Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold abruptly resigns amid sexual harassment allegations.

Courtesy of CNBC: 

Rep. Blake Farenthold resigned abruptly Friday, months after sexual harassment allegations against the Texas Republican surfaced. 

Farenthold, who has represented Texas' 27th District since 2011, said in December he would not seek re-election this year. The 56-year-old becomes only the latest member of Congress to resign in recent months following sexual misconduct allegations. 

"While I planned on serving out the remainder of my term in Congress, I know in my heart it's time for me to move along and look for new ways to serve," Farenthold said in a statement Friday. 

A 2014 harassment lawsuit brought by a former staff member against Farenthold was settled using $84,000 in taxpayer money. The congressman's former communications director, Lauren Greene, accused him of making sexually inappropriate comments. Other former aides have spoken to media outlets about a toxic work environment.

Pajama boy is out?

Aww. what a shame. 

Personally I have no idea how he lasted as long as he did.

I mean the guy's like a poster boy for inappropriate sexual behavior.

Some of the allegations about the conduct in his office, and among his staff, are quite shocking.

Looks like we can chalk up another win for the #MeToo movement, and the Blue Wave.

Blake "Ducky PJ's" Farenthold will not seek reelection amid accusations of sexual harassment.

Courtesy of the New York Times:

Representative Blake Farenthold, a Texas Republican who settled a lurid sexual harassment claim with his former communications director for $84,000 and faced accusations from other aides that he ran a hostile workplace, announced Thursday that he will not run for re-election, saying the allegations have become “a political distraction.” 

He is the fourth lawmaker in two weeks to announce his eventual departure from Congress amid the swirl of sexual allegations and the sixth this year. 

In a nearly five-minute long video posted on his campaign’s Facebook page, Mr. Farenthold denied the sexual harassment allegations from his former communications director, Lauren Greene. But he admitted, with unusual candor, that he had run an “unprofessional” workplace and that his own temper sometimes got out of hand, describing himself as “profoundly sorry” for his conduct. 

“I’d never served in public office before. I had no idea how to run a congressional office, and as a result I allowed a workplace culture to take root in my office that was too permissive and decidedly unprofessional,” Mr. Farenthold said. 

“It accommodated destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes,” he went on, adding, “and I allowed the personal stress of the job to manifest itself in angry outburst and too often a failure to treat people with the respect that they deserved. That was wrong.”

Gee ya think?

By the way that "I'd never served in public office before" excuse is extremely weak.

Farenthold was first elected in 2010, when he was about 49 years old.

He was a fucking adult! He was not some frat boy who suddenly got to play Congressman for a day.

By 49 years old you should know not to talk about your female employee's boobs, get shit faced on the job, and act like an out of control asshole to your staff.

As it turns out Farenthold may have been given a little shove by Speaker of the House, and Eddie Munster lookalike, Paul Ryan.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Rep. Blake Farenthold, who's under fire for accusations of sexual harassment, is not planning to run for re-election, a Republican source familiar with situation told CNN on Thursday. 

House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke with Farenthold, a Texas Republican, twice late Wednesday. Rep. Steve Stivers, who chairs the House campaign arm, also met with Farenthold. 

"Look, I had a couple of conversations with Blake Farenthold," Ryan said at his weekly news conference. "I think he's making the right decision to retire. There are new stories that are disconcerting. Unacceptable behavior has been alleged in those stories. And I think he's made the right decision that he's leaving Congress. And that reflects on the conversations we've had."

This is now becoming a thing with Ryan who also recently had to give the boot to Trent Franks, who was trying to get at least one of his female staff members to let him plant his demon seed in their womb.

This new role has Ryan talking about leaving Congress as well:  

House Speaker Paul Ryan has had soul searching conversations about his future with friends, some of his close friends tell CNN. 

Those people close to Ryan told CNN they believe it is possible that he could leave Congress after the 2018 midterm elections, if he can achieve his goal of passing GOP backed overhaul of the US tax system. Some say his departure could possibly happen even sooner. Some friends indicate that Ryan may be suffering from a bout of "Trump-haustion," but others believe there is serious contemplation of leaving Congress in 2018.

Ryan is now denying the accuracy of this reporting, but that is what they all say right before they resign.

So we will see.

Rep. Blake Farenthold is a naughty naughty boy.

