Patterico's Pontifications

11/21/2017

Rep. John Conyers Settled Wrongful Dismissal Complaint Involving Sexual Misconduct

Filed under: General — Dana @ 8:17 am



[guest post by Dana]

Yesterday, the longest-serving House member, Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, made the news when it was revealed that a former female employee claimed she was fired for refusing his sexual advances, including being told to touch his genitals, share a hotel room with him while on business trips, as well as Conyers also suggesting she could potentially receive financial compensation or a promotion if she provided him with requested sexual favors. Conyers is 88 years old.

Michigan Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat and the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former employee who alleged she was fired because she would not “succumb to [his] sexual advances.”

Documents from the complaint obtained by BuzzFeed News include four signed affidavits, three of which are notarized, from former staff members who allege that Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, repeatedly made sexual advances to female staff that included requests for sexual favors, contacting and transporting other women with whom they believed Conyers was having affairs, caressing their hands sexually, and rubbing their legs and backs in public. Four people involved with the case verified the documents are authentic.

The report also exposes the complicated procedure used to protect members of Congress who are involved in harassment complaints and payouts. As described, it is “a grinding, closely held process,” and one which left victims feeling as if they have no choice but to take the payout:

“I was basically blackballed. There was nowhere I could go,” she said in a phone interview. BuzzFeed News is withholding the woman’s name at her request because she said she fears retribution.

The woman who settled with Conyers launched the complaint with the Office of Compliance in 2014, alleging she was fired for refusing his sexual advances, and ended up facing a daunting process that ended with a confidentiality agreement in exchange for a settlement of more than $27,000. Her settlement, however, came from Conyers’ office budget rather than the designated fund for settlements.

Here is how the “system” worked in Conyer’s case:

In this case, one of Conyers’ former employees was offered a settlement, in exchange for her silence, that would be paid out of Conyers’ taxpayer-funded office budget. His office would “rehire” the woman as a “temporary employee” despite her being directed not to come into the office or do any actual work, according to the document. The complainant would receive a total payment of $27,111.75 over the three months, after which point she would be removed from the payroll, according to the document.

Matthew Peterson, a law clerk who represented the complainant and was a signatory to some of the documents, described the process as “disgusting”:

“It is a designed cover-up,” said Peterson, who declined to discuss details of the case but agreed to characterize it in general terms. “You feel like they were betrayed by their government just for coming forward. It’s like being abused twice.”

Unbelievably, Congress does not have a Human Resources department for employees to go to in these situations. Further, what process is in place is so arduous and drawn out that it almost seems as if the goal is to completely exhaust any employee attempting to make a complaint and compel them to give up and quietly go away:

Congress has no human resources department. Instead, congressional employees have 180 days to report a sexual harassment incident to the Office of Compliance, which then leads to a lengthy process that involves counseling and mediation, and requires the signing of a confidentiality agreement before a complaint can go forward.

After this an employee can choose to take the matter to federal district court, but another avenue is available: an administrative hearing, after which a negotiation and settlement may follow.

The process also contains a mandatory cooling off period for the victim.

Per a report in the Washington Post, “Congress’s Office of Compliance paid out $17 million for 264 settlements with federal employees over 20 years for various violations, including sexual harassment.”

No call from Democrats for Rep. Conyers to step down yet. Ironically, just last month Maxine Waters lauded Conyers as a champion of women:

“You know, there is a member of Congress who has been supportive of women for many, many, many years,” said said in a keynote address to the Women’s Convention Sojourner Truth Luncheon in Detroit.

“He is quiet, he is confident, he is powerful, but he has impeccable integrity on all of our issues. Give John Conyers a big round of applause.”

“I just want to take time to focus on something that I think we need to focus on right now. It is very fortuitous that we are gathered here this afternoon in Detroit as we continue to recognize a record number of women who are boldly coming forward to reveal disturbing and grotesque acts of sexual harassment, assault and rape, often times at the hands of men who believed they were too rich and too powerful to ever be confronted or held accountable.”

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

140 Responses to “Rep. John Conyers Settled Wrongful Dismissal Complaint Involving Sexual Misconduct”

  1. Our tax dollars at work.

    Dana (023079)

  2. she settled for a pittance

    even more so if any legal bills had to be paid out of her settlement

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  3. Outrage fatigue setting in..

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  4. Conyers denies knowing anything about any claims of sexual misconduct and “learned of the story from television just hours earlier”.

