Conservatives Respond To Cain Accusations By Dismissing Sexual Harassment As "Meaningless"
Following a report accusing Herman Cain of sexual harassment in the 1990s, media conservatives are claiming that such allegations are often "meaningless" or used as "a political tool." But studies show that victims often endure serious psychological and professional side effects as a result of the experience.
Conservatives Downplay The Legitimacy Of Sexual Harassment Claims
Limbaugh: "Sexual Harassment Is A Political Tool Of The Left To Get Rid Of People, Or To Score Money Gains."From the November 1 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: You know what sexual harassment is? You know what it really is? It's a political tool. It is a political tool invented by the left. And -- for the express pur-- just like political correctness is a political tool of the left to shut people down, sexual harassment is a political tool of the left to get rid of people, or to score money gains, whatever is most desired.
How are ya, folk-- no, I'm not saying sexual harassment doesn't happen. I'm just saying that it doesn't happen a whole lot of times people admit to it happening. They'll make a settlement out of court rather than go to court to litigate it just to get rid of it. It's become an accredited way for malcontent women to score some money. There's no question about it. [Premiere Radio Networks,The Rush Limbaugh Show, 11/1/11]
National Review: "Is There Anyone Who Thinks Sexual Harassment Is A Real Thing?" From a November 2 post by John Derbyshire on National Review Online:
Is there anyone who thinks sexual harassment is a real thing? Is there anyone who doesn't know it's all a lawyers' ramp, like "racial discrimination"? You pay a girl a compliment nowadays, she runs off and gets lawyered up. Is this any way to live? [National Review, 11/2/11]
Fox's Ingraham: "It Always Ends Up Being An Employee Who Can't Perform ... And Is Looking For A Little Green." A November 2 Talking Points Memo article reported that Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham's reaction to the accusations against Cain was "to blame the women." From the article:
Right-wing talk show host Laura Ingraham, a former Thomas law clerk, was also ready to blame the women. "We have seen this movie before and we know how it ends. It always ends up being an employee who can't perform or who under-performs and is looking for a little green," she said on her show.
"How much money did it take for you to swallow your principles?" she continued. "'Oh, I was so offended.' So in other words, you lose the fact that you're offended if you're paid money? Does anyone understand that? If something was truly horrible, then why wouldn't you just stand up, 'I want to be known, my name -- I want my name to be out there.'" [Talking Points Memo, 11/2/11]
Fox's Gutfeld: Many Sexual Harassment Allegations Are "Inherently Meaningless." On The Five, Greg Gutfeld said, "We're beginning to understand the ubiquitousness of sexual harassment claims and how because they're happening so often and they're everywhere, many of them are inherently meaningless, done to safeguard future reputation-damaging things, and you might not be guilty." [Fox News, The Five, 11/1/11]
Fox's Tantaros: "Bob Threw A Candy Corn Down My Dress Yesterday, And I Didn't Sue." On America's Newsroom, Andrea Tantaros laughed off the accusations against Cain, saying that her co-host Bob Beckel on The Five "threw a candy corn" down her dress, and she did not sue. From Talking Points Memo:
"But if you believe Herman Cain, the story that he told Greta last night, it was such a small deal, it wasn't anything that was sexual harassment at all. So he's right on that. I mean Bob [Beckel] threw a candy corn down my dress yesterday, and I didn't sue." [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 11/1/11, via Talking Points Memo]
Fox's Hume: Superiors In The Workplace Are Now "At An Equal Or Greater Disadvantage" Than Their Employees.From the November 1 edition of Special Report with Bret Baier:
HUME: Years ago, subordinate employees were at a terrible disadvantage when subjected to unwanted sexual advances by their superiors. Today, those superiors are at an equal or greater disadvantage. Not only are unwanted advances now against the law, but so is conduct that may be found to create, quote, "an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment."
