One of Senator Klobuchar's accusers

[MineralMan]

is supposed to have been her body man or body woman. Doing personal stuff is a big part of that job. See this:

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/report-klobuchars-staff-mistreatment-goes-back-a-decade.html

Then, see this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_man

A body man or body woman is, in U.S. political jargon, a civilian personal assistant and sometimes valet to a politician or political candidate. Such a person accompanies the politician or candidate virtually everywhere, often arranging lodging, transportation, and meals, and providing snacks, a cell phone, and any other necessary assistance.

[wryter2000]

1. Oh, FFS

The Russians have certainly been busy, haven't they?

[MineralMan]

4. Yes, they have. And it's just beginning.

[Ms. Toad]

2. And you don't see a difference between

arranging lodging, transportation, and meals, and providing snacks, a cell phone, and any other necessary assistance

and picking up and sorting dirty laundry, or washing dishes?

[MineralMan]

3. Nope. I don't.

Being a body man or woman is a job with no official body description. You do what is needed at the time. It's not a fun job. It's not an easy job. Sometimes, you end up doing menial things.

It's not a job I'd want, frankly.

[Ms. Toad]

8. From my perspective, there is a significant difference

Between being a personal maid (i.e. dealing with personal, often dirty, belongings) and providing professional support (taking place in the professional world - outside the intimacy of the home of the employer, to do what is necessary to make events run smoothly).

But aside from that, are you really willing to pay for Kobluchar (or anyone else) to have a personal maid for their home?

[pnwmom]

14. From what I've read, Sen. Klobuchar's expectations are similar to those of many male Senators

I'm not saying the expectations are RIGHT. But they're not unusual, and of course it's a woman who's being criticized for it.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/harry-reid-rebuked-amy-klobuchar-for-mistreatment-of-staff/ar-BBTlRCy

Scoggin did not respond to interview requests. A former manager in the office said it was hard to imagine how Klobuchar created a morale problem given that most of the attorneys didn’t have day-to-day contact with her. “Can she be hard to work for? Yeah, because she never stops working,” he said. “And that burns some people out, and that’s the job.”

SNIP

Former members of her staff told HuffPost that Klobuchar ground down morale with constant and cruel late-night emails and claimed staff was required to perform personal duties for her — such as washing dishes in her home — in violation of the Senate’s rules and federal law against personal use of the office.

Other people in her Senate offices feel that many criticisms of Klobuchar could be a product of sexism, sources told HuffPost.

“I’ve heard people say she’s tough to work for, and I sometimes cringe when I hear it because I rarely hear that said about male bosses in Congress despite the fact that half of Congress is tough to work for,” said Tristan Brown, a former legislative aide.

Making personal demands of staff is an extremely common practice in the Senate and the body has weak procedures for enforcing its rules. The House, by contrast, calls out its members for breaking the same federal law somewhat more regularly.

[IluvPitties]

16. Doesn't make it right.

[Ms. Toad]

30. Please identify a single male senator or representative

who required their staff members to wash dishes, pick up, and sort dirty laundry.

A generic "everyone does it," is not a counter to allegations regarding specific inappropriate tasks she is apparently requiring of her staff.

Unfortunatley, in my experience, politicians who have demanded their staff engage in personal grooming or housekeeping have been women. (One routinely required her staff attorneys to babysit, another required her (attorney) employee to drive her to and from events while she stripped and changed clothing in the back seat, and now Klobuchar). All three women, unfortunately.

In contrast, similarly situated male politicians had their staff attorneys doing legal work (i.e. what they were hired to do) or - at worst - campaigning.

[ananda]

29. Yes

I want her representing our interests 100% !!!

[jalan48]

10. If this is the case I would expect her fellow Democratic colleagues to step forward and explain

that picking up dirty laundry and and washing the dishes is a normal part of their body's work routine. Why allow her to twist in the wind over something that's considered normal behavior?

[pnwmom]

15. Why? Because they don't want to subject themselves to criticism by admitting they do it too.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/harry-reid-rebuked-amy-klobuchar-for-mistreatment-of-staff/ar-BBTlRCy

Scoggin did not respond to interview requests. A former manager in the office said it was hard to imagine how Klobuchar created a morale problem given that most of the attorneys didn’t have day-to-day contact with her. “Can she be hard to work for? Yeah, because she never stops working,” he said. “And that burns some people out, and that’s the job.”

SNIP

Former members of her staff told HuffPost that Klobuchar ground down morale with constant and cruel late-night emails and claimed staff was required to perform personal duties for her — such as washing dishes in her home — in violation of the Senate’s rules and federal law against personal use of the office.

Other people in her Senate offices feel that many criticisms of Klobuchar could be a product of sexism, sources told HuffPost.

“I’ve heard people say she’s tough to work for, and I sometimes cringe when I hear it because I rarely hear that said about male bosses in Congress despite the fact that half of Congress is tough to work for,” said Tristan Brown, a former legislative aide.

Making personal demands of staff is an extremely common practice in the Senate and the body has weak procedures for enforcing its rules. The House, by contrast, calls out its members for breaking the same federal law somewhat more regularly.

[jalan48]

17. So, if this is the status quo why not just admit it?

[pnwmom]

18. It's common, not necessarily the status quo, and they don't want to admit it

because either they do it themselves or they are close to other Senators who do.

