Political Quotes

“earlier this month I traveled with the Iraqi Women's Caucus members, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Tauscher) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) to meet with Iraqi women to discuss election procedures. We held the meeting in Amman, Jordan. These were women who were candidates for the January 30, 2005, elections in Iraq. And it seems kind of strange that we would be training them in election procedures, how to campaign, when certainly that is a very different place, and the elections are being held in a war zone, and it is very difficult for candidates to get their name out, to even have their picture out and so that they are on lists which provides for the different groups. The women were from all different parties that are involved in the election. There are over 100 parties. We had 20 of these women that came to discuss the elections. But we were so amazed and so impressed with the caliber of women. They are educated, articulate, well spoken, and at least five of them have Ph.Ds. But they are not only running for election, where we talk about how you have to speak against opponents, and you might say that you are going to really kill each other; they are actually putting their life on the line. So many of them have been intimidated. They have been threatened. One of the women has lost her 17-year old son along with her guard.”