Irish Women Learn Ways of U.S. Politics

Two local Congress members have opened their doors to women from Northern Ireland who are here to study the U.S. government in an effort to be more effective community leaders back home.

Reps. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) and Peter King (R-Seaford) participated yesterday in a shadow day, organized by the International Women's Democracy Center for the 23 Irish visitors. The women have spent nearly two weeks studying topics such as effective lobbying and congressional hearings.

"The irony is in Northern Ireland they're trying to learn about politics," King said. "In this country, it's the enemy, whereas in Northern Ireland it's the salvation." King said he believes the women's experience in the United States will help them eliminate a lot of "start up mistakes they wouldn't have learned otherwise."

The crash course in democracy is timely. Less than a year ago, Northern Ireland switched to a democratic government. Since then, both politicians and citizens have been trying to adapt.

The women say they believe this experience will help them learn to interact better with their government and make their voices heard.

For Kathleen McCullough, a women's activist in Northern Ireland, the biggest shock was discovering how accessible the American system is to the public.

"I was saying in the gallery that I wanted to be pinched because it's like being part of some big process," McCullough said. "You can see it, democracy in its full form," she said, admitting the feeling of awe she had at being allowed into government hearings.

"We had 52 committee [government] meetings in Northern Ireland behind closed doors, and we never got to hear what it was about," McCullough said.

The government in Northern Ireland is composed of mostly of men, an issue to which McCarthy said she could relate.

"They're in the minority like we're in the minority," McCarthy said. "I mean, there's 48 of us and 435 members, so we've had to build up our own strategies, also. That's why we have the women's caucus."

The tutelage began last week when McCullough and her 22 Irish colleagues learned about Congress and met representatives and lobbyists who explained how bills get passed.

Betty Kennedy, paired with King yesterday, admitted she had expected lobbyists to have more of a sinister side. Instead, she said, she discovered lobbyists work to build relationships with politicians.

"We have been pleasantly surprised that it's an information sharing rather than an abuse of the system," Kennedy said.

--Jacinta McFadden, Newsday, September 28, 2000