Mediaboss Marketing

Lindsey Boylan, the first of six women who has accused New YorkGov.Andrew Cuomoof sexual harassment or misconduct, says former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is no longer her personal "hero."

In a new interview with theNew Yorkerpublished Thursday, Boylan --a candidate for Manhattan borough president who worked as an adviser to Cuomo from 2015 to 2018 -- details a memory of the governor showing her a cigar box that was a gift from former President Bill Clinton and recalls idolizing her.

Boylan described Hillary Clinton as "the great hero" of her life but said that is not the case anymore after the former first lady released a response to the allegations against the governor.

CUOMO ACCUSER LINDSEY BOYLAN CLAIMS GOVERNOR ONCE JOKED HE WOULD TRY TO 'MOUNT' HER IF SHE WERE A DOG

"These stories are difficult to read," Clinton had said in a March 1 statement of accusations against Cuomo,"and the allegations brought forth raise serious questions that the women who have come forwardand all New Yorkers deserve answers to."

Clinton added that she was "glad to see that there will be a full, independent, and thorough investigation."

That response from Boylan's idol left her "dismayed," according to the New Yorker.

Lindsey Boylan and Andrew Cuomo (Photos: Bennett Raglin via Getty Images and SHAUN MADER/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

"Theres no way you dont know who this man is if youve worked with, or around, him for decades," Boylan said in the New Yorker interview.

Cuomo served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under then-President Clinton between 1997 and 2001.

CUOMO ACCUSER ANA LISS RIPS 'TOXIC, VERBALLY ABUSIVE, RETALIATORY WORKPLACE'

Boylan was the first woman to prominently accuse Cuomoof sexual misconduct when shetweeted in December that the governor had "sexually harassed" her "for years."

Cuomo has apologized for making anyone feel uncomfortable with inappropriate comments and denied that he ever touched any woman inappropriately.The governor has also been adamant that he will not resign. New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into theallegations.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Cuomo is facing pressure on other fronts, including his handling of COVIDcases and deaths in state nursing homes during the first few months of the pandemic. A Februaryinvestigationfoundthat the administration had underreported about 10,000 nursing homedeaths in July.

A Cuomo aide hasadmitted the administration's decision to withhold data on a call with state Democrats overfears that the data could "be used against" them, the New York Post first reported.

View original post here:
Cuomo accuser Boylan says Hillary Clinton is no longer her personal 'hero' after her response to allegations - Fox News

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), running mate of Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden, attends a coronavirus briefing at a makeshift studio at the Hotel DuPont on August 13, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Drew Angerer | Getty Images

Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote on Democrats' $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that became the law of the land last week, marking another high-profile moment for the first female vice president in U.S. history.

This week Harris, who is of Indian descent, is at the center of the administration's efforts to confront growing anti-Asian violence.

Harris may not be the president, but for those on the front lines of the battle to see a woman behind the resolute desk, her ascendancy to the No.2 spot is an undeniable victory to build on.

"That is a huge milestone to cross over," said Stephanie Schriock, president of political action committee Emily's List, which has been on the front lines of that battle since 1985. "She will be in the room where the big decisions are being made, where the agenda is being set, with a perspective that has never been there before."

Read more of CNBC's politics coverage:

Beyond being the first female vice president, Harris brings the perspective of being the first Black woman and first Asian American woman to hold the office. Her multi-racial background made her a compelling choice for then President-elect Joe Biden as he sought a running mate who could lock in the Democratic voter coalition he needed to win.

But Harris had higher ambitions initially. She was one of six Democratic women who ran for president in 2020, an historical feat in itself in a political system that has been hostile to women candidates since its inception.

"In 2020 there were six women running, that was a really positive change for this process," said Schriock. "There's usually only one, and that's happened only a couple of times in our history."

Harris' office did not respond to a request for comment.

