New York Voters Want Governor Cuomo To Resign

Since the Attorney General's report on the Cuomo investigation came out, there has been a lot of discussion on social media about whether the governor of New York should resign or not. Most say he should resign (and I concur). 

But there are some Democrats who would rather make excuses for the governor rather than face the facts detailed in the report. Some say he should stay in office because Trump was not held responsible for his illegal actions. That makes no sense to me. Would you let a murderer go free because another one got away with his crime? Besides, it would be hypocritical of Democrats to try to hold Trump responsible by impeaching him, but let a Democrat get away with violating the sanctity of his office. That would put Democrats down in the gutter with the Republicans.

Others are saying that Cuomo should be forgiven because he's Italian, and Italians are just a demonstrative and touch-feely group of people. That makes no sense either. That infers that Italians are too dumb to understand there's a difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching. I don't believe that's true. I've known many Italian-Americans, and they all understood that difference.

Governor Cuomo is a sexual harasser. He should resign. 

The voters in New York understand that. As the chart above shows, about 70% of them say he should resign, while only 25% say he should not -- and that includes a significant majority of Democrats (57%). In addition, 65% say Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women. And 55% believe he should be charged with a crime.

The charts on this page reflect the results of a new Quinnipiac University Poll -- done on August 4th and 5th of a sample of 615 registered voters in New York, with a 4 point margin of error.

Report Says Cuomo Guilty Of Harassment - He Must Resign

 

A few months ago, several women (most of them on his staff) accused Governor Cuomo (D-New York) of sexual harassment. Many Democrats leapt to defend him. They accused the women of playing politics, even though they were all Democrats themselves (and those on his staff had believed in him when hired to work for him). Those defenders said we must wait for an investigation to be completed.

That investigation (by the New York Attorney General's office) has now been completed. And that report concluded that Cuomo did sexually harass several women, and created and maintained a toxic workplace that allowed that harassment to persist. He also retaliated against at least one of his accusers. 

One of the investigators, Joon H. Kim, said the investigation revealed a pattern of behavior from Cuomo and that the culture in his office “contributed to conditions that allowed the governor’s sexually harassing conduct to occur and to persist. It was a culture where you could not say no to the governor and if you upset him or his senior staff you would be written off, cast aside or worse,” Mr. Kim said. “But at the same time the witnesses described a culture that normalized and overlooked everyday flirtations, physical intimacy and inappropriate comments by the governor.”

Cuomo broke the law, and his actions have caused most Democrats to call for his resignation. Speaker of the New York Assembly, Democrat Carl E. Heastie, said Cuomo had lost the support of Democrats in his organization. He said the Democratic majority in the state assembly was ready to proceed with impeachment proceedings if Cuomo does not resign.

President Biden, both U.S. senators from New York, and the entire congressional delegation from New York have also called for Cuomo's resignation.

I hope I don't hear from some Democrats that since Trump got away with breaking the law, Cuomo should be given a pass.

We are not Republicans. We are Democrats. And Democrats should hold all politicians to the highest standard -- even those from our own party.

The investigation is over. Cuomo is guilty. He must resign.

Democrats Are Different Than GOP - Cuomo Must Go!

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York was riding high on the basis of his response to the pandemic in his state. He was popular with Democrats across the nation -- and was even being discussed as a possible future presidential nominee for the party.

But that was before it was learned that he had hidden many nursing home deaths from the public in an effort to make his administration look good.

That was before at least seven women came forward with credible accusations of sexual harassment.

And that was before it was learned that he created a tacit work environment for his employees -- attacking them and calling them names at meetings infant of other employees. 

Some Democrats have come to his defense. But sadly, their argument seems to be that Cuomo should not resign because Trump (and some other Republicans) got away with even more egregious wrongdoing.

That is true. Republicans seem to be indifferent to the wrongdoing of their officials -- believing retaining power is more important than values or morality. 

But Democrats are different. They actually have values, and they expect their politicians to adhere to those values. That is why Governor Cuomo needs to resign (or at least assure voters he will not run for another term). He is an embarrassment to the Democratic Party.

