Is Feminism Obsolete?; U.S. Boosts Missile Defense
ROBERTS: We're back with the "Most News in the Morning." You know, every Friday, Carol touches on a hot button issue that we hope will generate some strong opinions from you. The segment is called, "Just Sayin'" ad and this week Carol is pondering the question, is feminism obsolete?</s>COSTELLO: It's an interesting question, isn't it?</s>ROBERTS: It is.</s>COSTELLO: Yes, it's meant to be provocative because I really want to see how you feel about this. It seems every time the media spotlight shines on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, there is an argument about feminism. Some conservative women were upset that feminists didn't protest loudly when David Letterman initially refused to apologize for his off-colored joke about Palin's daughter. Maybe it's time we examined why? Is it because Sarah Palin is not a feminist? Can Sarah Palin be a feminist? Can any conservative woman be feminist? "Just Sayin'" -- what does feminism really mean, anyway?</s>COSTELLO (voice-over): It was a tasteless joke about a young girl, one that enraged her mother, Sarah Palin.</s>DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": During the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.</s>COSTELLO: Letterman finally said I'm sorry prompting Palin to accept his apology on behalf of young women. End of story, right? Wrong. While some feminist groups like Now stood behind Palin, other women were less charitable. The Daily Beast's Tina Brown writing, "Someone should pluck the combustible Alaskan away from whatever rancid talk show she's headed for and make her watch what real female power looks like, mainly Hillary Clinton." Really? Is that the only kind of female power? Naomi Wolf who writes about feminism doesn't think so. In "Harper's Bazaar," she calls Angelina Jolie the embodiment of female power in liberation. And then there's this --</s>JESSICA VALENTI, FEMINISTING.COM: I think every woman defines feminism in one way or another. I think that women through the work that they do, through their home lives, through their political beliefs, through their social activism are doing feminist work every day and embodies feminism every day.</s>COSTELLO: But if every woman has her own definition of what feminism is, what's the point in even using the word. "Just Sayin'" -- has the word feminism become obsolete?</s>MARY MATALIN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes, the original feminism that I partook of in the late '60s has been perverted.</s>COSTELLO: Mary Matalin says feminism used to be about the freedom to choose the life you wanted, now it's an exclusive club, closed off to women like Sarah Palin.</s>MATALIN: No conservative woman would choose to call herself a feminist as it's described by liberals today.</s>COSTELLO: So if the word is weighed down by such political baggage, why care about being a feminist anymore?</s>VALENTI: The truth is I think no matter what word we used, if it meant women's rights, it would end up being a bad word. It would end up being disparage. So I think we have to stick with what we've got.</s>COSTELLO: That's right. You know, some people say feminism has become the "f" word. There's such a negative connotation to it. One more thing to ponder, though, Jessica, who you just saw, says feminism welcomes all women. And she says and I'm quoting, "I think that a woman who is personally pro-life can be a feminist. I think of a woman as actively fighting against legislation that allows for abortion and allows for access to birth control, then, no, I don't think she can be a feminist." I want to know what you think. Is feminism obsolete? Write to me on our blog, CNN.com/amFIX. That's CNN.com/amFIX and we'll read some of your comments later on in the show.</s>ROBERTS: Well, there's new concerns out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Navy is tracking a North Korean ship suspected of carrying weapons, perhaps even nuclear material. At the same time, is North Korea getting ready for a big show of its own on the fourth of July. Our Barbara Starr joins us, coming up next. It's 23 minutes after the hour.</s>REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): This may look like a sunken spaceship, but it's an innovative way to farm fish in the deep sea. As tall as a six-story building and anchored to the ocean floor, this so-called aqua pod is one answer to the global seafood crisis. See, fish populations are shrinking as the world's appetite for seafood grows.</s>BRIAN O'HANLON, OPEN BLUE SEA FARMS: To produce enough fish for the world, we need to build pretty large farms. They're moving offshore into very deep water where fish can naturally thrive in large populations without having a direct impact on the environment.