[Guest post by Dana]

Although she has been referred to as the inspiration for the #MeToo movement and is the self-proclaimed champion of women holding an iconic position in the feminist movement, it turns out that Hillary Clinton is little more than a garden-variety hypocrite, and far less an inspiration and champion of women than her claims as a presidential candidate would have led us to believe. This is not really anything that we did not already know; however, a new report really drives it home:

A senior [faith] adviser to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign who was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a young subordinate was kept on the campaign at Mrs. Clinton’s request, according to four people familiar with what took place.

Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manager at the time recommended that she fire the adviser, Burns Strider. But Mrs. Clinton did not. Instead, Mr. Strider was docked several weeks of pay and ordered to undergo counseling, and the young woman was moved to a new job.

Here are the particulars:

The complaint against Mr. Strider was made by a 30-year-old woman who shared an office with him. She told a campaign official that Mr. Strider had rubbed her shoulders inappropriately, kissed her on the forehead and sent her a string of suggestive emails, including at least one during the night, according to three former campaign officials familiar with what took place.

The complaint was taken to Ms. Doyle, the campaign manager, who approached Mrs. Clinton and urged that Mr. Strider, who was married at the time, be fired, according to the officials familiar with what took place. Mrs. Clinton said she did not want to, and instead he remained on her staff.

Note: Strider sent the Hillary Clinton scripture readings every morning during the campaign so that the candidate could start her day focused on the things of God, and one assumes that Strider, her spiritual advisor, could lead her to a deeper, more meaningful experience in the faith during a stressful season of campaigning. Ha!

Here is an overview of the complaint made against Strider, whom she did not want to fire for said behavior against a young female employee:

The complaint against Mr. Strider was made by a 30-year-old woman who shared an office with him. She told a campaign official that Mr. Strider had rubbed her shoulders inappropriately, kissed her on the forehead and sent her a string of suggestive emails, including at least one during the night, according to three former campaign officials familiar with what took place.

This is the behavior that Hillary Clinton — Champion of Women and inspiration for the #MeToo movement — believed was negligible. An employee who was her “faith” advisor, as well as an alleged sexual harasser whom she protected. Unsurprisingly, Strider was later hired by longtime Clinton supporter David Brock for her next campaign run, and was fired within several months when another complaint of sexual harassment was made against him by a female employee.

A story appeared today about something that happened in 2008. I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 27, 2018

Clinton responded to this report with typical obfuscations and distractions, once again demonstrating that she believes people – especially women – are just dumb and easily manipulated:

A story appeared today about something that happened in 2008. I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed.

I called her today to tell her how proud I am of her and to make sure she knows what all women should: we deserve to be heard.

This is not the response of an empowered woman equipped to break glass ceilings and effect any real change. This is simply the response of a deceptive individual who manipulates in order to push away any personal accountability. The only surprising thing about her response is that she did not blame this on a vast right-wing conspiracy.

While I believe Hillary Clinton to be irrelevant and residing in the trash heap of politics, it’s good to have her baked-in hypocrisy exposed yet again. Amusingly, no matter where her political path may lead in the future, she will forever, and I assume frustratingly, remain hamstrung by the bad behavior of her own sexually harassing husband. It’s her ever-present Catch-22, if you will:

Granted, Clinton is in an exquisitely awkward place when it comes to determining how to punish sexual harassment in the workplace. You don’t need me to explain why. But it is possible to imagine her thinking process: If I can this guy for doing way less than my own husband did with a subordinate in his workplace, how’s that going to look? Well, Clinton erred in the other direction, and that’s not looking so good now, is it?

Poor Hillary.

— Dana

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]

It is the fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. The title of today’s cantata is “Jesu, der du meine Seele” (Jesus, You, who are my soul).

Today’s Gospel reading is Mark 1:21-28.

And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

The text of today’s cantata is available here. The first chorus echoes the theme of the Gospel reading, describing Jesus rescuing the writer’s soul from “the devil’s dark pit”:

Jesus, You, who my soul,
though Your bitter death,
out of the devil’s dark pit
and the heavy anguish of the soul
have powerfully rescued,
and have let all this be known to me
through your delightful Word,
be now, o God, my treasure!

The theme runs throughout the cantata, which is quite beautiful.

The chorale tune — heard as a passacaglia in the opening chorale and more straightforwardly in the final chorale — is based on the hymn by the same name (“Jesu, der du meine Seele”) by Johann Rist. Here is a piano version of the tune, with sheet music on the video portion so you can follow along.

Happy listening!

[Cross-posted at RedState and The Jury Talks Back.]