Our View: Women in power

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will be sworn in today, and she plans to celebrate with events that speak to her roots and to her dreams. Her agenda includes a visit to her childhood neighborhood in Baltimore for Italian food and a church visit.

The Democrat from San Francisco is making history this week, and women throughout the country who have longed to see more women in power are celebrating.

Emily’s List, a fundraising organization for women Democratic candidates, sent out a gushing e-mail that read: “(Today) the world will watch Rep. Nancy Pelosi become the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House – second in line to the U.S. presidency – and the most powerful woman in U.S. political history!”

Women will fill Congress and state legislatures in record numbers this year, but after the champagne glasses are raised, the celebratory meals shared and the victory dances danced, the hard work will begin for Pelosi and all women in elective office.

The voters made it clear in November that they wanted change. They want a resolution in Iraq and a guarantee that our young people will get out of that mess sooner rather than later. They want Congress to clean up its act. Quit the partisan bickering. Work harder and longer. Show some backbone and integrity.

Some political analysts theorize that women made it into office in record numbers in November because voters thought that women leaders might be better at peacemaking, compromise and honesty.

Vivian Eveloff, director of the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life at the University of Missouri, told National Public Radio that even conservative voters regard women as an antidote to corruption.

But some women in leadership roles throughout the ages have led with as much banality and self-serving interest as the worst of the men. Women just haven’t been given as many opportunities to lead – well or poorly. Now, they have those opportunities.

What women will do with power remains to be seen. Ultimately, women in elective office should be judged on how well they represent their constituents, how judiciously they make the tough decisions and how effectively they maintain integrity, despite the seduction of perks and power.

These are the same criteria male leaders are judged on. Using these same standards of judgment will mean true political equality – at last.