Rep. Schakowsky: Men don't 'notice when they screw up'

The chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus has some feisty words of wisdom for young women interested in running for political office: Don't be so hard on yourself.

After all, guys aren't.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) told an audience Thursday night that even after more than a decade in Congress, she still "obsesses" over the small mistakes she makes in speeches, which she said is a trait more prevalent in women than in men.

Unlike women, "guys have this ability to sometimes not even notice when they screw up," she joked, adding that women should remember that, "Sometimes, 'adequate' is just that, adequate." 

The five-term lawmaker spoke Thursday night to members of The Next Step, an organization devoted to encouraging more women to run for political office and helping them to navigate the often-tricky Washington political waters.

Schakowsky took the mic at about 8 p.m., and said that part of her mission in life is to help other women. She also said that she might never have run for office without the encouragement of others.
 
"So I'm here, asking all of you, inviting you, to run [for office]," she said.