
Go back to your double-wide, clean up your septic tank and for GAWDS sake BRUSH that tooth of yours! ;o)
No, billybob, that would be incorrect. The war on women is continuous in the Republican party as noted today by the ever popular woman hater, lyin Ryan who is bringing forth yet another waste of taxpayers' money by sponsoring another bill against women and our reproductive rights. I guess your party just didn't get its ass kicked hard enough this go round, so come 2014 I guess we will have to clean house a little more.
Okay, now my day is complete! Thank you Feisty for the much needed laugh!
Republicans walk with the Taliban when it comes to Women's Rights !!!
0bama is a misogynistic @!$%#. Nothing else to see here.
Okay. How many African-Americans are there working in the White House? Why is diversity only about women?
OMG.
A LOT of diversity in this WH.
Now if only GOP would stop going after the non-whites.
Yea but Obama has binders full of women. Oops wrong guy.
I did not see any under Obama's desk on their knees so you have to say there is some progress. Gotta love good ole Bill.......those were the days.
President Obama has appointed so many women...more than any previous President - some are still serving, such as Janet Napolitano, Kathleen Siberius, & Valerie B. Jarrett. The outgoing female cabinet members such as Hillary Clinton and Hilda Lucia Solis.
President Obama has a great record, so much better than conservative habit of putting women on a pedestal or, even sorse, in binders.
Corrections to #1.10:
President Obama has a great record, so much better than conservative habit of putting women on a pedestal, in magazine centerfolds, or, even
sorseworse, in binders.Women's Rights start with voting for the Democratic party !
AlaskaGirl-759554
This is such a non-starter. His record does indeed speak for itself as Carney has pointed out by naming the many women that are in the current administration. I am all for diversity, but I am also of the mind that it should be the "best person for the job" and not whether or not they are hired based on being male or female.
Obviously, that's out the door. Now you vote for/appoint the best woman, the best white, the best black, etc. Picking someone as the best person for the job has now officially taken a back-seat to liberal politics. Gotta get that vote!
yes the bad republicans keeping women down ! In this white house women ALL make 12-23% less then there male counter parts ( look it up on fact checker) and now 4 less women in cabinet positions and rising this month . yep those @!$%#ing republicans how dare they !
Democrats in war on woman. White House Obama's boys club.
Anita Dunn, Obama’s former White House communications director who got in trouble after she revealed that Chairman Mao was one of her heroes, said that Obama’s White House met all the requirements of a “hostile workplace”:
Woman rights, stop voting Democrat, don't sell your vote for free abortions and birth control.
actually women's voting rights had first started in some western territories such as Wyoming and Utah before they even joined the union. When Congress was deciding on the statehood question of such territories, the male chauvinist congressional pigs had some problems with women's voting rights and only grudgingly accepted these territories into the union.
Pigotry, your bias is showing. President Clinton = 47% female appointees, President Obama = 43% female appointees. Close but not a winner. President Bush came in at 37% of his appointees being female.
bias? maybe just a different set of sources? But it's good to know there is another statistic. Thanks.
billybob-6210632
so the war on women is now exposed as being silly --- but someone rode that into an office --- and the lie is confirmed.
billybob,
Please get serious would you. In this 21st century practically every war on anything has been started by FAKE NEWS & the fringe nut jibs on the right.
War on women (planned parenthood) A newbie in Tennessee and soon to be A FAKE NEWS star along with another Republican woman, Marsha Blackburn re-introduced a bill to refund Planned Parenthood
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/08/planned-parenthood-receives-record-amount-taxpayer-support/
War on Islam
War on the LBGT
War on religion
War on the middle class
War on Christmas
War on seniors
War on young people (education)
War on veterans
War on the poor
War on children
Worse, A Civil War in America
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/01/03/were-now-one-step-closer-to-america-coming-civil-war/
Isn't that the result FAKE NEWS & its ECHO CHAMBER wants: war, poverty, fear, chaos, and hopelessness for most people with abundance for a few elite?
It all starts over @ Neocon Headquarters aka FOX NEWS!!!
I for one am relieved that the Obama administration doesn't feel obligated to check the minority box and instead has elected to appoint, in their opinion the best person for the job. And if those people are all women so be it. In this case they are mostly men. Again, so be it.
