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* One more time in case you somehow missed it…
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said he was worried that an unfortunate consequence of the increased awareness around sexual harassment is that offices would avoid hiring female staffers so as not to get caught up in any scandals.
“I have a female-led staff, and I asked them their opinion,” he said during the hearing. “They were concerned … that an unintended consequence may be some offices just take a shortcut and not hire women as a way to avoid these issues. Obviously that’s not the right approach.”
The reporter initially tweeted: “Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) says he’s worried congressional offices will hire fewer women to avoid issue of sexual harassment.” That left the impression with some folks that Davis somehow supported the idea of not hiring women, when it clearly was not the case. Davis never said anything like that.
Yesterday, Reps. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez and Avery Bourne as well as Erika Harold called on Betsy Londrigan and EMILY’s List to apologize to Davis for their over the top and false reactions. Londrigan had even paid for a Facebook ad to spread her false message, which is a topic we’ve discussed here before when Sen. Andy Manar was hit with a similar “fake news” smear. Londrigan had tweeted that Davis’ idea (even though it wasn’t this idea) was “Offensive and illegal.” EMILY’s List’s president called Davis a “buffoon” and tweeted “Excluding women from Congress is NOT how we should address sexual harassment.”
* Bernie asked for a response…
“Women face harassment every day,” Londrigan said in a statement. “By using the platform of a congressional hearing to even suggest that fewer women would get hired as a result of coming forward, Davis’ words have a chilling effect. This comes as no surprise, coming from a Representative who has failed to stand up for equal pay and continues to vote against women’s interests when it comes to healthcare access, affordability and coverage by actively whipping votes for the Trumpcare bill in May. Congressman Davis has continuously cast votes against women that have a direct impact in the workplace and beyond.”
And Christina Reynolds, vice president for communications at EMILY’s List, said: “Instead of using the microphone to perpetuate a backward approach toward addressing harassment in the workplace, Rodney Davis should be proposing solutions.”
Unreal.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:35 am
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Pathetic. Like the ILGOP, they’re fools to try to cash in politically on this wave.
What are they all going to do when some of their political pals inevitably get named? This is just starting, and it should be clear to everyone that figures across the political spectrum are going to be named.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:40 am
I think someone needs to tell Betsy Londrigan and Emily’s List that they can be wrong and still dislike Davis. They lose credibility with these ridiculous responses.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:40 am
Here’s hoping they lose credibility and business. Would serve them right.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:45 am
Wow. They’ve shown their true character. And it is not a positive light.
Comment by Donnie Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:46 am
They need to stop.
Comment by People Over Parties Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:47 am
Day 3 of the Rodney Davis supporter freakout.
Anyone who thinks this is somehow hurting Londrigan is painfully naive. Davis is playing defense and raising the profile on issues that are not good for him. I mean, does Davis really want to fight this campaign over his position and votes on issues important to women? Team Londrigan probably can’t believe their luck.
Not only that, he’s elevating Londrigan in her Dem primary by making it clear he sees her as his biggest threat. Making Rodney whine for days only gains votes for Londrigan in the Dem primary.
Comment by ILPundit Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:55 am
Really don’t know anything about Rep. Davis since I’m nowhere near his district, but I do know Emily’s List is not a group whose recommendations I’d follow after this. I wouldn’t change my mind about someone I’d support just because Emily also supports them, but their support will never be the thing that would sway me to support someone. Emily’s List is about at the Hannity credibility level now.
Comment by West Side the Best Side Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:58 am
Not unreal – real. When Davis’s women staffers expressed concern that less women might be hired as an unintended consequence, he should have told them not on his watch. Instead of repeating that concern in a hearing and planting seeds of doubt for women considering reporting (the chilling effect Londrigan notes), he should have talked about women’s proportional representation in the workplace, equal pay, and other efforts to offset the power imbalance that causes many of these situations. He should have considered the harassers who would hear his comment and think, “maybe we could do that on the down low,” or “maybe that will keep her quiet.” Even verbatim, his statements were bad news, yet here we are, picking on the women trying to call him out. Same old song.
Comment by IL Woman Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:59 am
This kind of attitude is ridiculous. Hyper partisanship is harmful to a cause. A republican is wrong because he is a republican a democrat wrong because he is a democrat. Grow up. People can be right even if they oppose you. You can be wrong be big about it admit an error and learn from it
Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:59 am
In refusing to admit it when wrong, much less to apologize, they are following the fine example of our nation’s Chief Executive. Not an attractive trait, regardless of party or location on the political spectrum.
A great nation is like a great man: When he makes a mistake, he realizes it. Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point out his faults as his most benevolent teachers.– Lao Tzu
Comment by anon2 Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:03 pm
==picking on the women ==
Honest discussion about issues is dependent on the credibility of those who claim to want to discuss it. Right now, and until they start acting honestly, Londrigan and supporters like this have zero cred.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:04 pm
We can’t solve a problem if we aren’t allowed to express peoples’ concerns. He voiced his staffs’ concerns. That’s part of a solution. Londrigan and Reynolds owe Davis an apology. They aren’t helping by politicizing a problem that has no political boundary. They’ve stepped on their own message.