The New York Times has done a rather extensive expose on the goings on in the office of Blake Farenthold and why this guy has not yet been forced out of office is a complete mystery to me.

Here are a few examples: 

As allegations of sexual misconduct rock Capitol Hill — three lawmakers announced their resignations last week alone — Mr. Farenthold, Republican of Texas, stands out as the survivor. He was sued over accusations of sexual harassment three years ago, paid out an $84,000 settlement, financed by taxpayers, and has an open Ethics Committee investigation into his behavior. Yet only a few Republicans have called for his resignation. 

A peek into the inner workings of his office reveals the kind of hostile work environment, rife with sexual innuendo, that prompted Representative Jackie Speier, Democrat of California, to call Congress “the worst” place for women to work.

He's a bully: Former employees also said that Mr. Farenthold had an explosive temper and often bullied his aides, prompting a high turnover.

.........

Ms. Peace and another former aide to Mr. Farenthold, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of harming that aide’s reputation, described an atmosphere in his Washington office that was freewheeling, yet also filled with anxiety. 

The congressman, they said, was volatile. When he was angry, they added, Mr. Farenthold would berate them, sometimes sweeping his arm across his desk, knocking its contents to the floor, and threatening to fire people. Ms. Daniels, who has worked for Mr. Farenthold since March, said she had never witnessed such behavior, adding, “All the staff get along here very well.”

The work atmosphere was sexually charged and Farenthold was a drunk:  

The refrigerator in the “bullpen” — the open area where aides worked — was filled with beer, and sometimes happy hour would begin at 4:30 p.m., which his aides called “beer-thirty.” Ms. Peace said women would discuss which male lobbyists had texted them pictures of their genitals, and both men and women would talk about strip clubs and whether certain Fox News anchors had breast implants. 

“There were numerous lewd comments that were made either about female reporters’ breast size, or other reporters’ breast size as well as female lobbyists and their appearance that would go on,” the other former aide said. “On any given week you were prone to either ridicule, rude comments, acts of aggression or rage.”

 In the office, the congressman was known to like redheads. In her complaint, Ms. Greene said Mr. Farenthold “regularly drank to excess, and because of his tendency to flirt, the staffers who accompanied him to Capitol Hill functions would joke that they had to be on ‘redhead patrol’ to keep him out of trouble.”

There was a "redhead patrol?"

Okay if freaking Al Franken had to give up his job because of the relatively mild by comparison  misconduct he was accused of, it would seem that Farenthold should be run out of town on a rail for his various indiscretions.

I thought that Donald Trump was probably the biggest pervert in Washington, but I may have to reevaluate that assumption.

Rep. John Conyers announces he will not seek reelection amid allegations of sexual harassment.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

Representative John Conyers Jr., who faces allegations that he sexually harassed former employees, announced Tuesday that he will leave Congress immediately, and he endorsed his son, John Conyers III, to replace him. 

Mr. Conyers, the longest-serving current member of the House and the longest-serving African-American in history, called into a local radio show on Tuesday to announce, “I am retiring today.” 

“I am in the process of putting together my retirement plans. I will have more about that very soon,” Mr. Conyers said from a hospital in Michigan. 

He continued to deny that he had harassed any of his former employees and said he did not know where the allegations came from. 

“My legacy can’t be compromised or diminished in any way by what we are going through now,” Mr. Conyers said. “This too shall pass. My legacy will continue through my children.”

Rep. Conyers had a long and illustrious career in Congress much of it involved in fighting for civil rights. 

However there are multiple accusations, and even though Conyers is still denying them, this is undoubtedly the best decision for him to make.

In the meantime Rep. Blake Farenthold says he will pay back the $84,000 of taxpayer money that was used to settle his sexual harassment case, but has no plans to leave Congress.

And that is even after the woman he harassed went on television to say that after the settlement she was blackballed, is now able to find only part time work, and has been reduced to babysitting for extra cash.

Let's also not forget that Roy Moore has now been endorsed by both the GOP and Donald Trump, and that Trump still occupies the White House.

See anything wrong with this picture?

Rep. Blake Farenthold first sitting Congressman to have been identified as using congressional account to pay off accuser.

Courtesy of Politico: 

Rep. Blake Farenthold used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by his former spokesman — the only known sitting member of Congress to have used a little-known congressional account to pay an accuser, sources told POLITICO. 

