So This Is Progress? Three New Senators Out of 20 Now!

While you may not agree with everything Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal writes, her comments on January 5 about the new women senators in D.C., gave me pause. Are our ambitions this modest? To have upped the number of women senators from 17 to 20 out of 100 seats –.can't we do far better and far more quickly?

"We take political pleasure where we can these days, so we'll end with the fact that 20 women were sworn into the U.S. Senate Thursday, up from the previous record of 17. In an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, they spoke of the difference they feel they make. Susan Collins (R., Maine) said that "with all due deference to our male colleagues . . . women's styles tend to be more collaborative." Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) said women in politics are "less confrontational." Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) said they are more supportive of each other. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) suggested women have less "ego." Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) said they're effective because "we're less on testosterone."