Susan B. Palin.

• Author: Clinton, Kate
• Position: Unplugged - Susan B. Anthony and Sarah Palin - Viewpoint essay

Two years after John McCain's choice of Dan Quayle in a ponytail, a few questions remain, like: "Who is Sarah Palin? Presidential material or material girl?"

A better question posed by some cynical feminists, and by me, is, "Why is Sarah Palin?" This question hangs like a thought bubble over Susan B. Anthony's grave.

Palin is coopting the unmarried, childless, more gazelle than grizzly Susan B. for her own brand of, uh, feminism.

SarahPac's Susan B. Anthony List is the rightwing, teabaggin' and fundraisin' version of EMILY's List, the twenty-five-year-old organization that funds pro-choice, progressive candidates. EMILY is the squeam-inducing acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast." It causes the dough to rise. Get it?

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Susan B. was an actual early feminist who wrote fiercely and spoke fearlessly as she slogged through upstate snowstorms, hostile conventions, long-winded debates, and endless speaking tours for the equal rights of all women.

Sarah P. is a recently self-proclaimed feminist who flits tirelessly through Twitters, Facebook, and selected high-paid appearances that she arrives at by private jet. She advocates for some rights for some women. In her folksy videos, she urges women to refuse to choose, to stop usin' g's, and to sorta--y'know--rise up. It's just kinda common sense.

I n spite of itself, the Vatican also urges women to rise up. In its recent statement updating procedures for responding to sexual abuse cases, the Vatican recommended faster discipline of abusive priests and extended the statute of limitations for reporting abuse. One spokes-clothman said, "This gives a very strong signal that we are very, very serious in our commitment to promote safe environments and to offer an adequate response to abuse." So serious they neither required mandatory reporting to civil authorities nor recommended punishment for cover-ups.

So much for "rigor and transparency." Or at least transparency.

Then came the biggest add-on to an in-appropriations bill ever, bigger than Alaska's Bridge to...