Panel warns politicians against complacency

University panelists discussed & the expanding role of women in po - litics Friday night at the Annenberg Center, praising recent electoral & successes for women but warning against complacency. Lucy Hackney moderated the dis - cussion between University History professor Mary Berry, Law School professor Kathryn Kolbert and Phi - ladelphia Councilperson Augusta & Clark before a crowd of more than 100. Hackney began with an overview of how women fared this election year. She noted that of 151 female candidates for House and Senate seats, four were elected to the Se - nate and "a spade" of women won House seats. "If this is politics with pearls, & then we have gone a long way this year," Hackney added. Berry emphasized the need to & use this election as a stepping stone for women in politics. "Women will keep on running and winning," she said. "By the year 2000, if not before, a woman will be the presidential nominee if things are going the way they are now." Although there are many positive aspects to women asserting their femininity in elections, Berry & pointed to a negative -- many wo - men candidates "had to assert their femininity as a reason" to vote for them. Berry said there is reason to be excited now that Bill Clinton has been elected president, but she & tempered her remarks with a call for continued activity in politics. "We can feel good and say 'Ding Dong the Bush is gone,' " she & said. "But there is still work to be done. Let us use politics as one way to bring us nearer to the day when we will truly achieve liberty and justice for all." Kolbert, vice president of the & Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, said that many people are willing to stop lobbying for repro - ductive rights now that Clinton is president-elect. "There was enthusiasm and re - lief across the reproductive rights and liberal communities," she said. "Many people said 'My job is done.' This is scary." Kolbert said that reality must & temper excitement. "We still only have six women in the Senate," she said. "At that rate, it will be a long time before we will be a big force in the Senate." Clark, who is serving her fourth four-year-term as councilperson, & said voters chose the "ABC's" dur - ing this election year. "We voted for for people who & shared our views on abortion," she said. "We voted in response to the backlash on the way Anita Hill was treated, and we voted C for change. We wanted change." "It is beyond my comprehension to believe that you can make & change using the same people in the same arena, doing the same thing," she continued. "No es possi - ble. You have to change the & players." Hackney closed the discussion by saying that women are critical for politicians to be victorious. Susan Gould, Vice President of the Philadelphia chapter of the Na - tional Organization of Women, said the panelists were right about what they said. "Every one of the women was absolutely right on in what she was stressing," she said. "They brought us back to reality."

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