7 Women Who Might Beat Palin to the White House

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin's resignation speech on Sunday showed how far she's fallen, writes Maureen Dowd: "Once a blazingly confident media darling," the now-former Alaska governor has become a ranting, whiny "Nixon with hair extensions." It's a marked contrast from Hillary Clinton, who on the same day gave an hourlong interview to Meet the Press. Her trajectory has been just the opposite—once "paranoid and press-loathing," the secretary of State is now radiating self-assurance. More»

Secret Service will use 'R' names for First Family

(NEWSER) - John McCain called himself a “maverick,” but the Secret Service has dubbed Barack Obama the real “Renegade," according to the Chicago Tribune. In keeping with tradition that’s been around since Harry Truman (“General”), the agency has given the president-elect’s family corresponding alliterative code names: “Renaissance” (Michelle), “Radiance” (Malia) and “Rosebud” (Sasha). More»

Obama's "modern masculinity" won over Hillary supporters

(NEWSER) - If behind every strong man is a strong woman, then Barack Obama has a veritable female army at his back, Janice Turner writes in the Times of London. But despite the powerful feminine influence in his life, one of his primary challenges was to win Hillary supporters, who saw him as “another slick young guy” who stole the promotion “from the better-qualified woman.” It was his “modern masculinity”—shaped by the women who raised him—that won them over. More»

Women divided over conservative female veep pick's stand on women's issues

(NEWSER) - John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate is drawing a mixed reaction from the female swing voters his campaign is desperate to woo, reports the New York Times. Some conservative women who have been lukewarm about a McCain presidency are energized by the pick, whereas many independents and Clinton fans take issue with the Alaska governor’s anti-abortion stance and other issues vital to women. More»

Romney herself again dismisses 'never worked' criticism

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama comes to Ann Romney's defense on Twitter today, without mentioning her by name. "Every mother works hard, and every woman deserves to be respected. –mo," she wrote on her Twitter feed , notes Politico . Romney has been at the center of the latest campaign brouhaha after Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen complained that she has "never worked a day in her life." David Axelrod and others have been distancing themselves from the remark. More»