Frank Lautenberg, Millicent Fenwick and Why I Abandoned NOW

Frank Lautenberg died today at age 89.  My condolences to his family, I’m sure he was a good man, though he was a down and dirty campaigner.  It is easy to forget and forgive political divisions (he and I were probably about 170◦ apart philosophically) at a time of human and personal sorrow.  In truth I knew little of the man that couldn’t be summed up in the word, “liberal.”  That isn’t ipso facto a bad thing.  I’d rather deal with an honest liberal than a biased conservative.  But I remember Lautenberg most for being the reason I no longer support the National Organization of Women (NOW).  I left them in 1982 when they endorsed Lautenberg over a pillar of the women’s movement, Millicent Fenwick.   

Millicent Fenwick was the pipe smoking Congresswoman from New Jersey.  The woman Walter Cronkite called the, “Conscience of Congress.”  She was born wealthy, but that is no guarantee of an easy life.  Her mother died on board the Lusitania.  She worked for Vogue, had a failed marriage, became active in the Civil Rights Movement and then started a political career.  Her election to Congress at age 64 was called a, “geriatric” triumph. 

            She was my kind of Republican, moderate and a progressive, a leader in both civil rights and the women’s movement.  Once, when a conservative male congressman attacked a piece of equal rights legislation by saying, "I’ve always thought of women as kissable, cuddly, and smelling good," Fenwick responded, "That’s what I’ve always thought about men, and I hope for your sake that you haven’t been disappointed as many times as I’ve been."  None of that helped her with NOW.  They had their own secret agenda and unspoken allegiances.  

            She ran for the Senate in 1982 and was defeated by Lautenberg.  With a near perfect voting record from Common Cause, the NAACP and National Organization of Women you would think that Fenwick would have received an endorsement from NOW.  You would be wrong. 

Personally, I was shocked.  I was aghast.  I was naïve.  But I was soon to be disabused of my too trusting assumptions that NOW wanted to make things better for women by electing the smart ones to Congress.

            Being the third in a line of women who all worked outside the home, as well as all of the duties of wife, mother and home maker (Yes, folks, that is working a double shift, and frequently the grave yard as well!) I was a natural feminist and supporter of NOW.   When I learned that NOW was endorsing Lautenberg instead of Fenwick for Senate in New Jersey I was sure it was an error.  I made several phone calls, talked to several women and to each I noted Fenwick’s near perfect voting record vis a vis women’s issues.  In each case I was told I was correct but…  After several hard questions I was finally told the ugly truth.   Fenwick was a Republican, and as such unworthy of NOW’s endorsement.  Her actions didn’t speak as loud as her political affiliation. 

My disgust was complete when I pointed out that NOW was supposed to be a bi-partisan organization, which uniformly made the women at the other end of the line snort with amused derision.  

            So I left NOW.  I’m sure they haven’t missed me, but I have never missed an opportunity to vote against their planted candidates.  They are not the least bit interested in advancing equality for women.  They are a shadow branch of the DNC. 

            Personally, I’m mourning the loss of Millicent Fenwick, who kept the faith.