Another media attack against a woman in power. Amy Klobuchar is a tough boss.

[Fla Dem]

I'd hoped we had finally gotten to the point where there would be equal treatment of women in power positions. But to pick on something as stupid as Sen Klobuchar's office management style and to call out times she may have been irritated, stressed, maybe even angry and claim this exemplifies her abusive management style is ridiculous. I have never seen such accusations against men in congress (other than sexual improprieties) I guess because men are allowed to show their irritations and to ask their staff to do some additional duties on occasions.

This is an example of the press taking a nugget of salacious information, a small inconsequential event or comment and exploding it into a major scandal. Exactly what they did to HRC during the 2016 election.

The writer who wrote the piece for Vanity Fair seems to have a pattern of doing this. And yes on the Republican side as well. But look at some of the headlines she's generated just in 3 days, for a segment in VF called "The Hive".

Headlines 2/6 - 2/8
Developing: A Second Woman Has Accused Justin Fairfax of Sexual Assault
Terrified Aides Say Amy Klobuchar Is Just Like Trump
Liberal Billionaire Threatens to Unseat Dems Who Don’t Impeach Trump
Nancy Pelosi Isn’t Rushing to Endorse A.O.C.’s “Green Dream or Whatever They Call it"
Elizabeth Warren’s Native Ancestry Headache May Just Be Beginning
The Entire Democratic Leadership in Virginia Is Imploding

https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/tina-nguyen

I'm not saying there isn't a nugget of truth to these stories, but they take everyday events and blow them up into scandals, then other media outlets smell red meat and they becomes "bonafide" news story.

We cannot let ourselves be swayed from presenting a unified front during the primaries based on "yellow journalism". I'm not just talking about the candidates, I'm talking about "US" the Democratic Party and all its members as well. If we have serious disagreements on issues fine, let's discuss, but let's leave the mindless accusations on the bathroom floor where they belong.

[vlyons]

1. For me, an important question is

How effective is the candidate? What has he/she accomplished? What does he/she want to accomplish? I really don't care if Klobuchar bawled out some staffers. It's a bullshit distraction to keep us from discussing her voting record and whatever she says in her kick-off speech.

Everytime you hear or see something criticizing a Dem's "niceness," just call it bullshit.

[bdamomma]

6. that's all it is

BS.

Again, who do they repigs have? tRump, that fucking imbecile is all they have.

Dirty politics is correct.

[marylandblue]

2. Throwing things at your employees is not acceptable.

That may be a false accusation, but it is beyond the usual "tough boss" sort of thing.

Still, I am not so interested in the accusation as in the response. She needs to respond effectively so as to neutralize this and turn it around. Otherwise Trump would destroy her with accusations. If the truth doesn't work, he will make things up. What will she do?

[riverwalker]

7. A doctor threw a chart at me once

Truth is, he was the best damn cardiologist we had. If I had heart trouble, he’s the guy I would go to, hands down.

[marylandblue]

8. Well, if Klobuchar is really the best candidate in the world

I'll overlook her assaulting her employees. But will her employees continue overlooking it? If she is chaotic, her campaign will be too.

[safeinOhio]

10. Beats the hell out of trump.

He has been accused of way more. I like Klobuchar because she is tuff on repubs.

[Fla Dem]

14. According to the article, she did not throw anything at an aide.

I agree. No employer should ever throw anything at an employee. In this case it was a mid directed object and there are no reports of her ever throwing anything directly at an ee.

"That anger regularly left employees in tears, four former staffers said. She yelled, threw papers, and sometimes even hurled objects; one aide was accidentally hit with a flying binder, according to someone who saw it happen, though the staffer said the senator did not intend to hit anyone with the binder when she threw it."

The article does not elaborate what transpired after that happened, whether the Senator apologize or not.

[treestar]

15. She needs to respond effectively

But the Orange Dotard does not.

[marylandblue]

23. He does respond effectively, that's how he won in 2016

despite all his negatives.

[treestar]

27. What was effective

Dismissing the pussy grab tape as locker room talk . Then what would be effective here?

[marylandblue]

31. "I am a tough boss, but at least I don't watch TV all day."

[treestar]

34. What do you think of how

Klobuchar has handled it thus far?

[marylandblue]

37. She is doing very well.

[pnwmom]

16. Is she supposed to address every anonymous, evidence-free complaint ever made against her?

Or should she stay on-message about her policies and goals?

[marylandblue]

21. She should do whatever she must to take ammunition away from Trump

and shoot back at him, then immediately turn the subject back to policy. I'm looking for the candidate that seems best able to do that.

But Trump used the most absurd attacks to take down him primary opponents. It was successful because they didn't know how to respond. It isn't easy. But at least this time we know it's coming.

[pnwmom]

22. Nothing will take ammunition away from Trump. Did anything stop him from attacking Obama

on the birther issue?

[marylandblue]

24. Like I said, it isn't easy, but Obama did okay.

The birther issue ended up hurting Hillary more than Obama himself.

[Ohiogal]

3. I'll bet the Lyin' King does it all the time.

[safeinOhio]

11. Exactly.

Ok for orange men.