Efforts to get a woman elected to the highest office in the land stretch back well over a century. Victoria Claflin Woodhull became the first woman to run for the office in 1872, as the candidate of the Equal Rights Party. Dozens of women tried to gain a foothold in the following years, and they are listed here.

The most significant milestone comes a full century later when Rep. Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman to run for the Democratic nomination and the first woman to win votes at the Democratic National Convention.

"Shirley Chisolm was really important moment for women in this country," said Schriock, even if her candidacy was considered mostly symbolic at the time.

And then Hillary Clinton changed the game in dramatic fashion. The former first lady and New York senator brought real world experience and gravitas to her campaigns for president in 2008 and 2016.

In her second campaign, the former secretary of State became the first woman to win a major party nomination and seemed poised to win it all.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at a campaign rally in Cleveland, November 6, 2016.

Brian Snyder | Reuters

"Hillary Clinton was perceived as not only viable but as the front-runner," said said Kelly Dittmar, associate professor of political science at Rutgers University.

Her electoral loss to Republican Donald Trump was a major blow to her legions of supporters, but Clinton won the popular vote by 3 million, proving that Americans were finally willing to put their trust in a female leader.

That election also laid bare the most egregious stereotypes that have held women back from the nation's top job.

"One of the bigger gender stories in 2016, was the doubling down on a traditional and toxic form of masculinity that Donald Trump" relied on to win the election, Dittmar added.

Trump aggressively attacked his rivals, used offensive language and racial and gender stereotypes to inflame voters' fears and insecurities. His extreme tactics helped him win the Republican nomination and pick up enough votes in three traditionally blue states to win an electoral college victory over Clinton.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who ran for the Republican nomination during the 2016 primary, experienced Trump's sexism first-hand when he famously made comments disparaging her appearance.

Republican presidential candidates Carly Fiorina, former chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard Co., and Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin, walk on stage during the Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Sept. 16, 2015.

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Fiorina, who was the first female to run a fortune 500 company, said she was accustomed to being the only woman in the room and getting comments about her looks. But she put the awkward shoe on the other foot: "Donald Trump's comments about my face and all the rest of it, I think it was an example of some men not really knowing quite how to deal with" female competitors, she said in an interview.

She addressed his remarks from the debate stage where she could communicate with her audience unfiltered. "What I wanted to convey was every woman in America understands that when a man comments on your appearance, when the subject is your competence or your capability, it's not appropriate, whether it's a positive comment or a negative comment," she said. "Your opinion of my appearance is not only inappropriate, it's irrelevant."

Trump wasn't the only one engaging in sexist behavior during that chaotic election season. The press paid more attention to candidate Clinton's clothing, hair and demeanor than Trump's, Dittmar said.

Hillary Clinton speaks as Donald Trump looks on during the town hall presidential debate at Washington University on October 9, 2016, in St Louis.

Rick Wilking-Pool | Getty Images

The media also gave Trump more coverage. A report from The Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center found that Trump received about 15% more coverage than Clinton.

But voter attitudes remain the most critical stumbling block in a woman's path to the presidency: There's this idea that the president "should be someone we want to have a beer with, and that's usually a man," said Nadra Kareem Nittle, a veteran journalist covering politics and public policy.

The rest of the world has had less trouble producing top political leaders. Dittmar explained that the structure of American government has a lot to do with it. Most of the female leaders from Britain to Pakistan have been prime ministers who are selected by their party, not direct elections.

In America, it's different. "We have very candidate-centered electoral system that amplifies the stereotypical challenges. The presidency is an especially masculinized office. It continues to give power and value to masculine traits."

The president is after all the Commander-in-chief, "so, yes, we associate those roles with a man," said Fiorina.

Clinton's historic run and devastating loss, however, marked a turning point in women's quest for the highest office.

"What her loss caused was an igniting of political power inside of millions of women across country who burst into anger and then passion to save their communities, and stepped up to run for office," Schriock said.

Emily's List has seen a whopping 60,000 women reach out for support to run for office in the four years since the 2016 election, Schriock said. That compares with 962 women in 2015-16 cycle.