    Dana (023079)

  5. In a GOP lead Congress; this is going to be a prime target for the media. But that will be a good thing because we will find out that most of the offenders will be big city Dems.

    Shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  6. He says he hasn’t paid anything… which is true. WE have.

    Colonel Haiku (65f4ca)

  7. This is a surprise to exactly no one.

    However, I seriously doubt that only Democrats have been offenders. I’m going to tell an uncomfortable truth here: members of Congress are all aggressive personalities — if you aren’t aggressive, you aren’t ever going to run for Congress — and aggression in men includes being sexually aggressive. That means pursuing women, and we can hope that the majority of men understand that no means no, and can be in control of themselves enough not to do illegal stuff, but congressmen are going to be pursuing women. That’s just human nature.

    The very blunt Dana (08b297)

  8. This is EXACTLY the kind of thing that Paul Ryan and the Freedom Caucus can bring an end to.

    The Freedom Caucus largely came into office after the Tea Party movement, so they aren’t invested in the ways the institution protects members from their own misdeeds.

    Ryan sees himself as a reform Speaker.

    They need to step up, expose the mechanism in place, and scrap it.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  9. I don’t disagree with 7 – I never said “only” Dems will be offenders. I said “most of the offenders” will be big City Dems.

    It goes with the territory of permissiveness and moral relativism that is ingrained in the DNA of liberal/progressives.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  10. jesse jackson timed his parkinson’s perfectly

    kinda like how mccain did with his cancer story after getting busted shopping around that phony pee pee dossier

    these people are so sleazy

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  11. Too Hot Too Old

    This hit, that ice cold
    Charlie Rose, that white old
    This one for them team girls
    Them good girls straight masterpieces
    Stylin’, whilen, livin’ it up in the city
    But Chuck’s on teh hot interns
    Gotta take teh shower, it ain’t pretty

    He too old (got damn)
    Called a police and a fireman
    He too old (got damn)
    Make a dragon wanna retire man
    He too old (got damn)
    Say his name you know who he am
    He too old (got damn)
    An’ he bad ’bout that money, break it down

    Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)
    Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)
    Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)
    ‘Cause Crusty Paw gon’ give it to you
    ‘Cause Crusty Paw gon’ give it to you
    ‘Cause Crusty Paw gon’ give it to you
    Saturday night and he in the spot
    Don’t believe it just watch (come on)

    Colonel Haiku (65f4ca)

  12. call an ambulance and a fireman

    Colonel Haiku (65f4ca)

  13. SWC, you underestimate the amount of moral relativism that is ingrained in politics in general.

    About 250 years ago, the first “best selling novel” (that is, the first one for which that modern phrase can be appropriately used) was Pamela by Samuel Richardson. Want to go guess what the core of its plot was?

    kishnevi (bb03e6)

  14. We have in Congress the mass of officials who believe in their own nobility, and sycophants who puff them. They are surprised when they encounter someone with morals.

    Term limits and open meetings the only solution.

    Steve Malynn (296daf)

  15. “He did us just like Bill did Monica. He was ridin’ dirty.” Rev Jeremiah Wright

    Pinandpuller (0957da)

  16. kishevi — you’re clueless.

    Compare John Conyers to Mike Pence.

    Compare elected reps who take their marital vows seriously as a matter of religious fidelity, and those who have no moral anchor set in religious beliefs.

    Are there offenders on both sides? Of course.

    But let’s see where the “I want what I want” attitude is most prevalent.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  17. “I want to cut his nuts out.” Rev Jesse Jackson

    Pinandpuller (0957da)

  18. Sometimes I think Maxine Waters is too partisan.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  19. “Pull your pants up!” Dr Bill Cosby

    Pinandpuller (0957da)

  20. LOL — post script on Conyers and Pence.

    Mike Pence — will not dine alone with another woman, and will not attend any event where alcohol is served unless accompanied by his wife.

    John Conyers — demanding sexual favors from female staffer while his wife is serving time in prison for accepting bribes while on the Detroit City Council.

    ROFLMFAO.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  21. Paul Ryan says he wants to see the reporting system reformed:

    “This report is extremely troubling,” Ryan said in a statement.

    “Additional reforms to the system are under consideration as the committee continues its review. People who work in the House deserve and are entitled to a workplace without harassment or discrimination,” the Speaker added.

    I think the public should be informed of the names of every member who worked to make sure that the current reporting system would protect those accused of sexual misconduct to the degree that it currently does.