Personally, I think his staff voiced a legitimate concern. I’m glad he took that concern ‘ up the chain’.
Comment by Thoughts Matter Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:05 pm
Rodney Davis wins his election, again, comfortably. Personally, the Congressman is a very likeable guy and extraordinarily solid citizen. He really is.
The Emily’s List nonsense resonates with the ultra left Urbana crowd that already looks for any reason to trash talk Davis. Note that Champaign County NEVER elects a Democrat in their own Countywide races in an off year election. EVER.
The Londrigan/Emily’s List out of context, fake hysteria plays in the People’s Republic. Rodney wins R’s and those in the middle everywhere else. Still difficult to cast a known really good person as evil. Thank goodness.
Comment by Truthseeker Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:10 pm
=== yet here we are, picking on the women trying to call him out===
Calling out someone for telling lies is not picking on that person.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:10 pm
When the reporter for the notoriously conservative (/s) HuffPost says that’s not what he meant and gives him a pass, maybe, just maybe they should drop it. But no.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:12 pm
IL Woman - on this issue Rodney actually LEADS by example instead of just using rhetoric to deflect. His chief of staff, district director, comms director, Springfield staffer and former campaign finance coordinator are all women. His wife is a strong woman and he has a daughter. Rather than blathering on-and-on he walks the walk while also talking the talk.
Comment by Curl of the Burl Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:20 pm
Seeker - yep. Agree or disagree with Rodney on issues and politics the dude is a solid person, a good husband and father and a solid, active member in the community.
Comment by Curl of the Burl Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:23 pm
Since it was RapidRodney who put the topic of harassment and female staff hires into orbit it is really hard to see the “lie”
Wonderin’ if RR reviewed this brainstorm with all the staff he mentions or blurted out on his own?
Comment by Annonin' Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:24 pm
==it is really hard to see the “lie”==
Only because you’re turning your head and ignoring it
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:26 pm
Rich, then why does it seem like we’re a heck of a lot more focused on whether Londrigan’s tweet 100% reflects Davis’s sentiment that his women staffers’ fear unintended consequences in hiring, than on why he said it, the implications of his statement, and his overall record on women’s issues? The statements today embrace that distinction, so let’s talk about what he said.
Comment by IL Woman Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:30 pm
Emily’s List has a solid track record on women’s issues on the liberal side of the aisle. Should they double-down on their misquote? No. Should they apologize? Yes. But I think some of these comments on this thread about the organization are a little overblown.
I don’t know enough about Londrigan to comment either way.
Comment by Chicago_Downstater Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:32 pm
==why does it seem like we’re a heck of a lot more focused on whether Londrigan’s tweet ==
Because her tweet was a flat out lie
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:33 pm
IL Woman - we discussed this ad nauseum over the last few days. Sheesh.
Annonin’ - what in the heck are you talking about? I know you like to talk in code but come on.
Comment by Curl of the Burl Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:36 pm
===whether Londrigan’s tweet 100% reflects Davis’s sentiment===
Her tweet was a flat-out lie.
Look, I wrote about it the first day because it was topical. I posted the ILGOP press release yesterday because I post most ILGOP press releases and it was interesting. And then Bernie wrote about it today, so I posted that. That’s how news cycles sometimes work.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:42 pm
If Congressman Davis said, “I strongly oppose the idea that sexual harassment is acceptable.”
The Democrats would say, “Unbelievable. Rodney Davis says ‘sexual harassment is acceptable’ and continues the GOP’s War on Women. Click here to donate to us. (Typed on a Union-made laptop)”
Comment by Faxin’ Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:43 pm
See Wordslinger up top. Truth, lies, whatever it takes to haul in the cash. Apologizing is for weaklings.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 12:56 pm
ILGOPie press releases are “interesting” ?
Reall? Have you asked a doctor to look at your head injury? Can we ask Rodney if it is ok that GovJunk ain’t backing his tax hike bill.
Comment by Annonin' Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 1:53 pm
IL Woman - Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:59 am:
From one woman to another, that was pathetic.
Comment by Sands Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 2:12 pm
==- West Side the Best Side - Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 11:58 am:==
When has Emily’s List supported child molesters like Hannity?
Grow up.
Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 2:13 pm
not sure londrigan is ready for congress given this
Comment by West Wing Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 2:42 pm
Londrigan is learning to play like the GOP proswho blame Madigan for everything.
Waiting for a collective apology from the GOP.
Lol.
Comment by Winnin’ Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 2:46 pm
Il Woman, I agree. It may be that Davis “misspoke”, but considering his record on women’s issues, having women working his office doesn’t mean his opinion of women is very high…may just be that he prefers women in the office rather than men.
Also, just having women in higher staff positions doesn’t mean much period…look at Sarah Palin, Virginia Fox, Ernst, Rep. M. Blackburn, Michelle Bachmann. NONE of them cared to help other women with equality or fairness…as long as they get what they feel is coming to them.
Comment by union thug gramma Friday, Nov 17, 17 @ 3:22 pm