Twin peril

Jane Swift's pregnancy shouldn't be a big deal. Plus, the presidential election deserves a political solution.

There's no question that Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift should leave politics. But not because she's pregnant with twins.

Swift's announcement December 1 that she was 12 weeks pregnant kicked off a frenzy of speculation among Boston's politicos: would she use her pregnancy as an excuse to resign from her scandal-ridden and often buffoonish tenure as lieutenant governor? If she stayed and Governor Paul Cellucci accepted an appointment in a Bush administration, how would she manage being acting governor -- and the mother of a toddler and newborn twins? And what if, after being made acting governor, she took a three-month leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act ? That would bump Secretary of State Bill Galvin (who's widely mentioned as the Democratic contender for the 2002 gubernatorial race) into the state's top slot.

There's no question that gender bias is at work here. Women are scrutinized more closely than men when it comes to juggling work with parenthood. It's hard to believe that an announcement that Cellucci's wife was pregnant would set off speculation about the governor's political viability. Men are rarely asked whether doing double duty as a pol and a father is going to hurt their public performance. Just ask Boston city councilor Michael Flaherty and 1998 Democratic lieutenant-governor candidate (and possible 2002 gubernatorial candidate) Warren Tolman, both of whom are fathers of young children.

But Swift's case is a complicated one. It's not a clean example of the double standard applied to working mothers, particularly those with political careers. The fact is, much of the political speculation about Swift's future is rooted in how she's handled her past. She didn't do herself any favors by letting it be known that she occasionally relied on her aides to babysit. Those revelations resulted in a State Ethics Commission investigation. (Swift was eventually cleared of any violations relating to that matter.) She has also publicly complained that she is a "working mother" just like any other. Who wants to bet that the mothers recently surveyed by the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, who find their careers stymied when they cut back on hours in order to spend more time with their children, would love to have what Swift has: a husband who stays at home full-time?

Going forward, Swift has a real opportunity to atone for her past mistakes. The lieutenant governor should look first to the example set by State Treasurer Shannon O'Brien. Elected in 1998, the same year Swift entered the lieutenant governor's office, O'Brien gave birth to a daughter last year with no accompanying speculation that she might resign. And there were few questions about how she was going to juggle her job with being a mother. Of course, O'Brien didn't ask her staffers to double as babysitters.

Swift's most egregious sin as a politician has been to identify herself personally with the plight of working mothers and then -- as the state's second-highest-ranking elected official -- do nothing to ease their burdens. If, as a Republican, she can't philosophically support spending programs to expand day care, then she could simply set a good example. Explaining with a straight face that she sometimes had to watch her daughter at the State House in order to give her stay-at-home husband time to go out for a jog -- as she did when news of the babysitting scandal first broke -- probably isn't the best way to illustrate the struggles facing working mothers.

The harsh speculation over her political future has much more to do with that than with the fact that she's pregnant -- which is, as it should be, a non-issue.

GORE'S FUTURE

As we go to press, Florida courts are considering several suits, any one of which could -- and we feel should -- result in Al Gore's moving a step closer to winning the White House. But it seems more likely than not that if the court rulings go in Gore's favor, the Republican-dominated Florida legislature will step in and exercise its archaic but apparently legal authority to choose its own slate of electors, who would be loyal to George Bush. We would decry such a move. But if it comes to pass, the legislators will ultimately face the wrath or the approbation of their constituents. Count the Phoenix among those who aren't afraid of a political showdown, be it in Florida or in Washington.

This is a partisan problem, and perhaps the most appropriate solution will be political, not legal. If the state legislature acts, Congress will most likely have to vote on whether to accept the rump slate. Fine. That would force each and every member of Congress to declare him or herself. We're not so sure the vote would be along straight party lines. What would GOP senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island do? His little state handed Gore his largest plurality. What of moderate GOP senators Snowe and Collins of Maine? Their state voted for Gore. A bruising political battle would probably put Bush in the White House, but if that happens, American voters will know who to hold accountable come the mid-term elections. And they'd know who to blame when the next presidential contest rolls around. If Gore can't achieve the victory he deserves, then at least let's give voters the accountability we're sure they will demand in the future.

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