Some of those women went on to win a record number of seats in Congress during the 2018 midterms, which helped to flip the house blue and hand the speaker's gavel to Nancy Pelosi.

Clinton's historic run also opened the path for the six female Democrats who hit the presidential campaign trail in 2020, including Harris, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Yet for all the progress and diversity of the 2020 Democratic primary slate, in the end, voters chose 78-year old white male Joe Biden as the nominee to duke it out with Trump.

Dittmar says the "electability myth" guided voter behavior. "Democratic voters were especially motivated by a sense of urgency to beat Donald Trump," she said. And an older white man appeared to be the safest bet.

Former Vice President Joe Biden talks with Senator Kamala Harris after the conclusion of the 2020 Democratic U.S. presidential debate in Houston, Texas, September 12, 2019.

Mike Blake | Reuters

But he chose a 56-year old Black woman as his running mate, making him what Fiorina called "a transitional figure" and "a bridge to the future."

She said Harris was instrumental in their victory and President Biden "clearly views her as a partner, as a teammate."

So, will Harris be the one who finally makes the leap?

Her role is still being written by the administration. There's concern that tie-breaking responsibilities in the Senate will hamper her ability to take on more meaty tasks that will give her the kind of executive experience voters will accept.

Harris' background as a biracial woman could make the journey harder if she choses to run.

On the 2020 campaign trail she faced discrimination as rival Trump spread a racist birther conspiracy theory based on her immigrant parents, who were from Jamaica and India. Republican officials often mispronounce her first name, which some consider to be discriminatory.

"It says you don't belong, you're different," A'shanti Gholar,president of Emerge America, which trains Democratic women to run for office, told the Sacramento Bee.

Those obstacles will not go away.

What's more, observers say Democrats are unlikely to clear the field in four or eight years for a Harris candidacy amid memories of Hillary Clinton's near-coronation in 2016. A crowded primary is almost a given.

Even so, her current platform as vice president gives her advantages no other woman has ever had, if she is given the leadership role that the campaign promised when she got the nod.

"Being woman and a woman of color will make it more difficult for her than other vice presidents," Nittle said. "But she's clearly in a better situation to become president than any American woman in history."

Link:
Feminist activists are eager to build on Kamala Harris' ascent to vice president - CNBC

Steven Duffy| Fort Smith

A friend who admires my way with words really wishes I would write about something besides the man from Mar-a-Lago. So today, I will give it a shot, so to speak. Using my pen to take on you-know-who and the yes-men he connived with (and then pardoned) was fun while it lasted. Well, fun for me, anyway. I'll bet my $1,400 stimulus check the 500,000 victims ofCOVID-19 see things a little differently ... from 6 feet under.

Jan. 6changed everything for me. I am done with Republican tall tales about massive election fraud and their asinine "stop the steal" chant a simple-minded slogan that sounds clever, means nothing and appeals to fact-free MAGA voters with a short fuse who stand on the sidewalk for hours screaming about "fake news" and socialism. Remember the good old days when everything was Hillary Clinton's fault?

Anger, chaos and off-the-wall conspiracy theories are what these people live for and don't mind watching others die for. And Republicans played right along, either not thinking or not caring about criminal investigations and charges of treason and sedition based on alleged texts and other forms of communication those Republicans may have had with the mob. Their bullyboy brazenness is sickening, of course, but hardly surprising.

Go here to see the original:
Jan. 6 changed everything - Times Record

CATCH YOU ON THE FLIPPITY FLIP: The House is out for three weeks of recess after an exhausting weeks long dash filled with hearings, legislation and partisan sniping. But that doesnt mean Democratic leaders arent looking ahead to what is up on their next legislative agenda.

First though, members are expected to return to their districts and hit all the messaging points: Democrats tout their legislative accomplishments, with the big one being Covid relief bill (i.e. shots in your arm, money in your pockets), while Republicans will hammer the Biden administration for the slow school reopenings and the crisis at the border and Democrats socialist agenda. This week is all district work period, but then starting the week of March 29th, the House is expected to have two weeks of committee work, remotely.