[jalan48]

24. And we wonder why 90+ million eligible voters don't bother to vote.

[dalton99a]

11. Obama's bodyman Reggie Love:

I was his DJ, his Kindle, his travel agent, his valet, his daughters' basketball coach, his messenger, his punching bag, his alarm clock, his vending machine, his chief of stuff, his note passer, his spades partner, his party planner, his workout partner, his caterer, his small forward, his buffer, his gatekeeper, his surrogate son, and ultimately, improbably, luckily, his friend.

From dawn to what was often the middle of the night, I was a witness not only to history, but to a side of the man few got to see.

We became friends, eventually even something close to family. I carried snacks and the luggage, babysat for the children of world leaders, prepped the teleprompter and the operator, and handled a million other tasks that came up on the fly.

"Power Forward: My Presidential Education"

[TeamPooka]

22. To every other politician there is a difference. I like Amy but you don't have an office employee

do the dishes or laundry at your home.
No matter what business you're in.
She gave a great speech today.

[dsc]

5. It depends upon who was paying him

I would have a problem with a tax payer paid employee being told to so household tasks but not with a personally paid one.

[Ms. Toad]

6. These are taxpayer paid employees.

(there are separate discussions about the different campaign employees.)

[dsc]

7. then I do have a problem with this

not from treatment of the employee standpoint but from a use of tax dollars standpoint. If she wants a housekeeper let her hire one and pay for one.

[Blue_true]

31. John McCain's body men used to have to comb his hair and help him get shirts on.

So yes, their function could very well include dropping off and picking up the Senator's laundry, or even lunch or coffee. Personally, I don't like anyone touching my clothes after my mom turned taking care of them over to me, but other people have no issue with letting other people transport their clothes to and from the laundry.

[bdamomma]

9. Russian

thug tactics are being used to smear these candidates. And if these allegations are true, they should have a investigating committee.

these repigs will do everything and anything to smear Democratic candidates male or female, to steal away power.

[riverwalker]

12. "Sent her an Email in ALL CAPS". Oh the horror!

Did the employee think she was working for her mother? Good grief.

[safeinOhio]

13. Would like to see the accuser's

record, work and police.

[pnwmom]

19. It is not a coincidence that all these attacks on her personally are coming out NOW, the weekend

of her announcement.

One of Klobuchar's strengths till now has always been her perceived likability among voters, and someone is determined to undermine that, at the same moment that she's trying to make a big splash.

[peggysue2]

21. Exactly!

And it's following a pattern, the repetitions of the criticism (which amplifies the original sin) and the kneecapping at the start. In this case, it's before Klobucher had a chance to come out of the gate full steam.

This is a coordinated smear machine grinding into life. And the media, even a MSNBC picks these cookies up and runs with them, repeats the story, gives it another cycle of life. Elizabeth Warren's DNA snafu, for instance. Which is deliberately being repeated to turn it into a 2016 'but . . .but her emails' moment.

Same playbook. Same players.

[Skidmore]

20. A quick search of the

Huffington Post writer originally pushing this story appears to be a woman focused on denigrating Democratic candidates and politicians. One Molly Reddens.

[Quixote1818]

23. Didn't Reid rebuke Klobuchar for mistreatment of staff? Plus there is a letter dating back to 2006

I can't imagine Reid doing this if there hadn't been some kind of actual issue.

https://www.scribd.com/document/399214761/AFSCME-Letter-on-Amy-Klobuchar-2006#from_embed

https://politicalwire.com/2019/02/08/reid-rebuked-klobuchar-for-mistreatment-of-staff/

[MineralMan]

25. So HuffPo says.

Has HuffPo every gotten anything wrong?

[Quixote1818]

26. Can you fill me in about this letter? Is there something we should know?

She was one of my top choices as you can see from my pasts posts, so I am just trying to get the full picture.


https://www.scribd.com/document/399214761/AFSCME-Letter-on-Amy-Klobuchar-2006#from_embed

[Blue_true]

33. Reid himself said no via a spokesperson. nt

[MineralMan]

34. Thank you!

[Blue_true]

32. Reid personally says that he did not, nor even had a situation where he felt he had to. nt

[obamanut2012]

37. Women get judged much harsher on this stuff than men do

So, even if Reid did this, it carries little weight with me.

[Demit]

27. The minutiae we're being subjected to is incredible.

And it's all to distract us from what we SHOULD be looking for in a president. Policies! Vision! Ability to lead!

I don't care how candidates eat their food. I don't care if they're short with their staff sometimes or ask them to pick up their drycleaning. Jesus Mary & Joseph, this is nitpicking of the most ridiculous kind and we're falling for it.

[exboyfil]

28. She is listed as 71st in net worth

in the Senate with assets (which I assume includes all retirement accounts) of about $1M. Her annual salary is $174K. With that she has to maintain residences in both Washington DC and in Minnesota.

She probably puts in 80 hrs/week which does not leave much time to do those day to day activities.

I am not saying it is right that she uses staff in an unapproved manner, but why is it that only rich people can be Senators and Representatives?

Really can we stop with the Warren crap and this crap. I really wish we could get to discussing the issues and trying to break through the firewall of ignorance in this country which is truly amazing.

If not, we are doomed as a country.

[ooky]

36. Real issues are given very little time on M$M.

Its all this garbage M$M wants to discuss. People watch M$M, then bring it here.

[crazycatlady]

35. as a political staffer

I've been tasked with going through my candidate's closet to pick out clothes appropriate for XYZ event. I've also been tasked with doing things like making sure her cell phone was charged.

The campaign trail gets very hectic. Sometimes staff are needed for little things like charging a cell phone (as the candidate might forget to).