    Dana (023079)

  22. I said “most of the offenders” will be big City Dems.

    Yes, but this isn’t really because of their politics, but because machine politicians protect each other in a way that cops would envy.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  23. John Conyers — reads Playboy while seated in coach class on domestic airline flight.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  24. 21 – Paul Ryan, as he can within his power as Speaker, should simply disband the Committee, and cut off funds for the Office of Compliance.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  25. What about Trump’s moral values when it comes to women, swc? He likes to ogle nude or nearly nude teenage girls.

    DRJ (15874d)

  26. This is about power, not Party.

    DRJ (15874d)

  27. President Trump is so good i like how he does family values and helps give opportunities to pretty girls who might otherwise struggle in life.

    He’s a catalyst for hope and prosperity.

    But John Conyers just wants to use women for sex and then dispose of them like they were disposable consumables for example a tub of beer cheese.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  28. “This business is filled to the brim with unrealistic m************. M************ who think their a**will age like wine. If you mean it turns to vinegar…it does. If you mean it gets better with age…it don’t.” Marsellus Wallace

    Pinandpuller (0957da)

  29. good lord vanna throw a pikachu a goddamn vowell

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  30. *vowel* i mean

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  31. The bloom is off the Rose; CBS has fired him.

    “Goodbye, Charlie.” – Bobby Darin, 1964

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  32. Should be easy enough to confirm.

    The source material for the Conyers piece is Mike Cernovich.

    ‘Nuff said.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  33. @5. OTOH, trying to save it from growing chances of loss of both the House and Senate keeps the Roger Stones and his ilk busy little beavers.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  34. that was fast considering it took CBS something like 6 months to fire Dan Rather for doing fraudulent news

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  35. @34. That was back in the dial-up modem days, Mr. Feet.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  36. so sex grope > using forged documents to sway a presidential election

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  37. Rather was a marquee name for the brand, Rose was not. If Rose was a marquee name for anyone, it was for PBS.
    And it hasn’t kept Rather from flogging his books on NPR….

    kishnevi (bb03e6)

  38. Now Conyers denies the ‘allegations’ but confirms a ‘settlement’ was paid out of his office’s budget.

    WTF. Jackie Spears should just release the names of the Congress critters and be done with this.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  39. these are all terrible people but fraudster Dan Rather is way way worse than some nasty geezer what just wants to feel loved one last time

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  40. @37. Kish, Rose was employed by CBS; PBS simply airs his talk show produced by his own production production company. Expect Bloomberg to likely follow suit and dump him.

    He’s now the newest citizen of Podcast City. Or he can try Europe or Australia. But he’s toast in U.S. broadcasting– unless somebody can figure ou how to make buck off him.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  41. Good Lord, Rather is more a facebook resistance icon these days.

    urbanleftbehind (bca9b7)

  42. Interesting that the ‘killian memo’ has some irregularities like a certain piece of evidence.

    narciso (d5a5f2)

  43. 40
    Yes, but Rose made his name, and his name is linked to, PBS far more than CBS.

    And (my original point)Rather’s name was linked to CBS far more than Rose’s ever was.

    kishnevi (bb03e6)

  44. Trump is pardoning two turkeys–

    Has anybody checked to see if it’s not really Eric and Don Jr., dressed up like Paul Simon on SNL back in the day?

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  45. @43. Kish, in recent times his PBS gig was big but back in the day befor it launched he was a CBS employee- ‘CBS Nightwatch’ was his baby before he launched his PBS gig. Not sure, but he might have just re-upped his contract, too– but the speed he was dumped suggests he violated some terms in it. 60 Minutes and CBS Morning now have slots to fill.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  46. Barron looked more alert than usual

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  47. Paul Ryan is a pervert enabler.

    mg (60b0f7)

  48. The article mentions that this slush fund was created in 1995. Republicans controlled both houses in 1995.

    Davethulhu (6a4a84)

  49. 44, are you talking about the Lovitz devil skit, where teenage S and G were playing the bassoon?

    urbanleftbehind (bca9b7)

  50. “What about Trump’s moral values when it comes to women, swc? He likes to ogle nude or nearly nude teenage girls.

    – DRJ

    I would predict that this would draw a hilarious response, but I will actually predict that it will draw no response.

    Leviticus (efada1)

  51. This is about power, not Party.

    Bingo. But crickets respond only to self interest.

