The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Source: Fox News
Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:25 PM
Hillary Clinton Returns To Spotlight With Much Criticism And Disgust
While the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate took some ribbing for her cameo Sunday at the Grammys, there’s even more “fury” over her response to the bombshell report that she helped protect a senior adviser to her 2008 campaign amid accusations he sexually harassed a subordinate. Without apologizing, she said simply that women should be “heard” – and meanwhile showed up in a Twitter clip giving a shout-out to “activist b-tches” the same day that report was published.
The New York Times first revealed the 2008 incident Friday, reporting that Clinton intervened to help keep her faith adviser, Burns Strider, on board. She effectively overruled then-campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle, who wanted to fire Strider.
Strider was sent to counseling and lost several weeks of pay, but remained on staff while the younger woman was moved to a new role.
Clinton responded to the report late Friday on Twitter, but fell short of issuing an apology.
“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,” Clinton
tweeted.
Hillary Clinton
✔
@HillaryClinton
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.
10:21 PM - Jan 26, 2018
5,276 5,276 Replies 5,626 5,626 Retweets 39,375 39,375 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
She added: “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.”
26 Jan
Hillary Clinton
✔
@HillaryClinton
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
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.
10:21 PM - Jan 26, 2018
4,980 4,980 Replies 3,528 3,528 Retweets 30,481 30,481 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Clinton’s response drew bipartisan criticism over the weekend, including
from a liberal-leaning member of the Washington Post editorial board.
HILLARY CLINTON MAKES GRAMMY'S CAMEO TO MOCK TRUMP BY READING 'FIRE AND
FURY'
“Classically, infuriatingly, this episode and its aftermath exposes,
once again, the trademark Clinton failure to take personal
responsibility; the allergy to owning up to error; the refusal to cede
any ground, no less apologize; the incessant double-standarding with
different, more forgiving rules for the Clintons and their loyalists,”
the Post's Ruth Marcus wrote in a column over the weekend titled,
“Hillary Clinton: #MeToo, meet #SoWhat.”
Marcus laid out an alternative, perhaps more appropriate response for
Clinton in her column, daring readers to “imagine a Hillary Clinton” who
apologized for her “lapse in judgment” during the time of the incident.
“Imagine that Hillary Clinton. She doesn’t exist,” Marcus wrote.
Other pundits and journalists slammed Clinton’s response on Twitter
throughout the weekend.
“Everything Clinton says or does is seen through its own unique
polarized prism, but by no measure would this employer’s response be
described as appropriate or responsible in any of the other harassment
stories that have come to light in recent months,” NPR’s Susan Davis
tweeted Saturday.
Susan Davis
✔
@DaviSusan
Everything Clinton says or does is seen through its own unique polarized
prism, but by no measure would this employer’s response be described as
appropriate or responsible in any of the other harassment stories that
have come to light in recent months. https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton/status/957091151122747392
…
11:16 AM - Jan 27, 2018
66 66 Replies 334 334 Retweets 972 972 likes
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Daily Caller reporter Chuck Ross tweeted: “Women deserve to be heard,
unless they have an NDA or something.”
Chuck Ross
@ChuckRossDC
Women deserve to be heard, unless they have an NDA or something https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/957091288754606080
…
10:28 PM - Jan 26, 2018
17 17 Replies 144 144 Retweets 357 357 likes
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The woman in question and other Clinton campaign staffers reportedly
were required to sign a nondisclosure agreement barring campaign aides
from publicly discussing inner workings of the Clinton team.
The woman reportedly had accused Strider of rubbing her shoulders
inappropriately, kissing her on the forehead and sending suggestive
emails.
Prior to Clinton’s response, a Clinton spokesman gave Fox News a
statement from the law firm that represented the 2008 campaign:
“To ensure a safe working environment, the campaign had a process to
address complaints of misconduct and harassment,” the statement from
Urecht, Kleinfeld, Fiori, Partners said. “When matters arose, they were
reviewed in accordance with these policies, and appropriate action was
taken. This complaint was no exception.”
Clinton has seemingly remained in close contact with Strider, with
photos of them together as recently as October 2017.
Strider later was hired to lead an independent group that supported
Clinton’s 2016 presidential run, Correct the Record, which was launched
by Clinton ally David Brock. But he reportedly was fired from Brock’s
firm months later for workplace issues, including accusations that he,
again, sexually harassed a young female aide.
Strider did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Amid the fallout from the Times report, Clinton also appeared in an
unusual video on Twitter voicing support for "activist b-tches."
“Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thanks,” Clinton said, sitting at a
booth. “Thanks for your feminism, for your activism, and all I can hope
is you keep up the really important, good work.”
She added with a laugh: “And let me just say, this is directed to the
activist b-tches, supporting b-tches. So let’s go.”
Clinton wrapped up the weekend with her cameo at the Grammy Awards, where she read excerpts from Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."