The following is part of an excellent op-ed by Jennifer Rubin in The Washington Post:

While it is possible that New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) will ride out the burgeoning scandal involving multiple complaints of sexual harassment and concealment of nursing home deaths due to covid-19, Democrats are trying their level best to dump him. More than a dozen members of his state’s Democratic delegation, including Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, demandedFriday morning that Cuomo leave office. By the end of the day, New York’s two U.S. senators, Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, had also called on Cuomo to step down. This echoed similar calls from Democratic state legislative leaders.

This is what a responsible party does. Its members assess the magnitude of credible evidence of wrongdoing, the severity of the alleged conduct, and the moral and political cost of defending a scoundrel, and then put decency and good governance ahead of tribal loyalty. This is not a weakness; it affords them moral authority and reaffirms the trust that voters place in elected officials.

The Republicans time and again have shown that they would never do such a thing. They exonerated disgraced former president Donald Trump twice despite replete evidence of impeachable conduct. They did not demand he leave the race in 2016 after the “Access Hollywood” tape surfaced; they supported him again in 2020 despite learning he had made payoffs to women with whom he allegedly had extramarital affairs and was accused of rape by E. Jean Carroll (Trump denies Carroll’s allegation). The same Republicans who dinged Neera Tanden, President Biden’s withdrawn nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, for spicy tweets excused four years of vile, racist, misogynistic language from the head of the party. And, despite his role in sparking a violent insurrection, Republicans still support him as the leader of their party. . . .

The irony is that the GOP used to fancy itself as the party of personal responsibility and public rectitude. Now it is a party of professional victims, wallowing in the myth of anti-White racism, incensed when presented with the concept of implicit bias and ready to smear women of color nominated for key posts for the same conduct that Republicans tolerated from White men. . . .

It is not hard to see why the difference between the parties regarding their willingness to police their own has become so stark. Democrats embrace and rely upon multi-racial democracy, so they feel compelled to defend it. They think government can be a force for good; they therefore have an interest in throwing out the crooks, the louts and the serial liars. . . .

Sadly, we have only one major party that is fit to govern in a constitutional, multi-racial democracy that demands accountability and self-control from elected officials. The other party has deteriorated into a group of apologists for sexual violence, racism, insurrection and habitual lying.

It Seems Some Democrats Are Not Immune To Hypocrisy

 Donald Trump is not a nice person. He is a misogynist who regularly engages in sexual harassment, and even worse. And Democrats (including me) have repeatedly called him to task for it. Sadly, it didn't do any good, because the people in his party don't care what their politicians do. They accuse Democrats of wrongdoing, but hypocritically ignore worse behavior by their own politicians.

The same happened with the nomination of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Democrats opposed his nomination because of his sexual misconduct as a young man -- and Republicans ignored that conduct to defend him and put him on the court. Democrats said a woman should be believed unless it was shown she was lying, while Republicans demanded proof of any accusation by a woman.

Now the shoe seems to be on the other foot. It's a Democratic politician that has been accused of wrongdoing -- Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York. He has been accused of sexual harassment by several women, accused of creating a toxic work environment by several aides, and accused of hiding the number of nursing home deaths to make himself look better.

The charges are all being investigated by the New York Attorney General. I can understand my fellow Democrats wanting to wait and see the results of that investigation before criticizing Cuomo. That is a reasonable stance.

But I'm hearing something else from too many Democrats. They bring up Trump and Kavanaugh, and say Cuomo shouldn't be criticized because those Republicans got away with doing wrong. That's hypocrisy!

How can they criticize Republicans for misogynistic behavior, and then excuse that behavior from a Democrat because those Republicans weren't punished? How can they refuse to hold a Democrat to task for the same thing they criticized Republicans for? Do they really think a Republican getting away with doing wrong makes it OK for a Democrat to do wrong?

It doesn't! We ask voters to vote for our Democratic candidates because we think they are better than their Republican opponents. But they are not better if we allow them to do wrong things just like the Republicans do. We must hold our Democratic politicians to a high standard, even if Republicans fail to hold their candidates to that standard. We must be different. We must be better.

