The nation's biggest feminist group said it can thank President Bush for an unprecedented surge in membership by thousands of women riled by his steadfast support of Clarence Thomas.
The National Organization for Women said it has been deluged with calls from women since the Senate Judiciary Committee's weekend hearings into Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment against Thomas.NOW officials said women are peeved at Bush, who voiced unconditional support for Thomas on the opening day of the hearings and who charged that his 43-year-old Supreme Court nominee was the victim of a "smear."
Rosemary Dempsey, a NOW vice president, said women are also angered by the treatment Hill received from Senate Republicans, who attacked the law school professor's veracity and who even suggested she had delusions.
Sens. Orin Hatch, R-Utah, and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., served as lead interrogators of Hill during the hearing, which became a national teach-in on sexual harassment.
"We've never received so many calls - thousands and thousands of them," said Dempsey. "Once the dust settles, we may be able to thank Bush, Hatch and Specter for doubling our ranks."
Dempsey said NOW, which counted 250,000 members before the hearings, had no immediate figure on new members. But she said the post-Thomas growth may well let it reach 500,000.