</s>WOLF: Most fish farms are in shallow water close to shore, but pollutants can build up in the fish.</s>O'HANLON: Or in very deep water with strong currents, we never see the same water twice. And we get away from those sensitive ecosystems. We're feeding the fish with the best ingredients that we can find and growing them in the cleanest water we can find.</s>WOLF: These white fish, procobia (ph), began their life in a hatchery on shore then they're transported and raised off the coast of Panama and Puerto Rico. The adult fish are then sold in the U.S. Congress has proposed expanding deep-sea fish farming by 2025. But environmental groups say regulations are needed to prevent damage from over industrialization.</s>O'HANLON: There's a lot of opportunity out there for us to responsibly develop the high seas.</s>WOLF: Reynolds Wolf, CNN.</s>ROBERTS: Twenty-seven and a half minutes now after the hour. The U.S. military is keeping a close eye on North Korea today. The Pentagon is tracking a ship from the rogue nation that may be carrying weapons. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates responding to a report that Pyongyang is planning to launch a long-range missile toward Hawaii.</s>ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We do have some concerns if they were to launch a missile to the west in the direction of Hawaii. I've directed the deployment again of THAAD missiles to Hawaii and the SBX radar has deployed away from Hawaii to provide support. Based on my visit to Fort Greeley, the ground-based interceptors are clearly in a position to take action.</s>ROBERTS: Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr join us live with more on this morning's developments. Barbara, first of all, let's talk about the ship. How much of a concern is this ship? Is it just potentially carrying weapons or might it also be carrying nuclear material?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the problem is the U.S. really doesn't know. This ship is called the Kang Nam (ph). It's a North Korean ship that left a port there on Wednesday and is being tracked as it moves along China in a southerly direction off the coast of China. The U.S. Navy is tracking it because they suspect, at least, that it may have illicit weapons onboard, possibly missile nuclear technology. They say they really don't know. So the key question now is where does this all go from here? Because, of course, the most recent U.N. Security Council resolution allows for the potential boarding of ships from North Korea carrying illicit goods. But here's the rub, of course, it has to be a permissive, a compliant boarding. What may happen next is that the U.S. Navy will radio the ship and ask for permission to board it. Every expectation is the North Koreans will say absolutely not. Then it will all move into diplomatic channels. Yesterday, the Pentagon made very clear that there would be no non- permissive, no hostile boarding of any North Korean ships. But certainly, there's no question, this continues to ratchet up the tensions. They are continuing to shadow this ship, and they will most likely try and make an effort to get North Korea's permission to board it -- John.</s>ROBERTS: And, Barbara, what about this missile launch? And it's suspected that North Korea might actually do it on the fourth of July?</s>STARRR: Yes, I got to tell you, there's a lot of gallows humor around the Pentagon these days from people who say they'll be here July 4th weekend, probably working everybody from generals, commanders, on down. The question is whether the North Koreans are really going to be ready that soon, of course. By all accounts, U.S. intelligence satellites have seen activity on the ground at several North Korean missile sites. What they're looking at is both short, medium, and, indeed, long-range missile launches. They see a lot of activity. They're beginning to see the potential for missile parts appearing. It may take some days for the North Koreans to assemble it all. The only question on the table now is when will the North Koreans be ready to go? John?</s>ROBERTS: Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon this morning. Barbara, thanks so much for that. It's about 31 minutes after the hour now. And checking our top stories. Iran's supreme leader defending the results of last week's disputed election, saying there was, quote, "definitive victory." And he blames Iran's enemies for claiming that the presidential election was rigged. He said the massive protests in Iran against the election outcome have to stop.</s>COSTELLO: A bill on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is now on its way to the president. Congress passed the $106 billion-measure overwhelmingly Thursday. The bill also includes $1 billion in startup money for the so-called cash for clunkers car program.