Bella Abzug: In Hard Times, Look to the Legacy of the Brilliant Feisty Bella, Not the Poser Sarah Palin

By Don Hazen, AlterNet. Posted November 2, 2008.

In this political moment when Sarah Palin is the new conservative female leader archetype, the image and record of Bella Abzug stands out in profound contrast. Abzug was a one of a kind -- a brilliant, charismatic, caring, impossible, incorrigible, relentless leader, who made an indelible mark in politics in her colorful career as a lawyer, Congresswoman, and leader of myriad causes.

As described in the introduction to the marvelous Bella Abzug: Oral History ( FSG), edited by Suzanne Levine and Mary Thom, "Bella Abzug was an activist and leader in every major social movement of her lifetime -- from socialist Zionism and labor in the 40s, to the civil rights, ban-the-bomb and anti-Vietnam war movements in the 50s and 60s; the women's movement in the 70s and 80s; and, in the years before she died, global human rights."

At the age of 50, in 1970, Bella ran for office for the first time and was elected to Congress, representing a progressive district in Manhattan. Being on the inside was a new experience for her, but Bella became one of the most respected strategists in the Congress. Friend and foe alike marveled at her mastery of Congressional procedure and her innovative approaches to legislation."

I knew Bella personally in a small way from the time I was managing Ruth Messinger's campaign for City Council in 1977, when Bella was running for Mayor. This was a year after her ill-fated campaign for the U.S. Senate when she lost to the far more conservative Daniel Patrick Monihan by 1 percent of the vote -- Paul O' Dwyer and Ramsey Clark, both die-hard liberals, also ran in that election and took enough votes away from Bella to seal her fate.

In 1977, we sought to have Bella's endorsement for Messinger in the Democratic primary against Henry Berger. That effort produced loads of drama to say the least; but in the end, after much sturm und drang, Bella come through, and endorsed Ruth, who went on to a landslide victory. But alas Bella did not win.

During that time, I got to know Bella best via Ken Sunshine, who was close to her. Sunshine, who is now a top communications guru, representing A-list talent like Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, and Leo Di Caprio, remembers Bella fondly. In a recent interview, Sunshine laughed about Sarah Palin, saying, "Comparing Abzug and Palin is like comparing Michael Jordan to a high school bench warmer. Abzug had range, style, guts, and a desire to make the world better for everyone. Sarah Palin maybe has guts."

In the meantime, Sarah Palin has received enormous attention as the new leader of the hard core, wing-nut crowd. She cuts a media darling kind of image: an attractive super mom, with a studly husband, makes plenty of babies, juggles love and work, wears skirts and heels, shows plenty of leg, and speaks her mind. Of course, there is plenty of underside to Palin -- her inconsistencies, lack of knowledge, flirtation with corruption, skirting of the rules, fanatical religious and anti-women positions. The bad side of Palin has added up to the fact that as we approach election day, 57% of the public think that Palin is unqualified to be VP. But make no mistake. Sarah Palin isn't going away

So as we are head to the polls on Tuesday, it seems important to remind ourselves, just what passion, conviction, and effectiveness in politics is all about. Bella Abzug was deeply committed to the core issues of humanity -- the profound crucible of human rights and liberties, of peace and equality and justice for all. As the book's editors ask, "Where are the contemporary voices of outrage and defiant optimism? In recent years [the Bush Administration] has reconfigured the relationship of the United States with the rest of the world from trusted alliances to unilateral exercise of power, with barely a murmur from our elected representatives. Momentous issues are being decided virtually without public debate or accountability from Congress. It is inconceivable that Bella would have kept quiet in these circumstances. It is important to consider: If she were still among us, what would Bella do? If we are to carry forward her legacy, what should we do?"

What follows are colorful excerpts of the oral history told by some of the people who knew Bella best, including the brilliant Doug Ireland, who was Bella's campaign manager, and then a hard-hitting journalist, as well as some of her most trusted colleagues and peers like Robin Morgan, Gloria Steinem, Nadine Hack, and Marlo Thomas. It is a fascinating and amazing history, and it reminds the reader just how different and lacking the political discourse is today.

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Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

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