Why would anyone vote for our candidates if they do not meet a higher standard? To ask them to do that is nothing more than hypocrisy. We know the Republicans are hypocrites, but sadly, it seems that some Democrats are not immune to hypocrisy themselves.

Cuomo Hid Nursing Home Deaths - Poll Says No Re-Election

The charts above reflect the results of a new Quinnipiac University Poll -- done on March 2nd and 3rd of 953 registered voters in New York, with a 3.2 point margin of error.

A few months ago, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York was a hero. There was even talk of him running for president in the future. But today, he's a politician with serious problems. 

The problem getting the most social media attention is the problem of sexual harassment. Three women, two that worked for him and one who worked for President Obama (so all are Democrats), have accused him of sexual harassment. This poll showed that these charges are having an effect. About 49% say he doesn't treat women with as much respect as men, while only 25% say he does. And 48% say he's not being truthful about the allegations, while only 30% say he is.

Just as serious is the charge that he hid nursing home deaths to make his pandemic efforts look better. The New York Times is now reporting that those charges are true. That has 51% of New York voters saying his actions were unethical and another 24% saying those actions were illegal, while only 16% say he did nothing wrong.

The voters do not want Governor Cuomo to resign (40% yes to 55% no), but they also do not want him to run for re-election in 2022 (36% yes to 59% no). Even 44% of Democrats oppose him running for re-election.

Cuomo has a lot of work to do if he's to have any kind of political future.

If True, Sexual Harassment Should End Cuomo's Career

A few months ago, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York was a hero to many Americans. They liked the way he was handling the pandemic in New York (one of the earliest states to suffer from the virus). There was even talk among Democrats (including me) of him being the party's presidential candidate in the future.

But that was the past. Things are different now.

The first blip on his record was a charge that he had hidden some nursing home deaths from the virus. I don't know much about the particulars of that charge, but even if somewhat true, it probably wouldn't have ruined his political career.

But now there are charges of sexual harassment -- not from one woman, but from two of his former aides. One says he make inappropriate sexual comments, which she took as asking for a sexual encounter. The other also reported sexual comments, and said he actually kissed her on the mouth (without her assent).

Are the charges true? He has not denied them. He just said his comments were "misunderstood". That smells like bullshit to me! He was their boss, and a boss has too much power over an employee to be making sexual remarks (whether he intended them as a come-on or not). He should have known better!

Republicans don't seem to care if their politicians are sex abusers or sexual harassers. They still claim loyalty to a known sex abuser. But Cuomo is not a Republican. He's a Democrat, and Democrats shouldn't put up with this kind of nonsense.

There needs to be an investigation by an impartial person (like the New York Attorney General). If the charges are true, Cuomo needs to publicly apologize -- and he should resign. At the very least, he should not run for re-election.

UPDATE -- There is now a third woman accusing Cuomo of sexual harassment.

Blake "Scumbag" Farenthold Refuses To Reimburse Taxpayers

Former Rep. Blake Farenthold resigned in disgrace from Congress last month after it became clear that he was about to be punished for ethics violations. he had been accused of sexual harassment and gender discrimination -- and the taxpayers forked over $84,000 to settle the complaint against him. He said he would repay the money.

Now he has a new $160,000 a year job as a lobbyist, and has decided he's NOT going to repay the taxpayers.

Does that surprise you? If so, then you haven't been paying attention to the quality of Republican officials that Texas has been sending to the U.S. Congress.

The following is part of an article from ABC News:

Former Rep. Blake Farenthold, the disgraced Texas Republican who resigned last month in the aftermath of a sexual harassment settlement, has secured his next paid gig – as a government lobbyist. But even though he’s going to be raking in a reported six-figure salary, Farenthold told ABC News that he has no intention of repaying an $84,000 sexual harassment settlement funded by taxpayers.

Farenthold told a Corpus Christi, Texas talk radio station Monday that he’s accepted a position as a “legislative liaison” at the Calhoun Port Authority, previously known as the Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort. Farenthold’s hiring announcement was first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Reached via phone Tuesday morning by ABC News, Farenthold declined to comment on his new job.