We need a country of leaders, not a country led by checked boxes.
The war on women is not exposed as being silly, this is an issue the current White House administration takes very seriously. Now, the question you should be asking is why is it that the woman he wanted to be Secretary of State was kicked out by the Republicans? Then when he takes the next person who was a man, all the sudden there is no issue from the Republicans. And you say it is the White House that has issues with Women? Wow.
I spent most of my career in Federal Civil Rights enforcement. Brenda has it right; you don't message a record by one picture. Someone tell Joe Scarborough to shut up and listen; it he quits bullying women long enough he might learn something. You look at this President's record in its entirity and it is impressive in his support for women. The screaming male Republcians trying to make something out of nothing are pathetic. Particularly Scarborough not listening to the women on his show because he can't stop screaming in his desperation to make something out of nothing.
Obama believes in affirmative action, as he was able to advance because of it. So why should it come as any surprise he makes his decisions using the same philosophy? Not picking the most qualified person for any position is a major failure all through our society.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/us/politics/under-obama-a-skew-toward-male-appointees.html?ref=politics&_r=0
Or in the case of our trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see occupant of the White House:
A picture is worth a trillion words.
And it was the lefty liberal Bible, the NY Times that outed King Barry the First which makes it even more Hillaryous.
Apparently Barry is setting up his own Washington chapter of the VFW* as he searches for people qualified to serve in cabinet level positions in his second term.
Especially since his four recent nominations have been, as the Nasty DumbFux puts it, “stale, male, and pale”.
It was Hillarously FUNNY to watch Wrinkle-puss Walsh squirm on the subject on last night’s Wiffleball. She knew Barry has F*#@ed up big time and she should have been harshly critical of him, but, she couldn’t bring herself to actually call him on it. Her uncomfortable squirming is must see TV. LMFAO!!!!!
Then, on Morning Joe today, Mika had her turn in the squirming booth, pathetically reacting to Joe’s suggestion that Romney immediately Fed Ex his binders full of women to Barry to assist him in find qualified women for his cabinet level positions.
*VFW: Very Few Women
The left will never admit it but President Bush had the most diverse administration in history. He had more minorities and woman in power positions than any liberal would ever think to have. Then again scumbag Clinton had more woman in different positions than any other President, and not positions of power. And pathetic liberals love him for it. Pathetic!!
Guess you haven't read the poles saying that the highest amount of women in congress has been under this administration. Guess you elected not to read that article.
I don't know about the number in the White House, but 18% of Government Jobs are held by 12% of the population of African-Americans.
This "libbie" will offer some positive comment about Dubya's Administration in that it was the most diverse at the time. The trend toward diversity continues with the current and probably future Administrations too. We should look to find the best people to fill the cabinet posts not the best white male or African American female or best Asian for this or that but the best person period. So you righties don't let it go to your head that someone from slightly left of center is offering an iota of praise for your boy Dubya.
TO: billybob-6210632 who wrote:
We women don't want Republicans telling us what we can and cannot do with our own, personal, private bodies, and we don't want anybody trying to dictate to us about whether we can or cannot take the pill!
I could care less if the President of the United States perfers working with men, in fact, I like it.
TO: JH-479998 who wrote:
You mean "the most corrupt".
I guess it was too hard to find enough white guys to do all of Bush's dirty work, so Bush was forced to look elsewhere.
Who would have ever thunk that we would actually see the day that Republicans complained that there are too many caucasians in the White House, and not enough women.
1.26--congress and a president's administration are not one int he same. they are seperate. perhaps you need some refreshing on your comprehension skills before you try to insult someone?
American girl,
I am a republican and I don't have a problem with you having control of your body or taking a pill. I just don't want to be forced to pay for it before I take care of my own family first. Also I hope you don't have a problem with what anyone else does with their body such as smoking and what they eat etc. If you do then that makes you a hypocrite.
well that's great that you being a republican don't have a problem with women having control of their bodies, but you are the exception, about 98% of republicans do. And I don't have a problem with someone smoking or what someone eats, I don't even have a problem with someone who is terminally ill wanting kill themselves. People have rights to their bodies. The problems with republicans is that they want to impose their beliefs on everyone else, while democrats believe that even if they don't agree with something it is your right. As far as paying for birth control, you would not have to, this is part of health ins., there are many, many women who take birth control for health reasons.
