“… Without the women’s vote — because women comprise the majority of the electorate — it’s virtually impossible for a candidate to win the election.” – Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women and Politics Institute at American University

This is the alternate, political version of why buy the milk if the cow is free?, with the biggest feminist names in Democratic politics giving away their power for a President who not only served up women’s freedoms and codified the Hyde Amendment, but also put entitlements on the table, which keep women out of poverty in old age. …and I guess everyone forgot the debt ceiling debate began without one single woman in the room.

So, to review where women have been in the Democratic debt ceiling debacle. Pres. Obama’s debt ceiling meeting started with not one single woman in the room.

At Blair House, the old boys club meeting has consisted of Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), U.S. Senators John Kyl (R-AZ), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Max Baucus (D-MT), Reps. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who have convened for the budget negotiations with Vice President Biden, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Budget Director Jack Lew, and economic adviser Gene Sperling. Where are the women? – National Council of Women’s Organization

Amanda Terkel’s report on Gloria Steinem headlining a huge fundraiser for Pres. Obama’s reelection is conclusive proof that today’s establishment women do not take their power or purpose in politics seriously anymore. Instead of taking a page from Richard Trumka, the Democratic girls are all in, succumbing to practical politics, because if they take on Democrats and Republicans win things will only get worse, or so the lunacy goes.

Women elect presidents, but this is the best progressive and Democratic women in positions of power can do?

These ladies have gotten comfortable with their titles, power and access, so they’ve gotten lazy and we’re all going to pay.

Ms. Steinem made her name by standing up against the odds women faced. With no one close to her power in place to take on what’s been happening in the Democratic Party, Steinem is left as a historic figurehead at the top of a fundraiser that means very little to most women today.

But it does represent the lowered value of Democratic ideals, with all that’s left is a show, with very little substance being represented. Now even the most powerful women on the Left have been suckered by the lure of money, while becoming part of the embarrassment of the elite machine without utilizing the power they’ve earned to get something better for women from the establishment they support.

First Lady Michelle Obama, longtime feminist activist Gloria Steinem and several other prominent Democratic women will be the featured guests at a fundraiser in New York City next month for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, in an effort to mobilize and energize Democratic women for 2012. The Park Avenue fundraiser on Sept. 20 will also feature EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock, Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards and Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). – Gloria Steinem To Headline Obama Fundraiser In New York City

A Park Avenue fundraiser, oh, it’s just so perfect for the current Democratic Party image, but especially for the women who wield power in it.

Never have Democrats been so far removed from the working man and woman.

Attending Democratic women may not all be part of the fan politics brigade of Pres. Obama’s He Can Do No Wrong Crowd, instead driven by practicalities in politics when looking at the Tea Party crowd, but hitching a ride on the Obama reelect bandwagon that has little luster and no connection to the average woman or her plight makes this crowd look Republican, the old school version.

Gloria Steinem, First Lady Michele Obama, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Stephanie Schriock, Cecile Richards and other Democratic women participating in this fundraising event don’t remotely represent the majority of women who’ll vote in 2012.

We’re mad as hell and don’t see any benefits to supporting a system that has locked our issues out and put our lives in economic jeopardy.

From a recent AP-GFK poll:

Women no longer are a bright spot for Obama.

At the 100-day mark of his presidency, they gave him significantly higher approval ratings than did men, 68 percent to 60 percent. That’s since fallen dramatically.

In the latest AP-GfK survey, less than half of all women and less than half of all men approve of the job Obama is doing. Just 50 percent of women said Obama deserves re-election.

Predictably, Clinton’s bundlers are all in too. The establishment is nothing if not a cozy click.

Perhaps the thought of Rick Perry taking Obama’s place is already doing the job, starting with revving up the insiders femmes, because a Tea Party takeover is a harrowing thought.

But since women have the power to elect the next president it’s interesting high profile Democratic women are using theirs to reelect Barack Obama, instead of leveraging the power we do have to make all the presidential wannabes court us.

What are women going to get for all this Park Avenue partying?

What are poor women going to get?

I wish I could say this whole spectacle surprises me, but practical politics is easier than waging a fight against elite Democrats you need to keep your organization afloat, especially since you have no intention of organizing women to do something monumental, like demand these corporate jackals tell us what they’re going to do to make our lives freer, our economic lives more secure, and our retirement security intact.

You don’t give away your vote or your money on the promise of something not quantified in policy specifics or a record that guarantees your getting your money’s worth.