[Polly Hennessey]

4. Agree, agree, agree.

Ms. Nyguen searches for and then takes whatever item she can find and turns it into a long piece with a suggestive, unsubstantiated headline. She is not a reporter. She is just someone writing gossip disguised as serious reporting. Vanity Fair is turning into a high-end National Enquirer. Although, I do like Gabe Sherman’s reporting (he used to work for the Washington Post).

[Little Star]

9. Truth!

[bdamomma]

5. These

are all tactics from the Russian/Repig handbook, throw so much false allegations around and see what sticks.

[hack89]

12. No. She is an abusive boss. Nt

[Demovictory9]

19. I worked in a toxic office run by a crazy boss (male). I won't give her a pass

Because she is female. I know what it is like to dread going to work.

[Triloon]

32. She should just resign, huh? n/t

[hack89]

33. Please don't put words in my mouth.

I said she was an abusive boss. The voters will decide if that disqualifies her.

[IluvPitties]

13. I like Sen. Klobuchar a lot, but I don't like people who abuse their staff.

I hope this is just an exaggeration of events.

[pnwmom]

17. That is the whole point of this. To make someone Minnesotans like A LOT unlikeable.

And it seems to be working.

[Awsi Dooger]

29. It only works among people who overreact to today

Unfortunately there are plenty of people who not only don't avoid that, they can't imagine any other method.

It is the reason the nightly talk shows succeed. It is the reason ESPN runs a weekly segment called, "Overreaction Monday."

I've mentioned that when I worked at the Horseshoe sportsbook in Las Vegas the sportsbook manager Tommy George said his dream scenario was for every bettor to watch every game every day, so it would be nothing but a flood of opinions, and changing all the time, always dependent on the most recent item on the plate.

Tommy knew there was no threat of clarity under those circumstances. Trump understands it as well. That's why his rallies are so effective. He launches another absurdity and the media gobbles it up, while anticipating the next one.

[Fla Dem]

26. I hope the reports are exaggerated as well. The Buzzfeed article had little specifics.

Last edited Sun Feb 10, 2019, 07:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Personal staff
In 2000, every Representative hired 14 staff members, while the average Senator hired 34. In 2000, Representatives had a limit of 18 full-time and four part-time staffers; Senators had no limit on staff.[5] Budgets for staff were determined by the population of the state; Senators from California, the most populous state, get more money for staff than Senators from Wyoming, the least populous state. Members can choose how to distribute staff between their Washington office and their United States congressional district home office or offices.[5]

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

According to the above, on average, a Senator has about 34 staff. Some in DC others in their home state headquarters. The article cited 4 former staffer and emails. Former staff were not identified and emails were not published. Not saying they don't exist, but hard to rely on anything without some documented proof.

Also claim was made that Sen Klobuchar had the highest staff turnover.

In the Senate, Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar led the pack with an annual turnover rate of 36 percent, followed by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) with 30 percent and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) with 28 percent.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/21/worst-bosses-congress-476729

Maybe because she does have high performance standard she produces more excellent candidates to fill high ranking positions in other government positions.

“Senator Klobuchar loves her staff ― they are the reason she has gotten to where she is today,” a campaign spokesperson told HuffPost. “She has many staff who have been with her for years ― including her Chief of Staff and her State Director, who have worked for her for 5 and 7 years respectively ― and many who have gone on to do amazing things, from working in the Obama Administration (over 20 of them) to running for office to even serving as the Agriculture Commissioner for Minnesota. She is proud of them and the work they have done for Minnesota.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/amy-klobuchar-abuse-staff-2020_us_5c5a1cb1e4b0871047588649

I haven't decided yet which candidate I'm hitching my wagon to for 2020, but I have really like Sen Klobuchar. I would be disappointed if these complaints have more substance than just the regular complaining of any disgruntled employee.

[LiberalFighter]

36. Some or all of what she reported on Rachel's show.

[LiberalFighter]

38. I don't think complaints hold much water.

More likely some low level media pundit type trying to stir things up.

[WestCoastDem42]

18. Could not agree more ....

with this observation. As another comment poster noted: "there is some ratf*ckery going on here".

Take these comments and lay it against the VA controversies and you begin to get a bigger picture.

[Strelnikov_]

20. Scorpion and frog

If it is her nature, the campaign will reveal said nature.

To date, I have not observed anything concerning in her demeanor.

[Yosemito]

25. Are her aides the media?

Don’t think so.

[Fla Dem]

28. Did the aides seek out the media, or did the media seek out the aides

Last edited Mon Feb 11, 2019, 11:32 PM - Edit history (2)

to try and get some tantalizing dirt on the Senator? We don't know do we. Aides aren't identified, emails not released. Little to go on for us to have an opinion. Article s/n/h/b/ released without providing some documentary evidence. Kinda like Trump saying he pays millions in taxes without releasing his tax returns.

[Fresh_Start]

30. Throwing things in not a tough boss...it's an a-hole

asking employees to do personal errands
and clean up your clothes is not a tough boss...

If they were hired as household staff, cleaning up clothing would not be tough boss...just ordinary boss
But asking political staff to do so, is probably against Congressional rules

[LiberalFighter]

35. She did a good job deflecting the staff issue on Rachel show.

[Takket]

39. drumpf was literally the star of a TV show about yelling at and firing people.