TO: elliot-3020456 who wrote:
Is not!!!
TO: davefromdanapointca who wrote:
And, you know, I can't stand being forced to pay for Republicans' illegal wars that Republicans LIED us into, but still I'm forced to anyhow.
Guess you didn't lose anyone on 9/11
TO: JFK2012 who wrote:
What does "9/11" have to do with Iraq?
How about having to pay for wars the democrats get us into?
In the past there was Korea and Vietnam and in the near future it looks like obama is gearing us up for several countries in the African continent. We already have a couple thousand troops there as advisors right now and that is exactly how Vietnam started for us. And guess what? You are paying for it.
I'll be happy to "stay out of your Uterus" if you'll stop asking me to pay for the results of you sharing it with every guy who has $3 to buy you a cocktail.
Deal?
Wow now that is too funny. Pot calling the kettle black. Forgot about the 2 unpaid wars that Bush put on a credit card with China? Wow.
Wow, another Rush calling all women sluts or whores because they use their insurance to cover costs of condomes or tests. Also, how about you stop your wife cheating men whores from buying the $3 cocktails to try and get in our pants.
Dave, DUDE, are the personal insults really necessary?
Clinton, the serial sexual predator, used his position to get blow jobs and grope women. Now Obama is stepping all over them, yet its the republicans who wage war on women? Liberals, absolute masters of situational politics, and hypocrites extraordinaire.
And how EXACTLY is President Obama "stepping all over them"?
It wasn't his idea to pursue the politics of personal destruction against Susan Rice.
John B, Des Moines, IA,
But it was his idea to put her out on the talk show circuit and place her in what was at best an awkward situation.
So now President Obama is to blame for the lying and nastiness of Conservatives?
What happened to the party of personal responsibility?
TO: davefromdanapointca who wrote:
"$3 cocktail"?
Sheesch! Where do you go to buy drinks "Granny's Backyard Still and Whorehouse"?
I'd never make any "deal" with anybody on this topic.
As long as Republicans continue to "pursue the womb" we'll continue to vote them out of office.
TO: John B, Des Moines, IA who wrote:
They shut down, right after they found out they'd actually have to be held "responsible".
So basically you are saying you won't take personal responsibility for your reproductive system and you think everyone else should pay for your mistakes. WOW! And you want others to treat you like an adult too?
Good grief, is this all they've got. At least it's not "binders full of women." This President has been more diverse than all of the others before him combined, with the exception of Wm. Jefferson Clinton. Give me an effin' break.
Yeah Toni Wm J Clinton was real respectufl of women. After all you would be the authority on diversity when it comes to women since your avatars in the past have shown so. After all it was Chuckie Todd of NBC\FR that pointed it out. you have problems take it up with America Pravda aka NBC. So THEY is YOURS
OH DEAR... I see where our resident troll Seizure Disgustus is putting in some serious O/T!
By all means... carry on... YOU have NO idea how much better my FR experience is without having to read your bull@!$%#! *winky wink*
Thank YOU Jezus for the ignore the ingormaous feature!
Oh Fisty yet you feel compelled to oblige me. Thank god for the 'ignore' feature indeed.
simple minds, simple pleasures Fisty.
PTI,
If this doesn't reek of repubics trying to make it look like the Dems are women haters, then you don't know what time it is.
And spinning his wheels, as usual. Some people just don't learn that it's not a good idea to p!ss in the wind.
Women can over come this problem with the GOP by just voting for the Dem's !!!
I don't think this was a republican thing. This is a press corp with nothing new to ask thing. Its not a liberal thing. Maybe a handful of zealots mad that a women with a modicum of credentials didn't get the State appointment over a much more qualified man... But mainly just a press invention. Stupid.
As those before me have commented.... you nominate the best person for the job. Sadly, women have been given fewer opportunities to get the experience needed for these positions. Goddess willing this will change in the future. Sexism is a bogus accusation from the far right. Don't be decieved! This is not affirmative action and it's not sexism. It's commen sense.
All,
he got the women vote and he will not be running for re-election. Hence, in his mind they are no longer needed. This is how he clearly operates (see his first term comprehensive immigration reform).
