"Indictment"

Anger over Abzug firing

Jimmy Carter campaigned as the man who wanted to do for women's rights what Lyndon Johnson had done for civil rights. He proudly appointed women to one-fifth of the top Government jobs --"more than any previous President." Yet last week most leaders of the women's movement were angrily questioning Carter's commitment to women's equality.

"What happened was an indictment of all women," said National Republican Chair Mary Crisp.

"They seriously misjudged the depth of the women's movement," said Ellie Smeal, president of the National Organization for Women.

"This is symbolic of the way women's issues are treated--as a joke," said Nancy Neuman, second vice president of the League of Women Voters.

The source of the indignation was Carter's abrupt dismissal of assertive ex-Congresswoman Bella Abzug as co-chair of the National Advisory Committee for Women, an action the President apparently thought would cause little trouble. To his surprise, 26 of the 40 members of the committee, including Co-Chair Carmen Delgado Votaw, resigned in protest.

Abzug's appointment had been opposed from the beginning by Rosalynn Carter and Daughter-in-Law Judy. Carter only reluctantly agreed to the arguments of top White House Aides Jody Powell, Stuart Eizenstat and Anne Wexler that the choice would improve Carter's standing with liberals. Abzug's outspoken style rankled, but there was a more fundamental disagreement about what the committee was supposed to do. The women believed that they had a mandate from the White House to advise the President on how to achieve full equality for women, as outlined at the 1977 Houston women's conference. Says Abzug, "We were an independent voluntary body, meant to advise, not just consent."

Carter apparently thought the committee would be more of a ladies' auxiliary. Its budget was a minuscule $300,000, mostly in services. Abzug had to negotiate for the loan of office space and staff. All members served without pay.

The first meeting with the President was scheduled last December -- for 15 minutes. The committee felt that meant the occasion would be merely ceremonial, so it called off the meeting, despite Abzug's warning that this would be impolitic.

When the meeting was rescheduled for Jan. 12, the committee prepared a press release in advance, outlining its criticisms of social-spending cuts in Carter's new budget. The release, which included such undiplomatic words as "challenged" and "unacceptable," reached White House Aides Hamilton Jordan and Jody Powell as they were celebrating Jerry Rafshoon's 45th birthday. Outraged, the White House staffers decided Bella had to go.

Carter agreed, but wanted to wait to give the final nod until after his meeting with the committee. Eight members, including Abzug, spoke of their concern about the impact on women of Carter's anti-inflation policies. They asked for continuation of programs for education and training of women. The President responded by saying the committee should give him more support. Both sides later accused each other of having "lectured."

After the meeting, Abzug was asked to meet with Jordan and Presidential Counsel Robert Lipschutz. Having received Carter's go-ahead, they gave her the choice of resigning or being fired. As reasons, they cited the press release and the cancellation of the December meeting. Abzug protested that she had been responsible for neither. In that case, she was told, she was an inadequate leader. According to Abzug, she was fired "because the President could not accept the criticism of his economic policies. Or because he couldn't fire Billy. I don't know which."

The Administration apparently felt that Abzug had little support, but the feminists insisted that she had acted on behalf of the entire committee. Even Marjorie Bell Chambers, president of the American Association of University Women, who did not resign, said, "I'm right with everybody on the issues." Chambers was persuaded by White House Women's Adviser Sarah Weddington to take over temporarily as new chair of the committee.

The Administration's hope is that many of those who resigned will reconsider. Said one White House staffer: "We'll keep making overtures to them, and they'll come quietly dribbling back."

But most women's leaders believe that an entirely new committee will have to be created. Last weekend the resigning members met in Washington to plan their next steps. As Ellie Smeal said, "We will go on working together. Our solidarity is a reality that has been building since Houston." At the very least, the ousting of Bella Abzug drew attention to the criticism of Carter's policies by a hitherto obscure committee. It also added to Abzug's famous hat collection a martyr's crown.

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