Female lawmakers allege harassment by colleagues in House

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press




By ERICA WERNER and JULIET LINDERMAN
26 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Republican Rep. Mary Bono endured the increasingly suggestive comments from a fellow lawmaker in the House. But when the congressman approached her on the House floor and told her he’d been thinking about her in the shower, she’d had enough.

She confronted the man, who she said still serves in Congress, telling him his comments were demeaning and wrong. And he backed off.

Bono, who served 15 years before being defeated in 2012, is not alone.

As reports flow almost daily of harassment or worse by men in entertainment, business and the media, one current and three former female lawmakers tell The Associated Press that they, too, have been harassed or subjected to hostile sexual comments — by fellow members of Congress.

Read more: https://apnews.com/ca32653c458c4a3e9ef07d31700c14e6/Female-lawmakers-allege-harassment-by-colleagues-in-House

[Blue_Adept]

1. With as much as it's hitting hollywood, I expect it to be even worse here - but not come out much

There's just a different sense of power involved here in how people can be crushed for coming forward.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Misogyny is everywhere. Our country is built on oppression.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. Name names!

[mountain grammy]

4. Agree. Call them out.

[Quemado]

5. Yes!

+1

[thbobby]

9. Donald Fucking Trump

And many voted for him. Men and Women. Misogyny in America? Well, no shit Sherlock. Should we really be surprised by this? Hell no, but as a country, we should be deeply ashamed. I sure as hell am.

Misogyny is not a new phenomenon. The many brave women calling it out is not new either. But it is reaching a critical mass. I am so glad that so many brave women are stepping up.

Men, we must do all we can to help expose and stop this bullshit. Teach your children well. Make sure that women who expose it are treated as heroes in the war against misogyny. We must do everything we can to help in this noble cause.

[lagomorph777]

6. It's easy to guess which side of the aisle most of the jerks are sitting on.

These women should publish the names of the perps.

[Pacifist Patriot]

10. I wouldn't be so quick to assume.

I've been subject to inappropriate comments and unwelcome physical contact by three politicians, one who was a Governor at the time. All three were Democrats.

I generally don't interact with Republicans in person for any length of time, so I have no basis of comparison regarding relative frequency disparities between the two parties. And I've met with literally hundreds of democratic politicians so I'm not saying it's necessarily pervasive. The plural of anecdote is not data after all.

I just wouldn't be surprised if it's more of a male thing in general irrespective of party. Jaded view of a BTDT middle-aged woman I'm afraid.

[lagomorph777]

11. Well, I have to defer to your actual experience; I am not in a position to actually know.

I just tend to assume that public immorality and private immorality are correlated, but that's probably unwise.

I'm sorry for your experiences.

[Johnyawl]

12. You're right, it's not party, it's male entitlement

Here in Washington State we threw a Democratic Governor out of office because he couldn't keep his hands to himself. He was pretty much everything you'd want in a progressive, other than that sense of male entitlement.

[riversedge]

7. #metoo campaign is working. yes. it is. ...

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. The only thing that would surprise me...

would be hearing that female lawmakers weren't harassed by their colleagues. Glad they are speaking out.

[riversedge]

13. Bet some congressMEN are sweating. she said he was still in congress. stay tuned.

[Lulu KC]

15. I appreciate their bravery

and if names are named and all the perps are Democrats, I smell more diversion. After yesterday's debacle, getting a little more twitchy than usual.

[Faux pas]

16. Not surprised

that whole bunch of a**holes think we women are just here for their pleasure and entertainment, starting with their f-ing so called 'leader'.

Thanks for posting this DonViejo

[Bayard]

17. Isn't that Sonny's widow?

[keithbvadu2]

18. How Congress plays by different rules on sexual harassment and misconduct

How Congress plays by different rules on sexual harassment and misconduct

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-congress-plays-by-different-rules-on-sexual-ha
rassment-and-misconduct/2017/10/26/2b9a8412-b80c-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_ter
m=.c2fad8a6a2d8&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

If Whitehouse had chosen to pursue a complaint against the senator, she would have
discovered a process unlike other parts of the federal government or much of the private
sector. Her complaint likely would have been thrown out because interns have limited
harassment protections under the unique employment law that Congress applies to itself.

Congress makes its own rules about the handling of sexual complaints against members and
staff, passing laws exempting it from practices that apply to other employers.

----------

When settlements do occur, members do not pay them from their own office funds, a
requirement in other federal agencies. Instead, the confidential payments come out of a
special U.S. Treasury fund.

>>>>>>>>>> (much more at the article)

[Grins]

19. By any chance would this be that former Congresswoman, Mary Bono...?

Would that be....this former Rep., Bono...? (From my "Republican Family Values" file)

"Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack has been caught on camera in a lurid scandal where another woman is apparently licking her breast.

The woman apparently licking Bono’s breast is Edra Blixseth, a disgraced former billionaire who is at the center of a criminal investigation probing whether she made fraudulent representations about her financial worth to a number of banks.

With her head thrown back, Bono’s plunging bra is exposed as Blixseth — who now dates Dallas actor Jack Scalia after splitting from her husband Tim in 2008 — is seen diving into the politician’s cleavage with her tongue out.

Cleavage diving? Well, who the hell doesn't love that? Go on....

The images shocked Bono’s 2008 political opponent, Julie Bornstein, who ...said Bono’s clearly outrageous behavior came as no surprise.

“Several women in the California Congressional delegation were embarrassed repeatedly by Mary Bono’s behavior and conduct in the Capitol and encouraged me to run because of the embarrassment she brought to the legislature. I am not surprised that these pictures exist. She has often spoken about going out with her girlfriends and drinking… she has been known as a strenuous partier.”

Republican. Family. Values.

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/01/exclusive-sonny-bonos-widow-congresswoman-mary-bono-lurid-photo-scandal-with/