The recess comes as Democrats are eying their next agenda targets, including possibly muscling priorities on drug pricing, climate change policy goals and immigration through Congress via the budget reconciliation process, Sarah reports (theyd still need to get that legislation past the Senate parliamentarian). All three are major goals Democrats want to get accomplished both to run on in next years midterm elections and in case Republicans take over the House majority in the next Congress.

As Sarah writes: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer havent formally decided to use the budgetary tool known as reconciliation for Bidens next major priority, an infrastructure and jobs plan. Biden and top Democrats are still publicly courting Republicans for his proposal. But given the Senate GOPs continued reluctance, many senior Democrats in both chambers believe it will be the ultimate path.

And House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) says he believes many different health care and climate bills could survive the budget rules, as well as some aspects of immigration policy: Not everything, but I think certain things can.

There is also that lingering frustration over the Senate filibuster. The chorus can get louder, but if some key Dems dont budge, it will be just that: An opera singing Andrea Bochellis Time to Say Goodbye, without an actual departure.

More here from Sarah: http://politi.co/3sb1dX5

AND ACROSS THE CAPITOL: The Senate is in with nominations on the docket, including President Joe Bidens pick to lead the Labor Department, Marty Walsh -- the last outstanding cabinet nominee awaiting confirmation.

The Senate, which got through Bidens confirmations faster than it did for both the Obama and Trump administrations, is also poised to confirm five more nominations this week that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has filed cloture on, including Shalanda Young for OMB Deputy Director, Vivek Murthy for Surgeon General, Rachel Levine for Assistant Secretary at HHS, David Turk for Deputy Energy Secretary, and Wally Adeyemo for Deputy Treasury Secretary.

PPP = Planning to Pass Paychecks: The Senate, which is also out next week, must do something about the Paycheck Protection Program this week, before it is set to expire at the end of this month, on the 31st. The House bill, the PPP Extension Act of 2021, would extend the program until May 31. Schumer, who has filed cloture on this legislation, has said they plan to pass the measure ASAP.

On tap today: Biden will also speak to Senate Dems as part of their retreat tonight. It is closed to the press, but dont worry, we will have our Senate team on the prowl for news nuggets.

Starting today: Schumers newly appointed Senate sergeant at arms leadership team starts today, marking the first time that office is fully staffed by women since its creation in 1789. Lieutenant General Karen Gibson is serving as the Sergeant at Arms, Kelly Fado as the Deputy Sergeant at Arms and Jennifer Hemingway as Chief of Staff:

Related: Outlook: Senate faces deadline to extend pandemic loans program for small businesses, by the National Journals Zach Cohen and Casey Wooten: http://bit.ly/3cVVvlr

ONE FOOT IN, ANOTHER ONE OUT: The House GOP is looking at the fresh new face of Julia Letlow, who won the Louisiana special election on Saturday, and then losing a known face after Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) announced he will not seek re-election to the House nor will he run for governor following allegations of sexual misconduct that came out on Friday.

Letlow took lemons and made lemonade out of a horrible situation after her husband, former Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, died of Covid shortly before he was slated to be sworn into Congress. Letlow, the mother of two small children, launched her campaign and has received a lot of support on Capitol Hill.

In contrast to her rise, Reed, in a lengthy statement, apologized to Nicolette Davis, who detailed how, when she was a young lobbyist attending a dinner in 2017, Reed began touching her back and unhooking her bra. Reed, co-chairman of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, said he was struggling with alcohol at the time and later checked himself into treatment. He wrote in his statement that consistent with my recovery, I publicly take ownership. He had initially denied the allegations, stating that he had a different account of that night.

As NBCs Garret Haake aptly points out: About as complete of an apology & statement taking ownership of past actions as I can recall seeing from a politician.

