The things you find on Reddit. Today's topic: Incels.

Here is the post.

Gee, no wonder these guys have a problem with women.

I first heard this term "Incel" when somebody used it to label me.

I quite literally had no idea what they were talking about, but I looked it up:

Incel: aka "involuntarily celibate", a person (usually male) who has a horrible personality and treats women like sexual objects and thinks his lack of a sex life comes from being "ugly" when its really just his blatant sexism and terrible attitude. incels have little to no self awareness; even when they see other "ugly" men with girlfriends, they consider these men to be tricksters who have somehow beat the system and can get women despite being cursed with unattractiveness (in other words, theyre respectful to women and women are attracted to their personalities, but incels cant comprehend such a phenomenon). they believe that women owe them sex, and many of the more extreme incels like to spend time in incel communities on the internet coming up with ways to make women have sex with them (often involving genocide of people of color, genocide of "Chads" (men who have sex), taking rights away from women, raping them, having sex with women's dead bodies, and other horrid, disgusting things. they cant understand that that is PRECISELY why women want nothing to do with them).

Okay, well there are plenty of derogatory things I could be called, that might actually reflect my character in some way, but this ain't it. 

Apparently that recent attack in Canada is being blamed on one of these losers.

Men hating on women is certainly nothing new, and this does nothing more than put a new label on an age old problem.

For the record nobody owes anybody sex, or even affection.

Those are things you earn.

And relationships, no matter how awesome they may begin, often end with hurt feelings and even outright anger.

I have certainly been there myself. 

But to hate on an entire gender just because you are unlucky at love, is certainly never going to convince that gender that you are worthy of their time or affection.

You have to try to be a better you, before you can expect others to be a better them.

Bill Cosby convicted on three counts of indecent assault.

Courtesy of CNN: 

The jury in Bill Cosby's retrial found the TV icon guilty of all three counts of aggravated indecent assault on Thursday for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in a Philadelphia suburb in 2004. 

The 80-year-old comedian faces up to 10 years in prison on each count, but would likely serve them concurrently. 

After the trial concluded, Constand left through a side door in the courtroom, walking into a hallway with her arms around two women and a huge smile on her face. 

Cosby shouted at the prosecutor in court when his bail was discussed, observers said. 

The case against Cosby centered on testimony from Constand, a former employee with Temple University women's basketball team. She testified that Cosby, a powerful trustee at Temple, drugged her and sexually assaulted her when she visited his home to ask for career advice. 

Cosby's defense team argued that their interaction was consensual. Constand is a con artist, they argued, who wanted a piece of Cosby's fortune. 

The case is the first celebrity sexual assault trial since the #MeToo movement began last fall, and as such, represents a test of how the cultural movement will translate into a courtroom arena. In closing arguments, defense attorney Kathleen Bliss positioned Cosby's legal team as standing up against "witch hunts, lynchings (and) McCarthyism."

"Witch hunt" where have we heard THAT before? 

It can be argued that the Cosby allegations were actually the impetus for the #MeToo movement, and that this conviction is proof that powerful men who thought that their money and prestige would protect them from justice have another think coming.

Gee, I wonder who could be next to learn that lesson?

In what has to be the least shocking revelation of all, we now learn that Donald Trump deplores the #MeToo movement.

Courtesy of Axios:  

Trump tells friends that he deplores the #MeToo movement and believes it unfairly exposes CEOs to lawsuits from their female employees. The fact that women frequently face sexual predation in the workplace doesn’t impact his view on this.

This is the strongest indicator yet that Trump will reflexively defend his male allies from any and all accusations, even when he thinks those accusations are true.

Well of course Trump hates the #MeToo movement.

They were formed specifically because of him, and clearly he is at the top of their list of targets.

And according to Steve Bannon the movement will likely take Trump down.

Damn, one can only hope.

So yesterday Dr. Larry Nassar was sentenced to another 40 to 125 years in prison.

Courtesy of NBC News: 

Larry Nassar, the former Olympic gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor accused of molesting 265 girls and women over two decades, was sentenced to another 40 to 125 years in prison on Monday for molesting three of the victims under the guise of medical treatment. 

Eaton County Court Judge Janice Cunningham said she didn't believe Nassar — who as recently as last month was claiming his invasive pelvic procedures were not sexual — was truly remorseful.

"I'm not convinced that you truly understand that what you did was wrong and the devastating impact you have had on the victims, their families and friends," the judge said. "You are in denial. You don't get it."

Nassar had previously been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison so clearly he will never breath the air as a free man again.

Nor should he.

I have to imagine that there are sexual predators all over the country who pissed themselves a little after reading about this verdict.

It is a new day, and women are demanding a reckoning.

"I am woman hear me roar." And also watch me run for office.

