Saturday, March 26, 2011

Geraldine Ferraro Has Died **Updated**

At the age of 75, Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run as a Vice Presidential candidate in 1984, died today (h/t Sara in Italy):
[snip] Ferraro died at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was being treated for blood cancer. She died just before 10 a.m., said Amanda Fuchs Miller, a family friend who worked for Ferraro in her 1998 Senate bid and was acting as a spokeswoman for the family.

A three-term congresswoman from the New York City borough of Queens, Ferraro catapulted to national prominence in 1984 when she was chosen by presidential nominee Walter Mondale to join his ticket against incumbents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.

[...]

Palin paid tribute to Ferraro on her Facebook page on Saturday.

“She broke one huge barrier and then went on to break many more,” Palin wrote. “May her example of hard work and dedication to America continue to inspire all women.”

For his part, Mondale remembered his former running mate as “a remarkable woman and a dear human being.”

“She was a pioneer in our country for justice for women and a more open society. She broke a lot of molds and it’s a better country for what she did,” Mondale told The Associated Press. [snip] (Click here to read the rest.)

If you wish to read the entire statement from Sarah Palin, click here. You may recall that Sarah Palin and Geraldine Ferraro did appear together, the only two women to run as Vice Presidential candidates for the major parties. Here they are:



My thoughts and prayers go out to the Ferraro family. Ms. Ferraro broke a lot of barriers in this country, was an outspoken advocate for women, and she will have my undying gratitude. May she rest in peace.

Update: The Clintons issued a statement following the death of Ms. Ferraro, a staunch Hillary supporter:
[snip] "Gerry Ferraro was one of a kind -- tough, brilliant, and never afraid to speak her mind or stand up for what she believed in -- a New York icon and a true American original. She was a champion for women and children and for the idea that there should be no limits on what every American can achieve. The daughter of an Italian immigrant family, she rose to become the first woman ever nominated to the national ticket by a major political party. She paved the way for a generation of female leaders and put the first cracks in America's political glass ceiling. She believed passionately that politics and public service was about making a difference for the people she represented as a congresswoman and Ambassador.

For us, Gerry was above all a friend and companion. From the rough-and-tumble of political campaigns to the important work of international diplomacy, we were honored to have her by our side. She was a tireless voice for human rights and helped lead the American delegation to the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Through it all, she was a loyal friend, trusted confidante, and valued colleague.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Gerry's husband John, her children and grandchildren, and their entire family."

Greta Van Susteran will be doing a tribute show to Geraldine Ferraro at 10:00pm Sunday night.

2 comments:

sarainitaly said...

it's sad what they did to her during the campaign. now they don't know what to do with themselves... *how do we morn her, we smeared her as a racist, and she worked for FOX!*

it was a shock that she passed. i didn't know she had blood cancer. i thought the last time i saw her she looked strangely puffy, i wonder if it was some treatment she was undergoing.

RIP.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, AGII -

You know, I was thinking abt that very thing. How even though she simply repeated words Obama said, and which were TRUE, btw, she was slammed as a racist (just like the Clintons). Shocking.

I also remember her saying very clearly that she wasn't just going to throw her support to Obama from Hillary, that her supporters wouldn't stand for that, that they would stop her on the street, and she disagreed with him on things. And then she did, almost immediately. Sigh.

But there is no denying the critical role she played for women in the political sphere, and for that, I will always be grateful to her.