Sheep.
Why is anyone talking about Bill Clinton? He's no longer President, just like that guy who was President after him...you know, what's his name, the guy Conservatives refuse to talk about.
I know why John, because Clinton loved to have Women in the Current Pot House, oops I mean the White House. Apparently he like the flavor they added to Cigars!!
Who gives a crap, you either hate the guy unconditionally or you love the guy unconditionally, or you don't give a rat's a s s what they do. Those choices are mutually exclusive.
What about the people in between, who neither love him or hate him?
I voted for him, but I sure as @!$%# don't love him unconditionally. How's that absolutist viewpoint working out for you?
I love him.
Maybe he should ask Romney for some binders.
*snort*
Please don't fall into the "good 'ol boy" trap Mr. President. It is easy to do because you are a man comfortable with men around you during your work day. So you have to take steps to improve this picture. At minimum have a couple more women and some more color in your cabinet. It is an easy trap to fall into but please refrain from it.
GOP In office, NO WOMAN, and if she was raped, she has to have that child and still cook me dinner the same day!
Give me a break. All she has to do is make something ahead of time and feeze it for the day she's going to have the baby. She can even cook ahead and freeze a weeks worth of meals.
Problem?
I also am all for equal rights but I'm really tired of the media and others trying to make something of nothing. The highest appointed position in government has been filled with female and several other cabinet members are women. Some people are never happy unless they are causing trouble.
TO: Richard-759534 who wrote:
or lying, which Republicans love to do, non-stop.
I thought Republicans were going to slack up on the lies after the election, but now I don't think they can.
It's far more important what's between the ears, than that's below the neck. Geez... I think Chuckie T is just looking for something to talk about... again...
If that's the case Obama has screwed up on at least 5 occasions, no, the women are there as window dressing so no one will snipe there ain't none........ Women being used by a democrat.
"Responding to a question from NBC’s Chuck Todd about whether the picture “embarrassed” President Obama, press secretary Jay Carney immediately listed the names of women in the administration."
.....but Carney apparently neglected to ask Chuck Todd if HE was "embarrassed" for asking such a stupid question in the first place.
And I'm glad kip360 thinks four cabinet members and Supreme Court nominees are just "window dressing".....
Why is this news? Who started a rumor going against the facts? I wasn't under the impression that we had time to play.
Feasty must have run out of food and Piggy found someone to proofread for her.
It is only an unconfirmed rumor that Janet Napolitano is a woman.
REALLY?
"We have plenty of women on staff.....the person who cleans my executive bathroom is a woman" -B. Hussein Obama
HopeisGone,
I was thinking the SAME thing or is he speaking about the dozens of assistants to Michelle!
I can't believe NBC is criticizing the President, this isn't like them.
someone must have spiked their bottled water...
Sounds like you've been drinking water spiked with nuclear runoff.
wow....looks like the ass obama was the one waging war on women.....obama is a feckin' hypocrite and a liar to boot....who the feck voted for this ass????...oh yeah the freeloader voting bloc........
You're a dip@!$%# paddy
f u
Do kiss your mother with that filty mouth of yours?
Feisty is such a dumb whore
I think Feisty is smart and funny, and I think too many Republicans on this board have a nasty foul mouth and tell too many lies.
We need more women in power...men have messed this country and world up! With their greed, ego, self-absorbed ways...not to mention their inability to think the way women can...time for a change...Men have held women back for much too long...makes me sick.
bullshiat.....women are just like men when they get elected...........power corrupts whether you are a man or a woman....of course liberals are such douchebags....
@h3321270 - How exactly is anyone holding you back? Quote the "80 cents for every dollar" quote all you like. It's incorrect. Many women are promoted preferentially these days due to an imbalance in leadership positions. People are people. Women will not do a better job than men. Men will not do a better job than women. Now, quit whining and get back to work.
REally???? Rice made an azz of herself over Benghazi and Hillary is guilty as sin over Benghazi. Yeah women are so much better than men -- EVERYONE in politics whether man or woman are nothing but bottom feeders and yet you keep electing the same career politicians over and over again.
After the last election America already knows where the republican party stands with women with their rape comments, slander by their leader Limbuagh and in general ignoring women but still asking for thier vote. I guess they are trying to bring Obama down to thier level, without much success.