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  52. @49- Referring to when Paul Simon opened a SNL Thanksgiving show, mid-70s, dressed in a turkey suit singing ‘Still Crazy After All These Years”…

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  53. See, that proves Donnie Jr as an expendable runt to many Trump backers.

    urbanleftbehind (bca9b7)

  54. @53. Eric’s really the smart one; Mueller’s probe will prove it.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  55. The Battle of Autas or Awtas{ was an early battle involving Muslim forces, fought in the year 630 in Awtas, after the Battle of Hunayn, but prior to the Siege of Ta’if. Muhammad came with 12,000 fighters against a coalition of tribes. An ambush took place and a rain of arrows were fired on the Muslims. The Muslims, however, came out victorious,

    Leviticus, I would invite you to

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  56. 21. “Additional reforms to the system are under consideration… ”

    – Paul Ryan.

    The current system is a reform, put into place in 1995 during Newt Gingrich’s first term as Speaker.

    Before that, there was apparently no system at all for taking complaints, and the only recourse was either to threaten to go public and hurt a member’s political career, try the Ethics Committee (which wouldn’t do anything for the complainant, although in the worst possible case, it might recommend expelling a member, but that would be over money or an indictment) or sue in federal court.

    According to a New York Times story, some women were not even aware there was a place to take complaints to (besides maybe the Ethics Committee)

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  57. Battle of Lepanto.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  58. This is about power, not Party.

    DRJ (15874d) — 11/21/2017 @ 9:30 am

    Too early to draw that conclusion. They aren’t mutually exclusive. It could be a mindset. It could be those who rail about rapey culture, abuse of women and such do so because they are up to their leftwing keisters in it.

    Colonel Haiku (65f4ca)

  59. Don’t believe me just watch.

    Colonel Haiku (65f4ca)

  60. …In the history of naval warfare, Lepanto marks the last major engagement in the Western world to be fought entirely or almost entirely between rowing vessels, the galleys and galeasses that were still the direct descendants of the ancient trireme warships.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  61. Oops. A cricket responded..alas, wrong-headed.

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  62. 24. shipwreckedcrew (56b591) — 11/21/2017 @ 9:24 am

    disband the Committee, and cut off funds for the Office of Compliance.

    Than you would have nothing at all. That would restorore the situation maybe to circa 1960, to whenever before they created thw Ethics Committee..

    Wikipedia claims it goes back at least to 1798 but that can’t be right. Here is some history:

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

    As a result of the criminal investigation of Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, there was pressure on the Ethics Committee to take action to admonish members involved in their activities. However, action was slow and the responsibility for impeding its progress was attributed to then-Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Dennis Hastert. When the Committee did admonish Tom DeLay for a third time, Hastert removed three Republicans from the panel, including chairman Joel Hefley, (R-CO). Hastert had his own personal ethical problems, such as when he failed to take action when warned about Mark Foley’s sexual relationships with young congressional pages.[6] The new chairman, Doc Hastings (R-WA), acted to rein in the panel, leading to a Democratic boycott and preventing a quorum. The stalemate lasted three months until Hastings backed down. By then the committee was left broken and unable to take action in the DeLay case, the full Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal, or other cases such as that of ranking Ethics Committee Democrat Jim McDermott (D-WA), who revealed violations by Newt Gingrich without authorization to the press.[7][8][9]

    On November 16, 2010, Charles Rangel (D-NY) was found guilty on 11 of the 12 charges against him by the adjudicatory subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee. They included solicitation of funds and donations for the non-profit Rangel Center from those with business before the Ways and Means Committee and the improper use of Congressional letterhead and other House resources in those solicitations; for submitting incomplete and inaccurate financial disclosures, for using an apartment as an office despite having Congressional dealings with its landlord and for failing to pay taxes on a Dominican villa.[10][11][12]

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  63. This is about power, not Party.

    DRJ (15874d) — 11/21/2017 @ 9:30 am

    Yep.
    ______________

    Breaking—An hour after CBS took the dump, PBS has flushed him; PBS has just cancelled distribution of Charlie Rose’s talk show, essentially ‘firing’ him. For a clean wipe, next will be Bloomberg.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  64. How’s the FIAT?

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  65. 38. DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/21/2017 @ 9:58 am

    Jackie Spears should just release the names of the Congress critters and be done with this.

    She says she wants the non-disclosure agreements lifted first.

    In this case, the money was paid by re-hiring the woman for a short time, three months, into a no-show job (but aren’t no-show jobs ethics violations in themselves? Maybe it was budgeted as vacation time?)

    Conyers may not be one of the two members of Congress she is talking about.

