Big night for women; rape comments hurt GOP

What a night for female candidates. And that extends beyond the most widely known woman who was running for office Tuesday, Massachusetts Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren.

As Kathryn Schulz, a book reviewer for New York Magazine, tweeted: “Elected to the Senate today: the first disabled woman, first openly lesbian woman, first Asian woman. Binder full of (bleeping) awesome.”

Think back to early September, right after the political conventions. Republicans believed they had a shot at taking the Senate from the Democrats.

Then, Missouri Republican Rep. Todd Akin — thought to be up against an easy target in incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill — introduced mainstream America to the concept of  “forcible rape.”

Akin lost. By a lot.

Last month, Republican Richard Mourdock of Indiana– a Tea Partier running for the Senate in a pretty red state who had defeated longtime GOP Sen. Richard Lugar in the primary — introduced mainstream America to the concept of God and “intended” rape. He lost.

Republicans didn’t benefit from the night of historic gains for women. Warren bumped off incumbent GOP Sen. Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin will become the first openly lesbian senator after defeating former four-term Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson to fill an open seat from the Badger State.

In Illinois, Democrat Tammy Duckworth became the first disabled woman to be elected to the House when she defeated Tea Party fave freshman Rep. Joe Walsh, who said he opposed abortion even when the life of the mother was at stake.

In Hawaii, Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono became the first Asian American woman elected to the Senate.

And my old pal Jonathan Weisman from the NY Times points out,  “New Hampshire will have all women House and Senate delegations and a woman governor.”

More women could be headed to Washington depending on what happens in North Dakota, where Democratic Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp is in a tough battle with GOP Rep. Rick Berg.

Joe Garofoli