Davis, an ex-lobbyist, responded: "I am grateful for Congressman Reeds reflection on his actions. I hope that his words and actions will be an example for others who face similar allegations.

While her tip to the Washington Post came before Reed had announced his interest in a potential gubernatorial bid as Governor Andrew Cuomo faced a growing list of allegations of sexual misconduct, Reed had taken the position that combating sexual violence and harassment was a top priority of his in Congress. He recently called for Cuomo to be impeached.

Reeds district, which is just above the New York-Pennsylvania border and south of Buffalo, is considered a safe GOP stronghold. Former President Donald Trump won the 23rd District 11 points against Biden in November, and 15 points when Trump ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016.

But as Cook Political Reports Dave Wasserman notes: If NY Dems override the commission and redraw the map for 2022, pretty good bet #NY23 gets eliminated or combined w/ #NY27 Rep. Chris Jacobs (R).

Roll Calls Herb Jackson has more on Reed and his apology: http://bit.ly/2OLBHJL

A message from McDonald's:

Protecting our restaurant crew and customers is our number one priority. McDonalds national COVID safety plan is fact-based, data-driven, and informed by epidemiologists and health authorities. As science evolves, we update our plan. We train and retrain to always stay on top of whats happening. Thats Safety + Commitment.Learn more at mcdonalds.com/safety

HAPPY MONDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill on this March 22, where cameras -- including police cams -- can sure catch the darndest things.

FRIDAYS MOST CLICKED: The Jewish Insiders story on the Chabad chief in the House was the big winner.

PUPS OF CAPITOL HILL: New week, new pup pictures! We have one more day or so before we dive into the final rounds of the pup photo com-paw-tition. The Friday winners advancing to the next round: Albert Bertie Sanders Golden, Norman Cutler and Toby. Be sure to throw your favorite pooches a bone and vote for your favorite, and make sure you get your friends involved in this bi-paw-tisan competition others certainly are. Up on deck today: Batch 9Batch 10.

RHETORIC OR LEGAL REALITIES?: Michael Sherwin, the federal prosecutor who up until recently was leading the Justice Departments inquiry into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, told 60 Minutes in an interview that aired Sunday he believes the federal government has obtained evidence that meets the bar of charging suspects with sedition, a rare charge.

I personally believe the evidence is trending toward that, and probably meets those elements, Sherwin said. I believe the facts do support those charges and I think that, as we go forward, more facts will support that.

Seamus Hughes, Deputy Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, noted that Sherwin didnt bring sedition charges against anyone in the seven weeks that he led the investigation even after hinting in January that such charges were forthcoming. Theres a difference between prosecutorial rhetoric & legal realities, Hughes tweeted.

Reuters has more on Sherwins interview: http://reut.rs/2OMZwAZ

Related: Assaulting the truth, Ron Johnson helps erode confidence in government, by the NYTs Trip Gabriel and Reid Epstein: http://nyti.ms/2QjrF2G

MEANWHILE, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is warning that a bipartisan 9/11-like commission to probe the Capitol Hill riot may delay needed security improvements.

"The Congress itself has the capacity here to move forward," the No. 4 GOP Senate leader said Sunday on NBC News Meet the Press. "That doesn't mean I'm opposed to a commission, but frankly, I would believe that commission would probably be a reason to wait and not do the things that we know we need to do right now." Our Zachary Warmbrodt has the story: http://politi.co/2OUaWmk

NOT SO TRANSPARENT: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling on the Biden administration to open up Customs and Border Protection facilities to journalists.

"This should be transparent, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, told CBS News. It's amazing to me how little my constituents know about what's going on down along the border. It is a situation spiraling out of control."

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told NPR over the weekend that we should all press the administration to do better on opening up access to media coverage at these facilities, noting that while there are young children in these facilities who are at incredibly vulnerable points in their life, he added that he believes there's a way for DHS to do it. More here from CBSs Nicole Sganga: http://cbsn.ws/2ND1XFs

The bipartisan push comes as Axios Jonathan Swan reports that an internal Department of Homeland Security document showed 823 unaccompanied migrant children held in border patrol custody for more than 10 days, more than a fourfold increase over the past week.