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  66. @46. Barron looked more alert than usual.

    He’s the Christmas goose; golden-if-not-gold-plated-eggs in his future.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  67. @65. Events are overtaking her and it fast, Sammy.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  68. 66. Does he have to pick his nose while he chokes his chicken?

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  69. We are not supposed to talk about Trump and his sexual misconduct.

    Power run amok also runs amok in both parties. The actions of both President Clinton and President Trump have set an equally low bar for both the Democrat and Republican party’s standards of acceptability. That it’s equally dismal should also keep them from pointing the finger of accusation at the opposing party with a smug A-ha! Of course, it should, but doesn’t. Not in the political Whataboutism scenario we now find ourselves inhabiting.

    And that is not for the betterment of anyone, except those powerful individuals who continue to get away with indulging their various lusts, and making piles of money.

    Dana (023079)

  70. I know you’re at work.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  71. 69

    What you said…

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  72. 63. DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/21/2017 @ 10:55 am

    Breaking—An hour after CBS took the dump, PBS has flushed him; PBS has just cancelled distribution of Charlie Rose’s talk show, essentially ‘firing’ him. For a clean wipe, next will be Bloomberg.

    The New York Times overlooked something in the purge and left a mention of Charlie Rose at the end of its Charles Manson obituary:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/obituaries/charles-manson-dead.html?_r=0

    To the end of his life, Mr. Manson denied having ordered the Tate-LaBianca murders. Nor, as he replied to a question he was often asked, did he feel remorse, in any case.

    He said as much in 1986 in a prison interview with the television journalist Charlie Rose.

    “So you didn’t care?” Mr. Rose asked, invoking Ms. Tate and her unborn child.

    “Care?” Mr. Manson replied.

    He added, “What the hell does that mean, ‘care’?”

    his was in today’s paper. To defend themselves from failing to completely purge Charlie Rose, the New York Times could say that this was actually posted online a day earlier, Nov. 20, but the news of Charles Manson’s death broke too late to put more than a mention and an URL on the front page yesterday, and also the obituary was actually of course written years ago – and even if was looked over in the last few days, that was still before the Charlie Rose story broke.

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  73. 48. Davethulhu (6a4a84) — 11/21/2017 @ 10:17 am

    The article mentions that this slush fund was created in 1995. Republicans controlled both houses in 1995.

    That was the reform! Before that, the only way to get any money was to win in federal court in a lawsuit against Congress, or get something from the member’s office budget.

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  74. @69. =w/sarcasm= Ahhhh, but Dana, Access Hollywood 101: he’s a ‘star’ and can get away with it. And what about leaks– Trump was all into that; was this particular non-disclosure document swiped by a Roger-Stoner-type or open to public review? Trump should get on this right away!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  75. I had too many windosws open.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  76. Further, as long as Paul Ryan believes that sexual harassment training will help solve the problem, then it’s going to remain a problem because no amount of training will change the fact that abusive Congressmen know they can get away with it. Why would they support any change in being protected? I have little confidence that there will be any significant change in the process. Too many in power have relied, and continue to rely upon the secrecy. The only way I could see Ryan be seriously pressed into a hard change is if the women in Congress, especially sitting Congresswomen, name names.

    Dana (023079)

  77. 25 – how about the fact that Trump has been a Republican for about 15 min?

    He lived his whole life as a big city Dem. he is the quintessential product of NYC
    values.

    Shipwreckedcrew (847895)

  78. @76. Agree 100%. Especially as they essentially have no HR department. Recall how hard they had to battle just to get a Ladies Room installed… the Congresswomen and staff are going to have to ‘man up’ and press on.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  79. no amount of training will change the fact that abusive Congressmen know they can get away with it

    a lot depends on how good the powerpoint is

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  80. plus roleplaying

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  81. Hand of Fate Crusty Paw

    The Crusty Paw is on ‘er now
    It feel her up and lay ‘er down
    He’s outta work, hisself beclowned
    The Crusty Paw is heavy now

    He grabbed teh soap, he took teh shower
    The clock it ticks, teh witching Hour
    Turning round, turning round
    He should have known, love ain’t bound to trust
    Old man is done, dick’s in teh dust
    He felt ‘em up and laid ‘em down
    He’s outta work and self beclowned
    The Crusty Paw is heavy now

    Colonel Haiku (65f4ca)

  82. OTOH, apparently Charlie Rose hired a lot of women over the years. Next chapter: How many men got screwed by him?

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  83. Duh! Crusty paw….guffaw!

