On Sunday, Anita Hill appeared on NBC’s weekly news program “Meet the Press.” During her interview with host Tim Russert, Hill said that the circumstances surrounding President Clinton are “very different” from her accusations against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

As many of you might remember, Hill came forward during Thomas’ confirmation hearings in 1991. During her testimony, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee listened to her accounts of sexual advances, and stories about pubic hair on Coke cans and porno movies.

The roar for justice emitted by the feminist movement back in 1991 has so far only amounted to a whimper. Many prominent feminists have said Clinton’s alleged behavior does not constitute sexual harassment, only bad taste.

The only apparent voice opposing Clinton in the women’s movement is National Organization for Women President Patricia Ireland. Surprising as it may sound, she has said if the latest accusations by Katherine Willey are true, Clinton’s behavior could legitimately be called sexual assault.

Her statements are surprising because the feminist movement has completely distanced themselves from their constituents. When you remember the fact that NOW was one of Anita Hill’s biggest supporters, their collective silence in the latest Clinton scandal brings their ideals into question.

What else would you call it when an organization supports a woman who waits years before she accuses a man of sexual harassment, yet will not even acknowledge the possibility that either of Clinton’s accusers might be telling the truth?

Let’s be honest. Paula Jones’ story is not that believable. It’s about as believable as Anita Hill’s was. Both women waited years until their harassers were in the public eye, and they were both brought forward by groups with suspicious political motives. Hill was supported by radical feminists who were weary of Clarence Thomas’ conservative beliefs and his opposition to Roe v. Wade. Paula Jones was publicized by right-wing activists, eager to put an end to Clinton’s presidency.

Why did feminists follow Hill lock-step while allowing Clinton defenders to portray Jones as poor, uneducated white trash?

Now Willey also has accused the p resident of harassment, and these accusations are chilling, to say the least. A prominent supporter and contributor to the Democratic Party, Willey had a meeting with Clinton in 1993 seeking advice for some financial problems. During that meeting, she claims he took advantage of her emotional distress by forcing himself on her.

Once again, the women’s movement has distanced itself from an accuser of the president. This only further impairs their arguments and makes a person wonder how serious they are about sexual harassment in society.

Without presuming their guilt or innocence, the women’s movement should be backing them instead of looking for reasons or exceptions to avoid supporting them.

Who is the women’s movement supporting? Not women, certainly.

Groups like NOW sent a message during the Thomas confirmation hearings, and also during the scandal involving former Senator Bob Packwood, that sexual harassment would not be tolerated.

That message is not nearly as loud or as clear as it used to be. On Sunday, Hill said, “We live in a political world, and the reality is there are larger issues other than just individual behavior.”

That sounds a lot different than what feminist leaders have said in the past. Anita Hill, poster child of feminism, said in effect that politics play a bigger role than sexual equity in this case.

The new, improved message of feminism: if you’ve been sexually harassed, you better make sure that first, you’re a liberal, and second, that you’re accusing a conservative. That may not be what they’re saying, but that message is clearly evidenced by their actions.

If feminists really think that politics are more important than gender equity, the modern notion of feminism is dead. How can they be taken seriously when they brazenly refuse to support fellow women like Jones and Willey, who appear to be in need?

If those in the women’s movement were serious about their beliefs, they would be asking for President Clinton to account for his suspicious actions. Unfortunately, these groups only appear, as always, to be concerned with issues that affect liberal women, not those affecting all women.

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Robert Zeis is a senior in finance from Des Moines.