Doreen Mattingly

A Feminist in the White House: Midge Costanza, the Carter Years, and America's Culture Wars by Doreen Mattingly is an eye-opening account of Costanza's time in President Carter's White House and the political beginnings of debates that continue to the present.

I had heard Costanza's name but was not really familiar with any aspects of what she had (tried) to do under Carter. Through Mattingly's account readers will both admire Costanza for her ethics and efforts while at the same time be angered by a political system, embodied in this case by Carter's administration, that puts what is right or wrong on a back burner behind political expediency. While most of us know that not all issues can be tackled at once and that some end up pushed aside because of "popularity" it is still frustrating to read about what this woman went through while simply trying to do her job.

There are a lot of very interesting bits of information here about how some talking points that still exist originated in high level meetings. Most important, I think, is placing Midge Costanza front and center as an early activist in many of today's popular culture wars. A remarkable woman during a remarkable time.

Definitely for those interested in sexual and gender politics as well as the working of the presidency.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (plus d'informations)