Susan Hutchison, the new chair of the state Republican party, gets a salary of about $75,000 a year — substantially less than the $95,000 earned by her predecessor, Kirby Wilbur.
But when Hutchison tried last weekend to convince the GOP executive committee to boost her pay to Wilbur’s level, the conversation turned ugly and Hutchison’s request was rebuffed.
Hutchison bemoaned the decision in an internal party memo obtained by The Seattle Times.
In the memo, sent Monday to the state GOP executive board, Hutchison wrote the “positive spirit” of the GOP meeting had “soured late in the day” when her salary request came up.
The pay for the Republican chairman’s position had been cut by GOP leaders — citing budget issues — at a meeting just prior to Hutchison’s election in August.
But Hutchison argued that vote had violated the party’s bylaws and could be viewed as “discriminatory and vindictive” — and even play into the hands of Democrats who have talked up the GOP’s problems among female voters.
“The pay cut defies the concept of equal pay for equal work, playing into the ‘war on women’ narrative against Republicans,” Hutchison wrote. She added she’d personally raised $22,000 from 18 non-Republican Party donors from her personal list of contacts — “which more than covers” the $20,000 pay raise.
“I left the meeting demoralized, and so did my hardworking staff. I heard that some of you felt beat up and angry, while others were very pleased. This kind of division over something so minor is not what will move us forward,” Hutchison wrote.
Of course after this kerfuffle Republican sources are claiming that they were planning to cut this salary all along and it had nothing to with the fact that Hitchison is a chick, and for her part Hutchison is trying to minimize the fact that she just ran head long into the GOP "War on Women," but I think we know what's really going on here.
Let's face it in the Republican world having ovaries is a preexisting condition, and the men believe that the doors of opportunity are pried open with their Viagra engorged penises. (Or a gun, same thing really.)
Should I even bother to ask, yet again, WHY women bother to join the Republican party?
She ran for King County Executive in 2009 and we really dodged a bullet there. She is known as Washington's Sarah Palin. The fact that she's not happy with her salary and is fighting with and dividing the "party" is great as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/12/792550/-Susan-Hutchison-8211-Washington-State-rsquo-s-Sarah-Palin
Last night, Bill Maher had a great Granny Grifter line on his last show of the season: when Ronny Raygun was elected, $P was sixteen, pregnant, and probably still in the third grade. Audience went bonkers!
DeleteI hope she went and got those non-Republican donors to stop payment on those checks!
ReplyDeleteI hope they were smart enough to cancel them themselves! Who donates to these people? Oh, duh, the same geniuses who think Sarah Palin is not a department store dummy using a pre-recorded speech that someone just turns on. Can hardly wait for her Sunday AM word salad...why isn;t she in church on a Sunday morning with her beloved family? I mean, it;s almost advent, Sarah...great time to hawk some of your newest fake Christmas memories.
DeleteI don't feel one bit sorry for her, she has chosen to work for and support the GOP then I could care less how she is discriminated against.
ReplyDeleteNo. I'm sorry, but if we're going to fight for women'sequality, we must fight for ALL women regardless of political affiliation. Otherwise, we are guilty of the same hypocrisy that we accuse Republicans of.
DeleteWrong! I will not defend willful retards. I don"t care who they are.
DeleteYou be that hypocrite.
Alas, I feel no sympathy for this woman. Where has she been for the last ,uh, 40 years? Who does she think the Republican party IS, for crissakes? She's a goddamn moron.
ReplyDeleteHow do you like them Washington apples?
ReplyDeleteYet another GOP-per who only notices something wrong when it happens to them.
ReplyDeleteHow true is that - there is no war on women - until it happens to them. Why ANY woman supports the GOP - let alone works to raise money for them - is beyond understanding
DeleteI pray she'll take the hint and go......sorry.......Rogue......
ReplyDeleteIt happened to me too. I am sick and tired of the glass ceiling and the men who maintain it. We raise our daughters to be all they can be and then they have to wade through this crap. It won’t last forever as we now have a generation of mothers who have been exposed to the corruption of the Big Boys Club and there are laws that can take care of this injustice. We just need to make sure laws are followed. As to whether this woman deserved what is happening to her? I think we ought to rejoice she is recognizing the injustice rather than going along to play along. More women ought to come forward, most are afraid!
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY Everyday Freethought! Like the GOP'ers who can finally countenance homosexuality when they discover a gay kids. Or those who finally get hitting insurance maximums when a loved one's on Avastin. Cry me a river Susan. What do you think the women's movement was for for the past 50 years? Lay down with dogs....
ReplyDeleteOrdinarily I'd feel sorry for a woman being treated like that, not that it is uncommon. However, since we are talking about Kay Hutchinson and the Repub Party, all I can do is snicker. Lie down with dogs; wake up with fleas. That? is a woman who needs a clue.
ReplyDeleteDoes this woman know who is waging this "war on women"? She's doing battle with her own political brand! Any 21st century woman who supports the GOP deserves what she gets.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
she ought to get the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act out and read it and then file her anti-discrimination lawsuit.
ReplyDeleteWhy would she be surprised by this since it goes right along with her the Republican goals.?
ReplyDelete