IOWA 2ND: Nine of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump earlier this year called on Pelosi over the weekend to end the House probe into the results of the contested House race in Iowas 2nd District. In a letter to the speaker, the nine lawmakers voiced extreme dismay over Democrats challenge of the race in Iowa, arguing it will undermine confidence in the electoral process -- just as Trump did in 2020, WaPos Marianna Sotomayor reports: http://wapo.st/3rbtQCh

Our Playbook friends report that the effort to oust GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in favor of Rita Hart (D) has been blessed by the top echelons of House Democratic leadership. And the DCCC has brought in and is paying the legal fees for top Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias, this person said.

Expect this to start -- not that it hasnt already -- a series of finger pointing and claims of hypocrisy as anti-certification Republicans call foul for Congress becoming involved in this election process and Democrats weighing flipping state-certified election results.

How some Mods feel: I dont think theres the slightest chance that that would happen, Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) said on Fox News.

Related: Jim Clyburn is ticking off some in the White House. Hes perfectly fine with that, by our Natasha Korecki: https://politi.co/3tJOHOE

A message from McDonald's:

CAMPAIGN CENTRAL:

-Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) is expected to announce his Senate bid today and could receive a coveted Trump endorsement in the foreseeable future if not on Monday, sources tell Gabby Orr and Meridith McGraw, who break down the various ways to win over Trump as well as how to alienate the former president: http://politi.co/311TaQF

-Rep. Jody Hice is expected to launch GOP challenge against Raffensperger by the AJCs Greg Bluestein: http://bit.ly/3f6Jb4D | And Trump is looking to take down Raffensberger by endorsing Hice, our Alex Isenstadt and Zach Montellaro report: http://politi.co/2NE8Sy9

-OP-ED: How this voting rights bill could turn the next election into a clusterf*ck, by The Daily Beasts Jessica Huseman: http://bit.ly/3s8HHKX

-Next up in race to replace Cedric Richmond: Gary Chambers' endorsement and how runoff might play out, by The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocates Tyler Bridges: http://bit.ly/2QoaJbn

-Club for Growth takes aim at impeachment backers Cheney, Anthony Gonzalez, by our Alex Isenstadt: http://politi.co/3cVIVmj

-2024 shadow campaign takes shape under Trumps watchful eye as Pompeo, Rick Scott, Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis and others show signs of presidential bids, David Siders reports: http://politi.co/3lDwtLT

CABINET CORNER:

-Today: After convening, the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Marty Walsh to be Bidens Secretary of Labor.

-VP Kamala Harris will swear in Isabella Guzman as Bidens Small Business Administration administrator today at 9:30 a.m.

TRANSITIONS

Vanessa Ambrosini and Alexa Henning, both Trump White House alums, are joining Sen. Ron Johnsons (R-Wis.) office as senior communications advisers. Ambrosini most recently was deputy director of public affairs at the Commerce Department. Henning most recently was director of media affairs for the Trump campaign.

Geoff Burgan will be comms director for Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). He most recently was Arizona comms director for the Biden campaign and is a Beto ORourke and Andrew Gillum alum. Giselle Barry will be moving to deputy chief of staff and Jeremy DAloisio to legislative director.

Jon Green is now defense policy adviser for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). He previously was national security adviser for Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.).

Gabriella Vesey is now legislative correspondent for Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), covering health care and aging issues. She previously was legislative correspondent/aide for Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.).

Amanda Fitzmorris is now press secretary for Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.). She previously was a special adviser in the Office of Research and Development at the EPA.

John Elizandro will be director of strategic comms and data at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. He previously was senior adviser and comms director for Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), and is an Erik Paulsen alum.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House is out.

The Senate will convene at 3 p.m.

