Congresswoman Calls Colleague's Campaign Ad 'Sexist'

Rep. Jay Burns (C-DES) should apologize to opponent for airing 'demeaning' ad, female colleague says

DEROSA, EDS--Congressman Jay Burns (C-DES), who is running for the House of Delegates, is coming under fire from a fellow colleague.

East Deschire congresswoman Debra Nate (NAT) criticized the Burns' ad, which attacks his NAT opponent, state senator Trish Potter (NAT) for membership in a "radical, anti-Grassadellan feminist group in the 1960s."

In an interview with local news media Wednesday, Rep. Nate called the ad "sexist" and "demeaning," and said Burns should apologize to Potter for the offensive 30-second ad.

"I think it's very demeaning. Just because someone's a feminist doesn't mean they're anti-Grassadellan or an anarchist," Nate said.

The ad refers to Potter's short-lived membership in the militant group "Feminists for Freedom." According to her campaign, Potter joined the group while in college at Deschire State University, but withdrew her membership after nine months because the group became "too combative."

"I liked the message they were advancing, but I just didn't like the way they were going about conveying that message. Fighting violence with violence is no way to resolve a conflict," Potter told the Berivian Herald newspaper.

Feminists for Freedom was popular during the 1960s but was heavily criticized for its controversial ideas and militant tactics. In one particular incident in 1967, a group of Feminists for Freedom members caused riots at a national football championship game in West Lake, Damoign, setting fire to team buses and storage units because the national league did not allow women to compete in the sport. Another controversial incident occurred in downtown Grassadella City in 1969, when a group of FF members protested topless from the roof of a downtown high-rise, holding signs that said, "If men can go shirtless, women can too."

Opponents of Trish Potter say her one-time affiliation with the group shows a lack of discretion. Congresswoman Nate dismisses that idea.

"This was almost forty years ago, and Trish did the right thing by leaving the group when it became evident they were too extreme," Nate said.

The Burns campaign has not officially commented to the press on the campaign ad. But a source close to the congressman, who represents Berivian's northeast suburbs, says Potter's membership in the Feminists for Freedom group is fair game.

"Any groups a candidate is associated with need to be revealed to the voters. They have a right to know that," the source, who asked not to be identified, told GNN.

Potter's campaign also has not commented on the ad.