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  84. LOL — it seems my comments now are being sent to moderation.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  85. @84. ???? They’re on my screen, swc.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  86. Not all of them — I have 2 in moderation. One responding to DRJ’s “what about Trump” comment, and one in the Charles Manson thread.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  87. @72. Think about it, Sammy; in less than 24 hours Rose went from being a respected journalist having a sweet gig at PBS, two lucrative jobs at CBS Morning and 60 Minutes along w/his Bloomberg work– the toast of the town– to losing pretty much all of it -along w/his reputation; tried, convicted and professionally executed in the media all in less than a day.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  88. @86. Don’t know, swc- computers are mystical machines: see 88 comments on my screen, including this one at posting and that tallies w/t count posted.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  89. Oops ^90 w/this one.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  90. SWC,

    I just approved one in moderation for this post, but didn’t see any others by you in moderation. Also, I don’t see why this one was in moderation.

    Dana (023079)

  91. This ones for the mighty sea
    Mischief, gold and piracy
    This ones for the man that raised me
    Taught me sacrifice and bravery
    This ones for our favorite game
    Black and gold, we wave the flag
    This ones for my family name
    With pride I wear it to the grave</em

    Rose Tattoo

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  92. 91 — yep, that’s a mystery. One in the Manson thread said “Sad and juvenile.” Nothing else.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  93. 88 — absolutely. Its stunning what the Weinstein effect has unleashed.

    But the bloodletting is long overdue. I applaud all the women who have stepped forward, and I’m laughing at every moron man who let their Johnson do their thinking, and didn’t think this day would ever come.

    My wife and I were discussing this, and I said “I can think back across my entire 23 years with DOJ, in two different offices, and honestly say I never did or said anything to a female co-worker that would put me in peril.”

    To me, it was just beyond the pale to do so. I knew of others that did, and I couldn’t fathom how it was they would risk their entire career on what IMO was a triviality — a likely to be short-lived sexual tryst with a co-worker.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  94. So Conyers says he dindu nuffin, eh? Sumdood in his Congressional office just paid a settlement, that’s all?

    nk (dbc370)

  95. At least he’s not saying it was a drug deal gone bad.

    nk (dbc370)

  96. Oh Man — not John Lasseter at Pixar!!!!

    What will Buzz Lightyear say???

    I guess we now have another clue as to why he chose the name “Woody” for Tom Hanks’ toy character.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  97. Who are these Neo Trolls?

    Pattericos Torquemadas..

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  98. Woody Pride!

    nk (dbc370)

  99. the galleys and galeasses that were still the direct descendants of the ancient trireme warships.
    Steve57 (0b1dac) — 11/21/2017 @ 10:52 am

    There were galleys, galleasses and galley lasses. That may be where calling vessels she comes from.

    Berthed She, as she as dynoflagellate phytoplankton glows

    As she as the sea grass grows

    Berthed She to follow the wind

    Live She and beautiful waters surround you

    The world still confounds you

    Every time you look at Catelyn Jenner

    Stay She, where no walls divide heads

    You’re She AF

    So there’s no need to tuck

    Berthed She and life is worth living

    But only worth living

    Because you’re Berthed She

    Stay She, where hot bunking does not divide you

    You’re She AF

    There’s there’s no need to tuck

    Berthed She and life is worth living

    But only worth living

    Because you’re Berthed Free

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  100. The ineluctable tug of source material will pull you back every d*** time.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  101. @49- Referring to when Paul Simon opened a SNL Thanksgiving show, mid-70s, dressed in a turkey suit singing ‘Still Crazy After All These Years”…
    DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/21/2017 @ 10:32 am

    Me and Muslito

    Down by the Stockyard

    h/t narciso

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  102. John Lasseter, a Pixar Founder, Takes Leave After ‘Missteps’

    ‘LOS ANGELES — One of the Walt Disney Company’s most important executives, the Pixar co-founder John Lasseter, said he would take “a six-month sabbatical” following unspecified “missteps” that made some staffers feel “disrespected or uncomfortable.”’

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/media/john-lasseter-pixar-disney-leave.html

    Where is this all leading? — “To infinity and beyond!”

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  103. Breaking—An hour after CBS took the dump, PBS has flushed him; PBS has just cancelled distribution of Charlie Rose’s talk show, essentially ‘firing’ him. For a clean wipe, next will be Bloomberg.
    DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/21/2017 @ 10:55 am

    You mean, with a hotel towel?