</s>ROBERTS: And a deadly car bombing in Spain. Authorities say the explosion in the northern Basque region killed a police officer who was sitting in the vehicle. The Basque separatist group, ETA, is believed to be responsible for that. Carol?</s>COSTELLO: Well, John, you know, every Friday at this time, we tend to go a little nuts. Not exactly out of control because we're CNN after all. We just go wingnuts. That was so bad, wasn't it? Actually, it's a title our next guest gives each week to someone on the left and the right who he says is out to divide us rather than to unite us. John Avlon is a columnist for TheDailyBeast.com and the author of "Independent Nation." He joins us with the new additions to the "ring of dishonor," shall we say?</s>JOHN AVLON, COLUMNIST, THEDAILYBEAST.COM: That's the newest editions to the "ring of dishonor." Exactly.</s>COSTELLO: I like it. I do. OK. Shall we start on the right?</s>AVLON: We shall start on the right this week. We selected GOP activist and former South Carolina election director Rusty Depass, who, when a local gorilla went missing from the local zoo, thought it might be a good idea to post on his Facebook page the following comment -- "I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors -- probably harmless," referring to there to First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama. Needless to say in this age of Internet transparency, that racist joke didn't go over so well. And he took a lot of heat around the country, initially saying that it was a -- it was all misunderstanding, it's was actually an evolution joke.</s>COSTELLO: Really?</s>AVLON: Yes. They just a little bit inherit the wind there -- our humor there. And when that felt flat, he issued an apology to the NAACP and Michelle Obama.</s>COSTELLO: You know, I cannot believe in this day and age that someone would actually write something like that and then say, oops, it's such a joke. I mean, wouldn't he understand the sensitivity surrounding this, you know, in 2009?</s>AVLON: Speaking of evolution, you'd think there should be a little bit of evolution on that front as well. But apparently still more to do. And he was not the only one on the right who made that mistake this week.</s>ROBERTS: Yes, and you notice -- I may be wrong, but I don't think that gorillas are part of our lineage.</s>AVLON: That's just getting real academic from Mr. Depass.</s>ROBERTS: I mean, there's common ancestors among primates apparently, but I don't think gorillas are our ancient ancestors.</s>AVLON: I think you're pitching at a whole different level there.</s>COSTELLO: Exactly. OK. So let's go left.</s>AVLON: OK. So on the left, we have "Playboy," not known for being politically correct, never, but they went over their line even for them with a June feature on their Web site called "So Right It's Wrong: Top Ten Conservative Women We Hate to Love." Now this list, which included people such as former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and Peggy Noonan, the author and former Reagan speech writer, also compared women unfavorably to Eva Braun and other types. It was way over the line so much so that "Playboy" took it off their Web site and issued an apology, but not before, I think, the damage was done.</s>COSTELLO: No. It was incredibly sexist. I mean, not that "Playboy" isn't sexist, but a lot of conservative women and actually many liberal women too said "Playboy" crossed the line with that one, because it also sort of said it was OK to -- they didn't use the word love, really.</s>AVLON: No, the word love was never used.</s>COSTELLO: No.</s>AVLON: Yes. This was -- this was not a good-natured appreciation.</s>COSTELLO: It wasn't feminism either.</s>AVLON: No.</s>ROBERTS: So, some of us who are on the news, John, have been wondering if maybe there should have been an honorable wingnut or at least honor of a mention in the wingnut of the week going to PETA for coming out against the president's swatting that fly.</s>AVLON: Yes. That was a late-breaking development yesterday and perhaps inevitable in the Wingnut Hall of Fame that, you know, when the president is criticized for killing a fly, well, a little bit more focused there folks. I think you got your eye off the ball and on the fly.</s>ROBERTS: You got to wonder. Was there anybody on the PETA office who said, hey, listen, we're really doing a good job on this fur front and the animal rights thing and the dog thing is really going well, so you might want to just leave the fly issue alone.</s>AVLON: Yes. You'd hope, but in a place where everybody thinks alike, nobody thinks very much. That's the oldest story of the wingnuts. And I think we got evidence of that at PETA this week.</s>ROBERTS: John, thanks so much for that.</s>COSTELLO: At least they're consistent, right? It's 35 minutes past the hour.