Lauren Greene, the Texas Republican’s former communications director, sued her boss in December 2014 over allegations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. 

Greene claimed in the lawsuit that another Farenthold aide told her the lawmaker had “sexual fantasies” and “wet dreams” about Greene. She also claimed that Farenthold “regularly drank to excess” and told her in February 2014 that he was “estranged from his wife and had not had sex with her in years.” 

When she complained about comments Farenthold and a male staffer made to her, Greene said the congressman improperly fired her. She filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, but the case was later dropped after both parties reached a private settlement. 

No information was ever released on that agreement.

You know if somebody had asked me which sitting politician that I thought was definitely going to be called out during this #MeToo campaign I would not have hesitated for a second in point out Farenthold.

I mean not only is this guy Fifty Shades of Creepy, but he looks like he could not get laid in a whorehouse while wearing a suit made of $100 dollar bills.

Oh, and I also wrote about this case back in 2014.

Senators Jack Reed and Susan Collins caught on hot mic discussing Trump's sanity, his lack of understanding about the budget, and whether Collins could "beat the shit" out of Rep. Blake Farenthold.

Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democratic Senator Jack Reed.

Courtesy of WaPo: 

After Reed praises Collins’s leadership of the hearing, she laments the administration’s handling of spending. 

“I swear, [the Office of Management and Budget] just went through and whenever there was ‘grant,’ they just X it out,” Collins says. “With no measurement, no thinking about it, no metrics, no nothing. It’s just incredibly irresponsible.” 

“Yes,” Reed replies. “I think — I think he’s crazy,” apparently referring to the president. “I mean, I don’t say that lightly and as a kind of a goofy guy.” “I’m worried,” Collins replies. 

“Oof,” Reed continues. “You know, this thing — if we don’t get a budget deal, we’re going to be paralyzed.” 

“I know,” Collins replies. 

“[Department of Defense] is going to be paralyzed, everybody is going to be paralyzed,” Reed says. 

“I don’t think he knows there is a [Budget Control Act] or anything,” Collins says, referring to a 2011 law that defines the budget process. 

“He was down at the Ford commissioning,” Reed says, referring to President Trump’s weekend event launching a new aircraft carrier, “saying, ‘I want them to pass my budget.’ Okay, so we give him $54 billion and then we take it away across the board which would cause chaos.”

“Right,” Collins replies.

Collins then went on to bring up  remarks made by Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold suggesting that if she were a man he would challenge her to "step outside and settle this Aaron Burr-style.”

“Did you see the one who challenged me to a duel?” Collins asks. 

“I know,” Reed replies. “Trust me. Do you know why he challenged you to a duel? ‘Cause you could beat the s— out of him.” 

“Well, he’s huge,” Collins replies. “And he — I don’t mean to be unkind, but he’s so unattractive it’s unbelievable.” 

“Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this Playboy bunny?” she continues, referring to an infamous photo of Farenthold.

This by the way is the picture Collins is referring to:

So yes, Susan Colins COULD easily beat the shit out of him.

Here is the audio of the above remarks.

Just so you know Farenthold and Collins have already apologized to each other for their remarks, but let's face it the toothpaste is out of the tube concerning what they really think about each.

And we also know what some in the Senate secretly think about the guy now occupying the Oval Office. 

Texas decides to establish their own Fort Knox, because you know screw the federal government!

Courtesy of TPM:  

And the new depository will not just be a well-guarded warehouse for that bullion. The law Abbott signed calls for the creation of an electronic payments system that will allow gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and rhodium depositors to write checks against their accounts, making the depository into a bank – one that will create a metal-backed money supply intended to challenge the paper currency issued by the Federal Reserve - or "Yankee dollars" as one of the law's top supporters calls them. And in case the Fed or Obama wants to confiscate Texas's gold, nice try Fed and Obama! In keeping with this suspicion of the Fed and Washington, the new law also explicitly declares that no “governmental or quasi-governmental authority other than an authority of [Texas]” will be allowed to confiscate or freeze an account inside the depository. Gold that’s entrusted to Texas will stay in Texas. 

