This Week In Pantsuit Politics: Romanian Politician('s Boobs) Make Headlines

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

One need only look at the Oval Office to see that when it comes to politics, we've got a bit of a gender discrepancy. In this weekly roundup, we focus on powerful political women in the news who are helping to break the proverbial glass ceiling of policy-making around the world. Politicos, move aside. We bring you . . . politicas. For more on female politicians to watch, click here.

Elena Udrea

This just in: Female politicians have—wait for it!—boobs.

This news recently stunned the world when Romanian politician Elena Udrea inadvertently flashed some boobage while talking to a voter and adjusting her bra. The viral shot has promoted all sorts of tsk-tsking about Udrea's audacity to (gasp!) adjust her bra while (for shame!) wearing a totally normal shirt not buttoned up to her neck.

The debate got particularly heated because Udrea has previously appeared on the cover of a magazine in . . . a dress and thigh highs. (The scandalous plot thickens!)

The Metro UK—which also ran a handy (and by handy, we mean "deeply insulting and patronizing") poll asking "Should Elena Udrea cover up more?"—published quotes from constituents aghast—just aghast—that Udrea would resort to such flesh-baring shenanigans.

Said one woman identified only as a "housewife": 

"Any woman needs to know how to dress herself properly in clothes that fit her. Waggling her breasts around in front of potential voters is just a cheap way of getting attention."

At least a male voter put a more positive spin on things: "She certainly knows how to connect with the electorate, the male ones anyway." (Wink wink! Nudge nudge!)

We could weigh in on where we stand on this debate (it's nobody's damn business what this woman wears and are you serious with that "waggling" her breasts bullshit in front of potential voters because she adjusted her damn bra? Dear lord, what is wrong with people?), but instead we will focus on Udrea's politics. Because lest we forget, she is indeed a very serious politician.

The president of the People's Movement Party, she's been a Romanian public servant in the Chamber of Deputies since 2008, serving in prominent tourism and development roles. She's also served as a legal advisor to the Social Democratic Party, head of the Presidential Chancellery and as interim environment minister.

More importantly, though . . . she has boobs! And you might see a little bit of them sometimes when she has to adjust her bra!

Priorities.

Julia Gillard

Gillard, the first female to serve both as prime minister of Australia and as leader of the Labor Party, is a fount of inspiration for women everywhere . . . and not just because she broke not one, but two glass ceilings Down Under. During a 2012 press conference, she slammed "misogynist nut jobs on the Internet" (so well put) and said she'd been "the subject of a very sexist smear campaign." Since dubbed "the misogyny speech," her angry and brilliant diatribe makes a key appearance in Gillard's new autobiography, My Story, which has put this pioneering politician back on the map where she belongs.

That speech wasn't the only moment where Gillard came out swinging against gender bias and inequality howver: Other nuggets from her time in office include:

“Even if you are the single most powerful person in your country, if you are a woman, the images that are shadowed around you are of sex and rape."

And:

“[As a female politician] If you do not have children then you are characterized as out of touch with ‘mainstream lives.’ If you do have children, then, heavens, who is looking after them?”

So yeah . . . Julia Gillard. Kind of the best. (Buy her book here.)

Hillary Clinton

Meanwhile, in Hillary-world, Hills made headlines this week for ripping into everyone's favorite and most worthy punching bag: Congress. At an event for the Chicago Economic Club, she gloriously minced no words, intoning:

"You have to ask yourself, do . . . particular members of Congress really understand the world? Understand what it means for the United States to lead and to be perceived as a leader? Or do they just not care."

Meanwhile, speculation about a 2016 run continues to heat up; this week, hubby Bill added more grist to the mill by remarking, all too coyly: “The great thing about not being president anymore is you can just say whatever you want, unless your wife might run for something."

And what might that be, Bill? What might that be . . . ?

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