The problem is that what is intimidating, hostile, or offensive to some may not be to others. Innocently intended compliments may be welcome to one person but may give offense to another. [Fox News, Special Report, 11/1/11, via Media Matters]
Effects Of Sexual Harassment "Can Have A Devastating Impact" On Victims
EEOC: Over 11,000 Sexual Harassment Charges Filed In 2010, About 16 Percent Of Which Were Made By Men.According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 11,717 sexual harassment claims were filed in fiscal year 2010, of which 16.4 percent of the claims were made by men. [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2011]
National Partnership For Women And Families: "Sexual Harassment Can Have A Devastating Impact On Victims' Lives." From the National Partnership for Women & Families:
Sexual harassment can have a devastating impact on victims' lives. Victims of sexual harassment report greater instances of alcohol abuse and mental health problems. Harassment is also a devious way to keep women out of the workplace or in traditional "women's jobs" with low pay and few benefits. [National Partnership for Women and Families, 2011]
AAUW: "For Many Victims Of Sexual Harassment, The Aftermath May Be More Damaging Than The Original Harassment." From the American Association of University Women:
For many victims of sexual harassment, the aftermath may be more damaging than the original harassment. Effects can vary from external effects, such as retaliation, backlash, or victim blaming to internal effects, such as depression, anxiety, or feelings of shame and/or betrayal. Depending on the victim's experience, these effects can vary from mild to severe.
[...]
Economical Effects
The most obvious effects of sexual harassment occur when the victim either loses his or her job or loses wages or other benefits. The simplest connection between sexual harassment and loss of work is when a worker is fired for refusing to comply with sexual demands of a supervisor or co-worker. Sometimes the firing is tied to another event but can be connected to the harassment. Other victims may be subjected to forced reassignment, denial of promotions, or demotion. [American Association of University Women, 2011]
Equal Rights Advocates: "90 to 95% Of Sexually Harassed Women Suffer From Some Debilitating Stress Reaction." From the Advocates For Human Rights:
According to data compiled by Equal Rights Advocates, a women's law center in the U.S., 90 to 95% of sexually harassed women suffer from some debilitating stress reaction, including anxiety, depression, headaches, sleep disorders, weight loss or gain, nausea, lowered self-esteem and sexual dysfunction. In addition, victims of sexual harassment lose $4.4 million dollars in wages and 973,000 hours in unpaid leave each year in the United States. [The Advocates For Human Rights, 2003]
The "rape" charge was made by a woman who wasn't credible.
As far as Herman Cain--he's accusing Rick Perry's campaign of leaking the story. You're just making stuff up again. I haven't seen any outrage from "the left" nor is there any "lynch mob" thing going on.
You really need some professional help sorting out all your issues.
A) Well, according to Fox news and Limbaugh, that judge should just sit down and shut up because accusations of sexual harassment are "meaningless" and merely a way to cash in or destroy powerful people.
B) Who is this judge? I'm sure you can find a judge that would overturn Roe V Wade, or rule that Reagan should have gone to jail for Iran-Contra. "A Judge" might say a lot of different things about a lot of different cases, but "the judge" who was presented with the grand jury testimony didn't think there was merit in the Paula Jones case.
C) The perjury charges were related to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and that was a totally consensual office affair turned into national obsession for 2 years. There was no harassment.
C)Sexual harassment and an affair between two adults is Apples and Oranges, as Mr. Cain would say. It's not my place to excuse the affair, but it's not sexual harassment.
D) The rest of your post is just a tirade against John and Ted Kennedy for some reason I can't figure out. Why not Anthony Weiner? Why not Larry Craig, Newt Gingrich, or Clarence Thomas?
E) You only present Herman Cain's third...or was it fourth account of the events as fact. It's hard to say since he changed his position a few times already.
I guess we should have learned our lesson from Clinton, but still take Cain at total face value?
I see! Your argument boils down to IOKIYAR.
what assume means and obviously you assume that there is not any basis for the women's reports of Sexual Harassment from Cain. Nice try, but there is some basis for the women to report sexual harassment by Cain I say let us not jump to any conclusions and just recognize this as a complaint that needs to be investigated and if the facts prove to be correct, then throw the book at him and hold him responsible. But if the complaint is baseless, then hold the woman responsible for falsely reporting a crime. But making any judgment about either one of the persons involved is simply not sensible. Just investigate. Get the facts! And hold all of those involved accountable and that includes Cain also.
Case in point: When Roger Ailes asks a Fox Lies employee, "Are you hiding Bill O'Reilly in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"
If Ailes were to direct that comment to Sean Hannity, a sexual harassment lawsuit would be filed quicker than you could say "Bill Ayers."
But if Ailes were to direct that same comment to Bill O'Reilly, the two men would hop in the sack together quicker than you could say "Oofah loofah, where's my loofah."