The depository law is the brainchild of a second-term state representative in the Texas legislature named Giovanni Capriglione, a 42-year-old Republican from Southlake, just northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. A private equity manager with an MBA, Capriglione was elected in 2012 after beating an seven-term incumbent with the backing of Tea Party activists. He told the Star-Telegram that when he first announced his interest in establishing a depository in Texas in 2013, he “got so many emails and phone calls from people literally all over the world who said they want to store their gold … in a Texas depository. People have this image of Texas as big and powerful … so for a lot of people, this is exactly where they would want to go with their gold.” 

The only thing big and powerful in Texas are the egos. 

I don't know about everybody else, but my very first thought on reading this is that Texas is getting ready to secede, because a state run gold depository would be essential to making that happen.

The place is already overrun with sovereign citizens who are constantly freaking out about the federal government, as was demonstrated by their crazed response to military maneuvers in their state, and some have even gone so far as to start printing their own money.

Personally I hope that they ARE preparing to secede from United States of America. Having them leave would significantly raise the IQ level in Washington since one of their Senators is freaking Ted Cruz, and they count among their Representatives the like of Blake Farenthold, Pete Sessions, and Louis Gohmert.

I just have to wonder how safe Texans will feel once other countries learn that Texas has their own gold reserves and are no longer protected by the United States military?

Texas Republican lawmaker believes that America needs to send Chuck Norris to deal with ISIS, because apparently he believes everything he sees on TV.

Rep. Blake Farenthold

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Rep. Blake Farenthold’s (R-TX) interview with conservative broadcaster Newsmax veered from a discussion of military force against the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group to discussing sending actor Chuck Norris after them, Right Wing Watch reported. 

“I’m no fan of President [Barack] Obama’s, but he was elected president — that makes him commander-in-chief, so we need to give him full authority to do what he does,” Farenthold told host Ed Berliner, before adding, “Quite frankly, Chuck Norris would be the one to send in, not President Obama.”

Look I am the first one to admit that in his day Chuck Norris was a great martial artist in the 1960's.

The 1960's!

However that was five decades ago. After that Chuck was a really bad actor, who relied on well trained stuntmen and camera angles to make him appear to be a bad ass.

Today Norris is an elderly Bible thumper, who believes that Christianity should be taught in public schools, and that nobody can tell he is wearing a toupee.

This is Chuck Norris today. He could not fight off an 80 year old grandmother, much less a terrorist organization who would dearly love to take him prisoner and execute him on camera for all of America to see.

My question is why does Blake Farenthold, who looks like the adult version of that kid who got stuck in the tube in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, hate Chuck Norris so much?

I mean the old guy is in his mid 70's now. Even stubbing his toe makes him pee a little, why would somebody want to send him to get his ass kicked, and then set on fire, in a foreign country just to embarrass the President?

Seems like a dick to me.

Creepy Congressman, who owns creepy domain name, accused of being creepy.

Courtesy of Breitbart Unmasked:  

Shocker! Rep. Blake Farenthold, a Republican Congressman from Texas who was recently outed as the owner of the dirty domain name www.blow-me.org, is facing a lawsuit from a former employee who claims he created a hostile workplace filled with gender discrimination and inappropriate sexual comments. 

Lauren Greene, who worked for Farenthold from February 2013 through her termination in July 2014, cited a number of incidents of sexually-charged misconduct in a lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court last week. 

Greene’s complaint paints a picture of a man-child who couldn’t keep his sexual comments and behavior to himself — so his staff was tasked with keeping him in line. She claimed that Farenthold “regularly drank to excess, and because of his tendency to flirt, the staffers who accompanied him to Capitol Hill functions would joke that they had to be on ‘red head patrol’ to keep him out of trouble.” When she observed that Farenthold seemed to be avoiding her during part of her employment period, his executive assistant, Emily Wilkes allegedly told her “that Farenthold had admitted to being attracted to Plaintiff and to having ‘sexual fantasies’ and ‘wet dreams’ about Plaintiff.” 

He even allegedly bragged to her about his invitation to a threesome with a lobbyist. (Which, aside from the grossness of the proposition, also raises some serious ethics questions.) Also: Yuck. Just yuck. 

Okay let's all just relax.

I mean he hasn't been convicted of any....I mean it's not like he looks cree....It's probably just a misund.....yeah I got nothing. The guy totally creeps me out. 

In fact the characteristics described by the plaintiff are EXACTLY what I have pictured about this guy from the second that I saw him back in 2010.

Boy I bet he regrets having his picture taken in those duckie pj's now.