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  104. It’s a war on testosterone.

    Gather your winter nutz, squirrels.

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  105. @103- PS: Enough of this Mickey Mouse behavior already.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  106. Mickey Mouse?

    Did you mean monkey dick or peanut balls?

    Ben burn (b3d5ab)

  107. @94. Yep– absolutely amazing the speed of this. Cross between the blacklist era seasoned w/a little French revolution, to me. And thing is, there will be collateral damage to those not directly involved who lose their jobs or have careers tainted simply w/guilt by association. We’re just seeing the higher profiled dominoes fall in media focused professions but consider the restaurant staff, hotel managers, business execs and the ‘Al Bundys’ down the feeding chain that’ll never make the evening news. But the speed of Rose’s ex-communication simply from accusations published is remarkable. Corporations are not going to expose themselves to the kind of endless publicity and litigation like Fox has gone through.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  108. LowT lefties hardest hit…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  109. Conyers… soliciting sexual favors while his prison b*tch wife serves time for bribery.

    Class act, all teh way around.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  110. @shipwreckedcrew @85 87. 11/21/2017 @ 12:36 pm & 12:47 pm PST

    Leaving a comment with too many links can put it into moderation. I’m not sure if there is an exact number that always does that r if it depends also on how much text is in between.

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  111. @110 =Haiku= Gesundheit!

    It’s been pretty costly across the board, Colonel. News Corp. has paid out a helluva lot of money because of Ailes, O’Reilly and assorted execs screwing around all those years. Stockholders got a settlement ruled in their favor just yesterday.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  112. 72. 88. In the morning Charlie Rose was suspended by CBS, and at some point in the mid-afternoon, he was fired. There were some new accusations from CBS employees.

    Gayle King, one of Charlie Rose’s ex-co-hosts on CBS This Morning, will be a guest on Stephen Colbert tonight. (airs after 11:30 pm EST – taped earlier) They may try to get Oprah to fill in some days, at least temporarily some days.

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  113. MOre than a mere press release:

    therightscoop.com/former-olde-hickory-employee-comes-forward-who-disputes-gloria-allred-claims-against-roy-moore

    narciso (d1f714)

  114. That’s history. We are just starting to learn of these politicians, other media-types and Pervywood misdeeds… tip of the iceberg.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  115. nobody believes these trashy honey boo boos anymore

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  116. oh. except for Mitt “no proof no problem” Romney i mean

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  117. RIP David Cassidy.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  118. R.I.P. David Cassidy

    Icy (97c1fd)

  119. Speaking of history, here’s a photo of something that’s completely predictable, but you probably never thought of as happening until you stumble over the evidence.
    Especially for P&P
    http://78.media.tumblr.com/8b7894385bd7faf5326e3994bdde466d/tumblr_ovm27sCEhQ1qdpvqio1_1280.jpg

    As best I can tell, Sitting Bull is not one of the Indians.

    kishnevi (35d300)

  120. Yer slippin’, icy!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  121. The last time I saw Cassidy in any role, was a s a guess star on the Wolfgang letersen vehicle, the agency that was about 15 years ago.

    narciso (d1f714)

  122. @120. =Haiku= Gesundheit!

    Trump had’em cremated: Cassidy was one of the contestants on Celebrity Apprentice in 2011; he was the first to be fired.

    “… C’mon, get happpyyyyy!”

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  123. One less partridge in the pear tree this year.

    kishnevi (35d300)

  124. Davis Cassidy is dead?

    One less partridge in the pear tree this year.
    kishnevi (35d300) — 11/21/2017 @ 7:01 pm

    You are so ****ing right it’s scary.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  125. I think I’m David Cassidy

    I think I’m David Cassidy

    I really think so….

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  126. So were left with Danny bonaduve AMD Susan day?

    narciso (d1f714)

  127. Pinandpuller, the cool thing is to think you’re Marcia.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  128. BTW, does this mean that all them other gals in Conyers’ office are putting out?

    Kevin M (752a26)

  129. One other one, recanted so probably.

    narciso (d1f714)

  130. @132 Steve57

    I know right? She looks pretty good. I’m like an only child too.

    Now Katy Cassidy has come back more times on Arrow than Freddy Kruger.

