I’ve been described as a tough and noisy woman, a prize fighter, a man-hater, you name it. They call me Battling Bella, Mother Courage, and a Jewish mother with more complaints than Portnoy. There are those who say I’m impatient, impetuous, uppity, rude, profane, brash, and overbearing. Whether I’m any of those things, or all of them, you can decide for yourself. But whatever I am —and this ought to be made very clear—I am a very serious woman.
ATTRIBUTION:
Bella Abzug (b. 1920), U.S. Jewish politician. Bella! Introduction (1972).
When she said this, Abzug was a member of the United States House of Representatives.