“I’m a private citizen now, so I’m not commenting about my employment,” Farenthold said.

Farenthold then made clear that he has no intention of repaying an $84,000 taxpayer settlement stemming from a 2014 complaint by a former congressional aide alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation.

“I will say this on the record: I have been advised by my attorneys not to repay that,” Farenthold told ABC. “That’s why it hasn’t been repaid.”

Farenthold refused to disclose his attorneys’ justification for that legal advice. 

Sexual Harassment Permeates American Society

These charts reflect information contained in a recent Pew Research Center survey. They surveyed 3,184 women nationwide between February 26th and March 11th. That sample has a margin of error of 2.6 points.

It shows that a substantial majority of women in the U.S. say they have been sexually harassed either verbally or physically -- and that the harassment happens both in the workplace and outside of it. That's a shameful statistic, but I doubt it surprises very many people.

Most people know that sexual harassment is fairly commonplace in our society. In the past, they have either accepted it as normal in a patriarchal society, or have been afraid to do anything about it (afraid they would be punished instead of the offender).

It is my sincere hope (and belief) that this is now changing -- that the patriarchy is slowly dying, women are becoming more equal, and more people are now willing to expose the sexual harassers. But we are not there yet, and it is incumbent on all decent people to speak up when they see the harassment happening.

Farenthold Won't Seek Re-Election - But He Should Resign

(Photo of Rep. Blake Farenthold is from Crossroads Today at ABC Newscenter 25.)

One of the more egregious sexual harassers in the U.S. Congress is Rep. Blake Farenthold (who represents District 27 in Texas). He was accused by one of his aides of repeated sexual harassment, and when she complained about it, he fired her. The taxpayers wound up paying the woman $84,000 to settle her claim out of court.

Farenthold tried at first to deny that the claims were true. But now other aides have come forward to verify them. It seems that sexual harassment, laced with repeated temper tantrums, were commonplace in Farenthold's office. Farenthold also tried to avoid repercussions by saying he would repay the $84,000, but that just dodges the real issue -- that sexual harassers and abusers have no place in the U.S. Congress.

Now he is trying a different approach. He has announced that he will not seek re-election in the 2018 midterm elections. That is also unacceptable! It means he will continue to serve in the House for more than another year (until his replacement is sworn in January of 2019).

I am not alone in my demand that Farenthold resign. A new poll (see above) shows that 60% of the public thinks he should resign, while only 6% say he should not resign. And that includes 57% of the Republican base believing he should resign. The public doesn't want sex harassers and abuser from either party serving in the United States Congress. And they are right -- allowing these sex offenders to continue to serve puts a black mark on our government, and gives the impression that such behavior is at least somewhat acceptable.

It is time for his Republican cohorts in Congress to speak up and demand his resignation. So far, their silence has been deafening. They were quick to demand the resignation of Democratic Rep. Conyers for similar behavior (and he did resign). Was that just hypocritical party politics? Shouldn't the same rules apply to members of both parties?

The chart above reflects the results of a new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between December 10th and 12th of a random national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,338 registered voters), and has a 3.5 point margin of error.

Trump's Still Facing Problems Over Sex Allegations

When he was elected, Donald Trump probably thought the allegations against him by women accusing him of sexual abuse and harassment were over. If so, then he was wrong. Those allegations are alive and well, and a recent poll showed that 70% of Americans want Congress to investigate the allegations.

Part of this is because sexual harassment and abuse have become headline news lately as powerful men in the entertainment, news and political sectors have been accused and lost their jobs. And part is because Trump gleefully jumped into the fray by tweeting about the sexual charges of others (Democrats, media, and entertainment industry). He must have thought the presidency made him immune, even though his sex allegations are as bad or worse than those made against others.

But he is not immune, and the public is still concerned about Trump's sexual crimes. This is verified by two new polls on the subject. They show that between 53% to 58% of the public believes the women making the accusations against Trump. And perhaps even more troubling for Trump, about 53% to to 57% think Trump should resign if those charges are true. The polls are:

Rasmussen Poll -- done on December 12th and 13th of a random national sample of 1,000 likely voters, with a 3 point margin of error.