David ...You are painting a whole party with your Rape comment from somebody the Party did not even support in the Election?
I guess according to you we should think the Left are all Perverts because of the Photos Weiner sent on his phone or maybe the ...the Left are all Child molesters like the Dem from Minnesota when he was convicted of having sex with a 17 yr old boy. Is that where the Democratic Party stands according to you?
You cant have your argument both ways...Both of these stories are public and on record. I am hoping that is not the case....
TO: mike-Pa who wrote:
I didnt think Weiner's photo was perverted, and it would be very cool if all Democrats have what Weiner has in his "junk" department.
When people in high places say stupid stuff, it does taint the Party, but in Republicans' case, there as so many bad ones around cussing up a storm and complaining about everything, they just DON'T seem to be a "nice" group of people anyway.
Total BS David but keep repeating what you're told. You're nothing but a lapdog for the dems without doing your own research.
No Dotties girl, I think David has got it pretty much correct, at least from what I saw during the run-up to the election.
American Girl ...you have a double standard ..Plain and Simple. Why did he resign? Because his behavior is unacceptable........But its ok with you because you are a Democrat.
The whitehouse hires the best people for the job. Now, in the private sector we have to watch out for affirmative action but OBAMA has his own set of rules. Business gets sued if not enough blacks or women in positions of power, but the liberals dont play by the same set of rules. A bunch of two bit hypocrites
Not really... the article is a bit incorrect. There are a ton of women in barry's administration.
nolan, Yes, really. The point is his selections for top advisors, that is were the women are missing. A total reversal of what his campaign implied he would do. You do not get to count the telephone operators to even out a number.
Two women appointed to the US Supreme Court.
OMG . . .Would you all just stop. Who cares? We all need to stop making these this things issues. MSNBC is trying to get you liberals fired up and you fall for it EVERY time.
And though you won't admit it, FOX gets you conservatitives all fired up and you fall for it EVERY time.
Just the site of Mitchell makes me vomit a little.
What a stupid story... Hillary Clinton was his sec of state, many of his administration are women. Would you rather just appoint women to stand there, smile, and look pretty like a cigar store indian?
C'mon, Nolan, you know the answer to that question.
In Horse Feathers, Prof. Wagstaff sings "Whatever it Is, I'm Against it!" Eight decades later, the GOP/T Chorus has pluralized the pronouns and focused on the present President.
Michele Bachmann back on the Intelligence Committee? Who says the GOP/T doesn't have a sense of irony?
If there ever wasn't a story or a situation that was worth debating it's this one.
However, the right will bite into any petty bone that shows up. It's all they have and what shows up from their arsenal is generally insults, racist remarks and 3rd grade humor.
It's pathetically amusing.
And the libs don't? It's called hypocracy my friend!
Stay stupid my friends!
Why is this even a story?
President Obama is not up for re-election. If we are to discuss women and the Obama administration, perhaps we should address the unequal pay for Congressional staffers. Perhaps we should consider why Ambassador Rice was asked to convey "the message" on Benghazi; especially since President Obama has offered that she had the least to do with it in her position.
M.J., If a presidential candidate says they will not raise taxes, gets elected, and raises taxes is that a story?
CKSM
You mean the story "that those who can afford it should pay their fair share", repeatedly? Or the non-story of all cost pressuring taxes in Obamacare? Or the story of letting the Payroll Tax Holiday to lapse but not attempting to reform the tax code, and possibly preventing a tax raise on the middle class?
TO: Damyou who wrote:
The only way she could be "pissed" is if she's dumb as a hammer.
Everybody knows the President gave workers a "tax holiday" and that the party is over come the January 1st.
If she's a Democrat, she already knows.
TO: CKSM who wrote:
It was when Republican George Herbert Walker Bush did it.
He ran on "Read my lips, no new taxes" and then raised taxes during his first term.
As we all know, that Bush never got a 2nd Term.
Democrat Bill Clinton succeeded George H.W. Bush.
Let's see how they defend 'operation fast and furious' as they try to take our guns away...
I was thinking the same thing. I guess it is not ok for me to have self defense, but Obama and Holder want to be sure the Mexican thugs can kill our border patrol officers.