Women Really Should Rule The World

Before his death this morning at the age of 92, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia held the title of President Pro Tem of the U.S. Senate, which meant that he was third in the line of succession to the Presidency. If you're not up on the minutiae of presidential succession, here's how it goes. The Vice President is first in line, of course, followed by the Speaker of the House, the President Pro Tem of the Senate, the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury and so on down the line of Cabinet Secretaries, in the order in which their department was created. With the Senate Pro Tem position currently vacant, the number two and number three spots in line for the throne (so to speak) are currently held by women: Speaker of the House Pelosi and Secretary of State Clinton. Even after a new Senate Pro Tem is chosen, two out the top five spots in line will be held by women. Regardless of whether or not you agree with them politically, as a woman I think that's cool.

Today also marks the start of the Senate confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan. If she is confirmed, and she probably will be, three out of the nine spots on the U.S. Supreme Court, or 30%, will be held by women. That's cool too. (Or at least, it's a good start... )

By the way, do you know who the first woman in the cabinet was? Here's a hint: Nobody puts Baby in a corner. That's right - when Baby told Johnny that her real name was Frances, after the first woman in the cabinet, she was speaking the historic truth. President Franklin Roosevelt appointed Frances Perkins to be the Secretary of Labor in 1933. Very cool.