Public Policy Polling -- done on December 11th and 12th of a random national sample of 862 registered voters, with a 3.3 point margin of error.

Public's Not Happy With How Sexual Misconduct Is Handled

Poll after poll has shown that the general public thinks sexual harassment, abuse, and assault are serious problems in the United States -- and too many men in power are abusing their power to make sexual demands. They want the problem dealt with.

How are the entities where sexual misconduct has been discovered dealt with it? Not too well, according to the public.

The news media has done the best. They have 48% approval for their actions and 42% disapproval -- a net approval gap of 6 points. No one else comes close to that. The entertainment industry has a negative 13 point net approval gap. The Democratic Party has a negative 22 point net approval gap. The Republican Party has a negative 39 point net approval gap. And Donald Trump has a negative 41 point net approval gap.

Those are some pretty bad numbers -- especially for the politicians, who have an election coming up in less than a year.

The chart above uses numbers from a new Quinnipiac University Poll -- done between November 29th and December 4th of a random national sample of 1,747 adults, with a 2.8 point margin of error.

A Huge Majority Wants Trump Sex Allegations Investigated

Sexual harassment/abuse is in the headlines these days, and those in power who have been guilty of it are feeling the pressure. Two Democrats (Conyers and Franken) have resigned because of accusations, while Republicans Farenthold and Moore are trying to ride it out in hopes of staying in power. But the biggest sex abuser of all, Donald Trump, seems to be made of teflon. He was elected after numerous accusations, and still denies doing anything (even though there is a tape of him admitting it, and actually bragging about his sexual misconduct). That could be changing though.

The charts above were made from information in a new Quinnipiac University Poll -- done between November 29th and December 4th of a random national sample of 1,747 adults, with a 2.8 point margin of error.

The poll shows that 66% of the public believes any politician accused by multiple people of sexual harassment/abuse should resign. And they are not willing to let Trump off the hook. About 70% of the public thinks Congress should investigate the charges against him (while only 25% oppose that).

Trump thought he had put those accusations, as credible as they are, in the past. But with sexual misconduct in the headlines, and others being forced to resign, maybe Trump will finally have to face his own misconduct.

Time Magazine Got It Right With Their "Person Of The Year"

I could not agree more with the "Person of the Year" chosen by Time Magazine. They chose the silence breakers -- the women who had the courage to stand up and speak out against sexual harassment and abuse by men in power. Their courage has started a movement to deal with a problem  this nation has always had, but never dealt with. Perhaps now, it can be dealt with. Perhaps now the power of the patriarchy can be broken, and we can see a true equality.

I believe that is something that all Americans, both men and women, would welcome. The chart below (from a new Economist /YouGov Poll done between December 3rd and 5th of a random national sample of 1,500 adults, with a 3.4 point margin of error) shows that the public, by a wide margin, see sexual harassment as a serious problem -- and would like it to be eliminated.

Taxpayers Pay $84k For Texas Rep's Sexual Misconduct

Republicans have been howling for Democratic Rep. John Conyers to resign from Congress after it was found that he had settled a sexual harassment suit with an accuser. It now looks like the congressman will not run for re-election in 2018 (and has said he would give up his position on the House Judiciary Committee).

I am left to wonder if those same Republicans will be just as vociferous in calling for the resignation of one of their own. Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold (U.S. House District 27 in Texas) has been reported to have also settled a claim of sexual harassment against himself. He was accused of the harassment by a member of his own staff, who was paid $84,000 to settle the lawsuit.

And guess who paid that $84.000? It wasn't Farenthold. It was the American taxpayers! Here is how his transgression is described in Politico:

Rep. Blake Farenthold used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by his former spokesman.

Lauren Greene, the Texas Republican’s former communications director, sued her boss in December 2014 over allegations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

Greene claimed in the lawsuit that another Farenthold aide told her the lawmaker had “sexual fantasies” and “wet dreams” about Greene. She also claimed that Farenthold “regularly drank to excess” and told her in February 2014 that he was “estranged from his wife and had not had sex with her in years.”