    Pinandpuller (dd846b)

  131. It’s like Johnnie “Cheaper to Keep Her” Taylor never worked for the government.

    Pinandpuller (dd846b)

  132. Of course Conyers moves pretty slow, so maybe they just move out of the way and make zombie jokes.

    Kevin M (752a26)

  133. 116. Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/21/2017 @ 5:47 pm

    We are just starting to learn of these politicians, other media-types and Pervywood misdeeds… tip of the iceberg.

    The New York Times, in the middle of an article on a different subject, reported something about Aaron Burr that was somewhat similar to he Leigh Corfman accusation against oy Moore, but didn’t seem outraged.

    (Separate link but this was published in the New York Times travel section this we)

    http://m.startribune.com/when-new-york-city-was-a-battlefield-in-the-revolutionary-war/458093863/?section=variety

    While Washington was trying to defend miles of shoreline, an odd diplomatic comedy ensued. A letter arrived, addressed to a Miss Margaret Moncrieffe. She was the daughter of Maj. Thomas Moncrieffe, who had chosen to side with the British. The father was now on Staten Island, but Margaret was trapped behind enemy lines, and Maj. Moncrieffe wanted Washington to deliver her to him….

    …. Margaret was only 14, but she was about to reveal her nature by standing up to the most powerful man in America.

    Washington most likely had no idea who this girl was, but he soon found out. While standing in the little grassy teardrop of Bowling Green, I focused on one of the office buildings before me, 1 Broadway, and held up over it an engraving of the structure that had once stood on or about this same spot. That building had served as the American military headquarters. Here, in the midst of preparations for war, Washington hosted a formal dinner. A toast was offered to the Continental Congress. Washington noticed that the girl at the table did not raise her glass. Margaret Moncrieffe had been invited to join the American officers while they decided what to do with her. Margaret followed her father’s loyalties and was rooting for the British. She now scandalized the gathering by offering a counter toast, to Gen. William Howe, Washington’s opposite on the British side.

    For a moment, the reserved and deeply formal commander faced off with an impudent and headstrong teenager. Then Washington ended the standoff with a bit of levity, promising to find a way to send the girl to her father on Staten Island and asking that once there she offer a toast to the American commanders.

    Washington thought it prudent to send this girl away until arrangements could be made to transfer her to the British. She found herself shipped to one of the many fortifications the Americans had constructed, at Kingsbridge, in the Bronx…..

    …Here young Margaret was meant to wait until diplomats could arrange for her to be reunited with her father. And here, improbably, she fell in love. None other than Aaron Burr, who at age 21 was already known as a ladies man, was stationed at Kingsbridge. The two young people apparently managed to find some time alone, for Margaret later declared that Burr “subdued my virgin heart.”

    She had been desperate to reach her father, but now she didn’t want to leave Burr. But the two enemy commands had made their arrangements. Against her will, she was rowed out into the Hudson River and southward, toward Staten Island.

    Now where here is the outrage against Aaron Burr?

    Of course there are more important reasons he should never have become president.

    Sammy Finkelman (57e37d)

  134. 117. Breitbart finds two or three or four or five problems with the Washington Post story about Leigh Corfman:

    1.

    The Post reports, “She says she talked to Moore on her phone in her bedroom, and they made plans for him to pick her up at Alcott Road and Riley Street, around the corner from her house.”

    DuPre said that intersection was almost a mile away from her mother’s house at the time and would have been across a major thoroughfare.

    (Dupre is Moore’s former chief of staff on the Alabama Supreme Court, now speaking for the campaign.)

    That’s an important discrepancy, if that turns out to be correct. Somebody else could make a mistake like that, (the wrong cross streets) but Leigh Corfman herself could not. At a minimum, it means she had help.

    2. Dupre also says there was no other court case in February. I’m not sure what he’s saying but this raises the possibility that the document or the court date could be a forgery. Does he mean only one appearance involving Leigh Corfman?

    3. Assuming the court documents are right, this was a joint petition on the past Leigh’s mother and father to transfer custody. It was granted and took effect in 12 days. This leave a short, but not impossible, window for all this to take place. You would think the impending move it would come up somewhere in the re-telling of this story. (Of course we’ve anyway got the problem of the Washington Post calling her and she not contacting the Washington Post, which means someone outed her.)

    4. The matter with asking for her telephone number. and calling her without her mother becoming aware.

    5. This one does not effect the credibility of the basic story but goes to how bad it was what he allegedly did: The Washington Post attempts to say that made her behavior bad. Actually that was reported as being bad before and was reported as being better after a year, and her mother regained custody after about a year and a half.

    Sammy Finkelman (762ee4)


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