Following Free Republic, Drudge's lead, media run with Obama photo that doesn't show what they claim
Somehow I doubt.
The opponent the left wants? That has nothing to do with the topic. It was an effort by "jamesB/right ON/tommy" to distract from the real topic. It was a smear of the left, suggesting that they only want the weakest opponent possible in order to maximize their chances to win, and so if they had dirt on Cain, they wouldn't ever share it. Like tainting the pool that all Republicans come from does no good, ever.
Go away, troll.
If the allegations turn out to be 100% true, and this turns out to be a recurring problem with Herman Cain, then who cares? We should applaud Rahm for finally fighting fire with fire.
If the allegations are false, that's a different story of course. In the meantime, we as progressives can't continue to try and play nice against people without ethics.
I say NO.
Please, community, don't open that door.
I was watching Leno two nights ago, and he mentioned the Cain situation. "It turns out, though he's running as a Republican, all this time he's a Democrat," said Leno, to deservedly weak applause.
Whether it's a case of harassment or worse, my automatic inclination when I first hear about a political sex scandal is to assume it's a Republican. It saves time. In fact, if you go to the Wikipedia page on U.S. political sex scandals and carefully count the R's and D's, you will find this breakdown:
1970's--D (6), R (1)
1980's--D (6), R (4)
1990's--D (3), R (9)
2000's--D (3), R (16)
2010's--D (3), R (4)
That totals D (21) and R (34), which is a very handy majority for the friends of Fox News. In fact, if you limit it to the 1990's and beyond (since few neocons can remember anything before that, anyway), the totals are D (9) and R (29). In other words, the party of "family values" have an overwhelming majority in sexual misbehavior within recent memory.
Those nondisclosure agreements, or gag orders, whatever you want to call them, are nearly always insisted on by the accused party. This is because they don't want the details of the harassment made public. This is also why they seek to settle out of court, so the transcripts cannot be made public.
To suggest that nondisclosure is the idea of the accuser as a means to collect a payday and then hide behind an agreement is so incredibly disingenuous.
So, Ms. Ingraham, the question I have for you is: how much money did it take for you to use the gains made by women in the workplace in order to attain a position of influence in the media for yourself, only to turn on those very people who most likely endured far worse harassment in silence?
Is the money you make worth the nagging feeling you get from your conscience every night as you go to sleep that tells you you've stabbed generations of women braver than you'll ever be in the back?
I wouldn't judge too harshly if a woman decided to take the money instead of subjecting herself to a long, drawn out court battle, in which Cain would have had an army of lawyers at her throat. No, I can't blame her at all.
"Following a report accusing Herman Cain of sexual harassment in the 1990s..."
The Politico report referenced does not accuse Cain of anything. It simply reports on charges made in the 1990s.
Must be why settlements were paid and non-disclosure agreements were reached. Nothing says "I didn't do it!" like paying the accuser off and ordering them to keep quiet. Seems some savvy liberals decided to use this "political tool" twenty years ago just in case Cain decided to ever run for president of more than just the National Restaurant Association.
Yeah, like anyone has ever been discriminated against based on race.
It really does amaze me that the conservative women are so willing to overlook this garbage. It makes them look like a bunch of "expensive escorts". I think it illustrates the difference in republicans and democrats on this. The democratic base is progressive and is truly all inclusive. I tend to see democratic women as empowered and they don't stand for this kind of crapola. When Anthony Weiner turned out to be of questionable sexual morals, he was run out of the party. He didn't even break the law with what he was doing. It was simply unacceptable.
The GOP base, on the other hand, is made up of old rich white men who kind of chuckle and slap a guy on the back and wink and say, "Don't get caught next time, Son. Ah, women are crazy aren't they?" Therefore truly reprehensible creatures like Vitter, Ensign and Mark Sanford get do overs and just happily go marching along.
I believe there is another [former] Fox employee named Andrea who could bring a differing workplace perspective on this subject to the panel. . . in the interest of "Fair and Balanced".
In that case, Laura, consider yourself sexually harassed!
Rush Limbaugh, who'd previously boasted of a sign on his office door that read,"Sexual harassment at this work station will not be reported.... It will be graded," evinced sympathy for a woman who said she'd been harassed [1994]