AROUND THE HILL

11 a.m.: The House Oversight Committee will hear testimony from Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and others about D.C. statehood.

7 p.m.: Biden will meet virtually with the Senate Democratic Caucus during their annual retreat.

TRIVIA

FRIDAYS WINNER: Zev Siegfeld was the first person to correctly guess that Gerold Ford was the President who owned a Golden Retriever named Liberty.

TODAYS QUESTION: From Zev: Which president is buried at the Albany Rural Cemetery, in Albany, NY?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answer to [emailprotected].

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.

Follow Olivia on Twitter: @Olivia_Beavers

A message from McDonald's:

Safety + Commitment: Protecting our restaurant crew and customers is our number one priority. Over the last year, we have developed a comprehensive, national COVID safety plan to help ensure that McDonalds remains a safe place to eat and to work. Safety + Science: McDonalds COVID safety plan is fact-based, data-driven, and informed by epidemiologists and health authorities. Every time CDC guidelines are updated, as science evolves, we update our plan. Safety + Training: Early on, we created a nationally recognized set of COVID safety standards. All 850,000 managers and crew were trained on its effective usage. We train and retrain on safety, to always stay on top of whats happening. And provide the protection that our customers, crew and communities expect from us.Learn more at mcdonalds.com/safety

Read more here:
Dems sell Covid bill at home and eye reconciliation for their return - Politico

Andrew Cuomo should have known theyd come for him.

New Yorks Democratic governor often scolding and demeaning; at times a bully had made plenty of enemies over the years. He appeared almost daily on cable news, painting a picture of a decisive, effective leader in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. It found traction, contrasted with then-President Donald Trumps denials, inaction and dangerous absurdities that made doctors cringe.

His abrasive and condescending style with political adversaries, with the press, even with Democratic allies he considered rivals or insufficiently deferential to him lit a fuse. First came evidence that his administration had significantly shorted the count of COVID-19 nursing home deaths across New York. Then came claims from numerous women that Cuomo made unwanted advances ranging from indecent suggestions to groping. The resulting detonation has blown his governorship to bits.

Calls for his resignation are nearly universal. Even President Joe Biden who also survived accusations of improper touching said in an ABC News interview last week that if an investigation validates the womens allegations, not only should he resign, he would probably be prosecuted.

Virginia has been there, done that and mailed the kids postcards.

Two years ago, separate, simultaneous scandals provoked loud and widespread cries for the departures of all three of Virginias top statewide elective officeholders.

First, on Feb. 1, 2019, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam encountered the mother of all PR nightmares when a Republican blogger discovered a photo on Northams medical school yearbook page showing one man dressed in blackface standing beside another in Klan regalia. That night, in a panic, Northam and his advisers issued a statement in which Northam apologized for appearing in the picture.

The next day, however, after a late night of phone calls with old medical school friends and classmates, Northam reversed himself, announcing in a nationally televised news conference that he was not in the photo, but admitting to applying shoe polish to his face for a Michael Jackson dance contest in the 1980s.

As calls from state and national leaders reached hurricane force, Northam hunkered down to ride it out.

Prominent among those calling for Northam to go was Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a fellow Democrat who stood to succeed him and become Virginias second Black governor. His potential shortcut to the throne was sidetracked when two women alleged that Fairfax had sexually assaulted them in the early 2000s, allegations Fairfax has repeatedly and vehemently denied. Instantly, demands for Fairfaxs resignation ensued, relieving some of the pressure on Northam.

Then Attorney General Mark Herring, who also had clamored for Northams exit, disclosed that he, too, had once applied brown makeup and a wig to impersonate rapper Kurtis Blow for a party during his University of Virginia frat boy days.

For weeks, Virginias entire Democratic power triumvirate seemed to teeter at the precipice. But all three remain in office. Fairfax is a candidate in a large, diverse Democratic gubernatorial field.