When she complained about comments Farenthold and a male staffer made to her, Greene said the congressman improperly fired her. She filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, but the case was later dropped after both parties reached a private settlement.

Greene had worked for Farenthold for 18 months. According to Greene's complaint in court, Farenthold and his top aide, Bob Haueter, sexually harassed her. . . .

“Farenthold regularly drank to excess, and because of his tendency to flirt, the staffers who accompanied him to Capitol Hill functions would joke that they had to be on ‘red head patrol to keep him out of trouble,’” Greene’s complaint alleged. “On one occasion, prior to February 2014, during a staff meeting at which [Greene] was in attendance, Farenthold disclosed that a female lobbyist had propositioned him for a ‘threesome.’”

The complaint added: “On June 10, 2014, in response to Haueter’s complaint about [Greene’s] shirt … which Haueter claimed was transparent and showed [Greene’s] nipples, Farenthold told [another woman staffer] that [Greene] could show her nipples whenever she wanted to,” Greene’s complaint asserted.

(Farenthold, on the right, at a "pajama party" a few years ago.)

Sexual Harassment Has Always Been A U.S. Problem

The chart above is from a recent Rasmussen Poll -- done on November 19th and 20th of a random national sample of 1,000 likely voters, with a 3 point margin of error.

The poll shows that 26% of Americans think sexual harassment has increased in this country. That's probably because we now hear about it more. I think they are wrong, and so do 68% of the poll's respondents.

The truth is that this country, since its establishment, has been a patriarchy. Men have held the reins of power -- and too many of those men have abused that power to sexually harass (and even assault) women. We are hearing more about it these days because women have been coming forward to tell their stories of harassment and abuse, and because the media is finally willing to report those stories.

But the fact that this harassment/abuse has always existed in this country does not make it right, and in no way justifies the actions of the offenders. It is something that must be stamped out. And it cannot be done just by women. Men still hold most of the power, and that means they must step forward to do the most to eliminate the problem.

In the final analysis, this is a gender equality issue. We have talked a lot about equal pay and equal opportunity for women, but the elimination of sexual harassment is just as important. As long as it is allowed to exist, there will never be true gender equality.

Congress Protects Its Sex Abusers (& Bills The Taxpayers)

(Cartoon image is by John Deering in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.)

Since 1997, the government has paid out at least $17 million in workplace claims against members of Congress -- much of it for sexual harassment/abuse claims. That's $850,000 a year for the last 20 years, and the people footing the bill for that are the American taxpayers. That's right -- when a congressman discriminates against an employee, or abuses that employee sexually, they don't have to pay their victim. They pass the cost on to taxpayers.

And making matters worse, the offending members of Congress are not revealed. Before receiving any settlement, a victim must sign a nondisclosure agreement, and congressional rules prevent the offenders names from being made public. As a taxpayer, you don't even get to know whose crimes and unethical behavior you are funding.

Is this OK with you. It's not OK with me. I believe Americans deserve to know what their taxes are being spent on. And they, especially the voters, deserve to know which members of Congress are violating ethical or criminal rules. Anytime a payment is negotiated and agreed to, it should become public information -- and the name of the member of Congress that caused it should be made public (along with the charges resulting in the settlement).

Readers will know that I am a die-hard Democrat, but this is an issue that transcends party labels. Any member of Congress that discriminates against, to sexually harasses or abuses an employee should be named publicly -- and that is true whether they are a Republican or Democrat.

We expect people in other professions to adhere to a high standard of conduct. Why should we expect any less from members of Congress? I think a case could be easily made that they should be held to a higher standard.

A Plurality Of Republicans Would Vote For A Sex Harasser

This is just one more thing showing how far the Republican Party has sunk. They claim to be the party of Family values (i.e., christian values), and yet a plurality of them (43%) say they would vote for a candidate accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. It seems that they now don't see sexual harassment or abuse to be a violation of family values.

The chart was made using information in a new Quinnipiac University Poll -- done between November 15th and 20th of a random national sample of 1,415 voters, with a 3.1 point margin of error.

