Democrats, especially female members, piled on Republicans like Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), Mitt Romney, and Rush Limbaugh in 2012, accusing them of insensitivity and waging a so-called war on women.
But as even the left-leaning BuzzFeed has observed, female Democrats have largely been silent while the party is dealing with high profile politicians on both coasts who are or have been involved in sex scandals.
The silence among female Democrats is a “a stark contrast with how it sounds when an elected Republican says or does something offensive — then Democratic women speak as one,” BuzzFeed wrote. The article observed that female Democrats have often used salacious behavior by Republicans to try and smear the GOP brand.
In San Diego, mayor Bob Filner has been accused of sexually harassing at least three women, groping them, asking them to “get naked,” and even telling one women to work without “her panties on.” He has refused to resign, and female Democrats are not pressuring him to do so.
“The people will take care of it and I just should stay out,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said, according to BuzzFeed. “I think everybody knows the sensitivity around sexual harassment. It’s very serious and I think men have to learn. He said he’s asked for help. To the extent that he can get help and still be mayor, I don’t know, I can’t comment on that.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, “What goes on in San Diego is up to the people of San Diego… my colleagues who do represent San Diego have made their statements on the subject.”
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) would only go as far to say Filner should “consider” resigning.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) hesitated after saying she was shocked by the news, saying she did not want to “comment further” and, “from what I’ve read in the news, it’s crazy but I don’t know much more than that.”
In New York, former Rep. Anthony Weiner, who seems to show no signs of conquering his sexting addiction, and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who had to leave office after he was caught soliciting prostitutes, are running for mayor and comptroller, respectively.
Prominent female Democrats in New York, though, do not not seem outraged by their actions.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-CA) mocked a BuzzFeed reporter, reportedly rolling her eyes when asked if Weiner and Spitzer “hurt the Democrats’ messaging with women.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has “made no mention — direct or otherwise — to Spitzer’s past patronage of prostitutes” when endorsing his opponent.
And Emily’s List, the pro-choice group that has demonized Republicans for being against women’s interests, actually defended the double standard that female Democrats had.
“The difference is that Republicans’ words and personal actions are backed up by an actual party legislative agenda that hurts women — this stuff goes from infuriating and outrageous to genuinely frightening when they’re trying to back it up with real live laws that roll back the clock to a time when women were treated as second class citizens,” Emily’s List Communications Director Jess McIntosh told BuzzFeed.
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