Northam, uniquely barred by Virginias Constitution from seeking re-election, has proved to be one of the commonwealths most consequential governors. He went from being a pariah in the winter of 2019 to helping position fellow Democrats for electoral triumphs that fall that gave them majorities in the state House and Senate for the first time in a generation. Under full Democratic rule, Virginia has reformed its election laws, passed new gun control measures, decriminalized marijuana and approved its eventual recreational use and abolished the death penalty in making historically conservative Virginia the Souths most progressive state.

A review of the yearbook scandal commissioned by the Eastern Virginia Medical School concluded that neither person in the photo could be identified and that the origin of the photo could not be determined.

Herring, who had been weighing a gubernatorial run, is seeking re-election a prospect made more interesting by Northams endorsement of Herrings primary challenger, Del. Jay Jones of Norfolk.

Fairfaxs situation most closely parallels Cuomos. He has insisted that the encounters with his accusers were consensual. Unlike Cuomo, no other women have made claims against Fairfax. He has not been charged in either encounter and, from the outset, has called for independent investigations that so far have not materialized. He filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against CBS News over interviews CBS This Morning did with his accusers in 2019 and is appealing a lower courts dismissal of the case to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Set aside moral considerations for a moment and consider Cuomos dilemma from a realpolitik perspective: why should he unilaterally abdicate power given Virginias outcomes? Consider, too, how Trump shrugged off numerous womens claims and even his own hot-mic boasts about taking obscene liberties with women only to be elected president and remain in office for a full single term.

But in the second decade of the 21st century, how could anyone in such a position of power behave as though the misogynist Mad Men culture of the 1960s, when men sometimes considered the office a sexual hunting ground, still applies?

No one should imagine that sexual harassment or even sexual assault are vanquished. It still happens and, perhaps, always will. But now, at last, there are swift and terminal consequences for it in the #MeToo world. Companies spend huge sums of money training employees to identify, avoid and report sexual harassment and assault. Its untenable for C-suite executives and even mid-level managers in todays corporate world. Even consensual workplace romances are viewed harshly by HR departments, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a leading national outplacement firm.

So how is it that the nations most powerful elected leaders supposedly exemplars of the best in America seem to get away with it? When did it become survivable in politics?

Bill Clinton and Gennifer Flowers. 1992, said political scientist Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

The claim by Flowers, a Little Rock cabaret singer and TV reporter, of a 12-year affair with Clinton, then the governor of Arkansas, came as Clinton positioned himself in that years crowded Democratic presidential primaries. Days after The Star tabloid published the allegation, Hillary Clinton appeared at the side of her husband for a joint 60 Minutes interview. He denied improprieties with Flowers but acknowledged wrongdoing (and) causing pain in my marriage. He survived it and subsequent revelations during his presidency. He was impeached over lying to a federal grand jury about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky but avoided conviction and removal from office in the Senate.

Remember that just one election cycle before that, the frontrunner had been knocked out of the race over allegations of infidelity that he had denied, said Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Government and Policy at George Mason University. Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado, then 50, withdrew from the 1988 Democratic field, done in by newspaper reports of an extramarital relationship with Donna Rice, then a 29-year-old actress and model.

What changed?

Much of it comes down to how the political figure handles the issue, whether he is transparent and confronts the accusations honestly and is able to convince the public that certain private actions have no bearing on public performance Rozell said. I think that was the big distinction many people made in 1992.

Will it work for Cuomo? Time will tell.

The New York legislature has begun an impeachment inquiry of Cuomo. And a new Quinnipiac Poll shows that while his support has slipped, 49 percent of state residents surveyed said he should not resign and 43 percent say he should.

As his number of accusers grew, he finally got around to apologizing, but in doing so, denied ever touching anyone appropriately. It had the feel of mea culpa prompted not so much by what was done but by getting caught doing it.

But for all his words of contrition, the lead of the story remains this: he flatly refused to resign.

If past is precedent, he probably wont have to.

Read the original here:
Cuomo: Resign or stay put? In Virginia, we've been there, done that. - Virginia Mercury