Most Think Trump/Moore Guilty Of Sex Harassment/Abuse

This chart uses information in a new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between November 19th and 21st of a random national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,344 registered voters), with a 3.3 point margin of error.

It shows that a majority of Americans think both Donald Trump (65%) and Roy Moore (54%) are guilty of sexual harassment/abuse -- and a plurality thinks the same about Justice Clarence Thomas (45%).

Most See Sexual Harassment As A Serious Problem In U.S.

We seem to be in the middle of a backlash against sexual harassment in this country -- and one that is sorely needed. The United States has always been a patriarchy, where men held the power and women have had to fight for every right they have (and still are not absolutely equal to men). And too many men, when they get a little power, have abused that power by using it to sexually harass/abuse/assault women.

Fortunately, it looks like the public is finally waking up to this problem. About 72% say sexual harassment is a serious problem in this country, while only 16% think it is not.  And it looks like the problem may even be worse than people know. About half (50%) of women report that they have been sexually harassed, but of that 50% only 26% have reported the harassment (while 67% have not).

Why haven't women reported this egregious treatment? Too many believe they will not be believed or that nothing would be done about it, and that reporting it may even cost them a job or cause them to be the victim of retribution. We need to change that. No one should be sexually harassed, and no one should fear reporting that harassment.

The charts above show results of a recent Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between November 12th and 14th of a random national sample of 1,500 adults (including 829 women), with a 3 point margin of error.

Senator Al Franken Should NOT Resign His Seat

I'm sure you've heard by now about the accusations made against Senator Franken by right-wing broadcaster Leeann Tweeden. Franken (before being elected to the Senate) allowed a rather disgusting picture to be taken and is accused of forcing a kiss on Tweeden.

Perhaps the best commentary I've read about this comes from Ramona Grigg at Crooks and Liars -- and I agree with her. Here is part of what she has written:

Yes, I'll say it, and I hope it's not too late: Al Franken should not resign. He shouldn't be forced to resign, either by the Democrats who (rightly) can't abide double standards or the Republicans who would love to see a Democratic knock-down. I can agree that what he did to Leeann Tweeden was stupid, gross, and as close to sexual predation as it gets, and still want him to stay where he is. . . .

. . .how could I, flaming liberal feminist, active #MeToo member, wish for Al Franken to go on working in the Senate? I confess I've been torn over this, asking myself why I should accept Franken's admission and apology and still go after Roy Moore or Donald Trump for their ugly sexual transgressions.

Well, yes, they're lowlife scum and don't deserve my defense--I agree--but I want the punishment to fit the crime. Franken has plenty to apologize for--gross, sexist stupidity is finding its day in court and, after so many decades of unfettered applications, it can't come too soon--and he has apologized. Twice so far, without the usual equivocations. He is as disgusted with himself as we are. Leeann Tweeden accepted his apology. She said she doesn't want him to resign, adding that he does good things for the people of Minnesota while still acknowledging it was wrong and these things shouldn't be ignored.

She's right. They shouldn't be ignored. Spreading sunshine all over the place encourages women--and sometimes men--to come out of the shadows and tell their stories. We are at a crossroads now and we have to get it right. Sexual predators, no matter who they are, need to be exposed. We should, of course, look to punishment, but who gets to decide what form and how much?

Did Al Franken do something worthy of expulsion? There's the dilemma. I want women like Leeann Tweeden to be able to come forward without consequence to tell their stories. I want the men who abused them to feel their pain, to get it, to show us they've learned from these revelations and will work to put a stop to a culture that has for too long equated power with the freedom to use sex as a right.

I believe Franken gets it. I want him to stay in the Senate because his work is important. Too important to set aside. He does good work there. He asks relevant, sometimes burning questions, does his homework, and works for the disenfranchised, the underdogs, the people hungering for attention to their condition. The loss would be painful.

I want him to work for us, against the Trump administration and the GOP majority, against any hateful agents who try to diminish or harm those of us without power. I want him where he can do the most good. I want him in the Senate.