Lawyer Mama

Moms Inspired to Change History

8 Women Making a Difference

by Joanne Bamberger aka Pundit Mom

They refer to us as soccer moms. TV commercials still show mothers, not the fathers, as the ones wiping up spills and wiping noses. As important as parenting is, plenty of mothers have more on their agendas -- they're finding their own ways to make their mark and change the world. Here are eight we found particularly inspiring.

Stephanie Himel-Nelson and Vivian Greentree, Blue Star Families
Stephanie Himel-Nelson and Vivian Greentree, each a mother of two young sons, were never political activists until the 2008 presidential campaign. Both had connections to the armed services, though, and wanted to help highlight the many issues faced by military families. From the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, both women played integral roles of Blue Star Families for Obama (BSF4O) -- Greentree as the group's director for leadership, and Himel-Nelson as deputy outreach director.

Read more at MSN....

Now personally, I think Joanne should have included herself in this article.

Forfeiting the Golden Ticket

I'm one of the lucky few.  I have a ticket to Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20th.  Actually, I have 2, along with tickets to the opening ceremonies and the Mid-Atlantic ball.  I could be there Tuesday morning, along with 250,000 of my closest friends, standing in the security lines for hours on end and freezing my tush off, awaiting a glimpse of history.  But I won't be.  You see, I'm giving my tickets away.

I was very involved in several Democratic campaigns this election season.  I joined a group called Blue Star Families for Obama and became involved in the leadership and in developing social media for the group.  I was thrilled to go to the Democratic National Convention with the MOMocrats. I met Michelle Obama on several occasions. I met Joe Biden twice and actually have a fabulous picture of him carrying my son Hollis around.  I've seen Barack Obama speak four times, and each time moved me to tears. I've had so many wonderful opportunities and memory making moments over the last year.

Read More at D.C. Metro Moms Blog....

The Obamas on 60 Minutes

Watching the Obamas on 60 minutes the other night, I was thrilled to hear Michelle Obama mention that one of her priorities in office will be military families.  We're in the process of transforming Blue Star Families for Obama into something permanent.  I can't give you details yet but I can say that we will always be advocates for military families. The mention comes near the end of this segment.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Kroft: I know you've said that your first priority is to be mom in chief. 

Michelle Obama: Yes. 

Kroft:You're a Harvard Law School grad yourself. And a Princeton grad. You were a high-powered executive. How long do you give her, knocking around that big house, before she starts to want to imprint on the job of being first lady?

Mr. Obama: I think Michelle is gonna design her own role. I think she's gonna set her own path. But I here's one thing I know about Michelle she's serious when she talks about being a mom. That's why our girls are so wonderful. I'd love to take credit for it. But this is the one who deserves most of the credit. And…

Michelle Obama: Well, the thing we've learned, you know, as we've watched this campaign, is that people, women, are capable of doing more than one thing well at the same time. And I've, you know, had to juggle being mom in chief and having a career for a long time. The primary focus for the first year will be making sure that the kids make it through the transition. But there are many issues that I care deeply about. I care about military families and the work/family balance issue. I care about education. I, both Barack and I, believe that we can have an impact in the D.C. area. You know, in terms of making sure we're contributing to the community that we immediately live in. That's always been something that we try to do. Whether it's in our own neighborhoods or in the schools that we've attended. So there's plenty to do.

The Virginia Military Vote in the 2008 Election

Photo by Heidi Kulberg. BSF4O members at Obama rally in Virginia Beach.

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I was recently interviewed by RTE - Irish Public Radio and Television - about Virginia's military vote in the 2008 election.  I've finally figured out how to post these clips, so bear with me!

I've had quite a few interviews during this election season, the vast majority of them as the Deputy Outreach Director for Blue Star Families for Obama.  To keep track of them all, I've started a Press Clippings section in the sidebar.  I am, after all, a legend in my own mind.  Enjoy!

In case no one's figured it out, I've decided to do NaBloPoMo again this year!  What better way to get back into blogging than to jump in and completely drown myself?  Since I'll have no time right around the election, I've got a backlog of posts ready to go.  Please forgive me for cheating.  I'm doing it for the U.S.!