A Fighting Chance

“Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution”: The speech went viral on the Internet with liberal blogs and websites linking to the clip. Right-wing and conservative blogs, magazines, and TV used it to boost their arguments about class warfare. See Jonah Goldberg, America Live, Fox News, September 22, 2011, http://video.foxnews.com/v/1176435451001/: “It seems to me, what Warren says, some of it is true and where it’s not true, it’s just patently silly…”

Similarly, Rush Limbaugh declared: “… She’s a parasite. She’s a parasite who hates her host. She’s willing to destroy the host while she sucks the life out of it. Roads, bridges, firefighters and policemen.… There’s a guy at the New Republic—Jonathan Cohn—celebrating her rant, especially the philosophical pillar that the rich are just basically lucky. He says, ‘I’ve met many people at the bottom of the income ladder who work just as hard, for far less reward. Between 1980 and 2005, the richest 1 percent of Americans got more than four-fifths of the country’s income gains. Does anybody seriously believe that the other 99 percent didn’t deserve to take home a much larger share?’ This is the kind of thinking [that] undergirds it all. Again, I cannot emphasize it enough: This is exactly the way Obama views this country in the rest of the world. This is the thinking behind Mao Zedong’s cultural revolution. This is the thinking behind Fidel Castro’s revolution, the kind of thinking that’s going on in Venezuela—and, as you can see, at our citadels and even in our government.…” Rush Limbaugh, “Elizabeth Warren Video: One of the Great Teaching Tools on Liberalism,” Rushlimbaugh.com, September 22, 2011.

to raise money for Scott Brown: Nicholas Confessore, “Vilifying Rival, Wall St. Rallies for Senate Ally,” New York Times, November 18, 2011.

step out of the race: Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, said in an interview with Politico: “This is the kind of sexist misogynistic attack that we have very sadly come to expect from politicians whenever there is a strong woman who is capable and really dedicated to the betterment of all the people. And I really think that the biggest apology he owes is not to Elizabeth Warren—she is strong, trust me, she can take it—he owes an apology to the women of Massachusetts. [Brown’s comment is reason enough for him to] reconsider whether he should be a United States senator. He should seriously consider dropping out of the race.” In addition, Kim Gandy, vice president at Feminist Majority, also weighed in: “By every measure, Elizabeth Warren is an attractive candidate. Scott Brown’s sexist wisecrack offers women some insight into his, um, underlying attitudes. Not so attractive.” Jess McIntosh at EMILY’s List commented: “Scott Brown’s comments are insensitive at best, offensive at worst, and just show the only thing he really cares about is Scott Brown.” See M.J. Lee, “Women’s Groups Dress Down Scott Brown,” Politico, October 6, 2011.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, always an outspoken leader on issues concerning women, also jumped into the debate on ABC’s This Week: “I thought it spoke volumes about how clueless Senator Brown is.… It really spoke volumes about, really, disrespect for women that he may not even realize. I bet you he would like to take that comment back.” Sam Stein, “Nancy Pelosi: Scott Brown Is Clueless,” Huffington Post, October 9, 2011.

“first major gaffe” of the campaign: Garrett Quinn, “Brown’s First Major Gaffe of the 2012 Race,” Less Is More (blog), Boston.com, October 6, 2011. See also Hillary Chabot, “Case Clothed: Scott Brown Quip Hits Below the Belt,” BostonHerald.com, October 7, 2011.

all the reporters in Massachusetts: More often when I was out and about, Alethea Harney was along to help with press. Alethea was not only calm and well informed, she was a pleasure to be with, day in and day out. No matter what, she kept smiling. And back in the office, Julie Edwards kept all the pieces moving, efficiently and effectively managing our communications.

“She’s not a lesbian”: For the interview with the Daily Beast, see Samuel P. Jacobs, “Warren Takes Credit for Occupy Wall Street,” Daily Beast, October 24, 2011.

The Occupy Protesters rightly took issue with my statement; see Diana Perez, “Protesters Say They Deserve Credit for Occupy Boston, Not Warren,” CBS Local, October 25, 2011.

“13 months before the general election”: Nick Baumann, “Check Out This Crazy Photo of an Elizabeth Warren Volunteer Meeting,” Mother Jones, October 27, 2011.

competitive edge around the world: See the “Nifty50” from the National Science Foundation, which are NSF-funded inventions, innovations, and discoveries. http://www.nsf.gov/about/history/nifty50/.