Courtesy of NBC News:  

Now, a new flood of women — many of them Democrats who watched the election of Donald Trump with horror and disbelief — are raising their hands to run for office in 2018, signaling a potential reprise of a “Year of the Woman” that could make 1992’s election of two dozen new women to the U.S. House pale in comparison. 

They’re on track to break almost every record on the books. As of last week, 325 women were non-incumbent candidates for the United States House, along with 72 female members seeking reelection, according to data compiled by Walsh’s organization. Thirty-eight women not currently serving in the United States Senate are aiming for the upper chamber, along with 12 incumbents running again. And 75 women have set their sights on the nation’s governorships — plus four female incumbents fighting to keep their seats. 

In 2016, a high water mark for female candidates overall, there were 167 female major party nominees for the United States House and 16 for the Senate — well fewer than half the number of candidates vying for one of those spots now.

This is part of what is really terrifying the Republicans right now, and also shaking the foundations of the patriarchal hierarchy in this country.

The election of Donald Trump may have felt like a victory for the anti-feminists and misogynists, but what it has really done is to energize a blue wave of women who are determined to wash away the stench of the Trump agenda, and lift this nation up to reach its highest aspirations.

Personally I can hardly wait.

Former doctor who sexually abused well over a hundred young female gymnasts sentenced to 40 to 175 years.

This GIF of Judge Aquilina throwing away the letter Larry Nassar wrote the court about how hard it is for him to listen to victim testimonies PRETTY MUCH SAYS IT ALL. pic.twitter.com/5HB9WMaPqU

— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) January 24, 2018

Courtesy of the New York Times:

After an extraordinary seven-day hearing that drew more than 150 young women to speak out publicly about sexual abuse they said was committed by Dr. Lawrence G. Nassar, the former team doctor for the American gymnastics team, a judge sentenced him on Wednesday to 40 to 175 years in prison. 

He had faced a minimum term of 25 to 40 years. 

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who had opened her courtroom to all the young women who wanted to address Dr. Nassar directly, and forced him to listen when he pleaded to make it stop, handed down the sentence, saying to him, “You’ve done nothing to deserve to walk outside a prison again.” 

“It is my honor and privilege to sentence you,” she said, and noting the length of the sentence, added, “I just signed your death warrant.” 

Given an opportunity to address the court before sentencing, Dr. Nassar apologized and, occasionally turning to the young women in the courtroom, said: “Your words these past several days have had a significant effect on myself and have shaken me to my core. I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days.” Several women sobbed in the gallery as he spoke.

Just before sentencing Dr. Nassar, the judge read parts of a letter he submitted to the court last week. In the letter, he complained about his treatment in a separate federal child pornography case and wrote that his accusers in this case were seeking news media attention and money. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” he wrote in the letter. There were audible gasps from the gallery when the judge read the line.

I'm guessing that did not help him with his sentencing.

Obviously this guy is a pig.

The impact of this case has also rippled through the world of USA Gymnastics, which just saw an Olympic coach suspended and three members of their board resign under pressure.

As you know I was at one time a gymnastics coach, but certainly not at this level.

My concern during my years coaching was not sexual abuse, which I never saw, but the ever present danger of eating disorders which were quite prevalent with female gymnasts in their teens and early twenties.

I think pound for pound gymnasts are the strongest, most coordinated athletes in the world.

But they are often pressured to slim down, or bulk up depending on their body type, and the risk of developing a poor body image is a constant danger that can have lifelong repercussions.

That same insecurity also makes them vulnerable to predators like Dr. Nassar.

For decades these young women suffered in silence, feeling that they had no voice, that nobody wanted to listen.

But for these last seven days they certainly found that voice and have been speaking out loud and clear, and I have no doubt that they have inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of others to do the same.

In my opinion what happened today is right up there with the Women's March, the #MeToo movement, and the outing of powerful predators like Harvey Weinstein, Roger Ailes, and Bill O'Reilly.

This is another example of women standing up for themselves, saying that they are tired of the status quo, and declaring that they are taking charge of their lives and putting those who would minimize, victimize, of disenfranchise them on notice.

I for one think it is about time.

Real Time returned last night and Bill Maher wasted no time in courting controversy by talking about the #MeToo movement.

Maher is making some very good points here, that I think a number of us have also discussed in the past.

The #MeToo movement is overall a very positive thing, but it can render itself completely ineffective if those participating do not exercise a little objectivity.

Female Democratic lawmakers are planning to wear black to Trump's first State of the Union speech in solidarity with the #MeToo movement.

NEW -- Washington following Hollywood's lead: A group of female Democratic lawmakers is planning to wear black to President Trump's first State of the Union address in a show of solidarity for #MeToo and #TimesUp

— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) January 9, 2018

Courtesy of Yahoo News: 

A number of women in Congress are planning to wear black to the State of the Union later this month as a show of support for women affected by sexual misconduct. 

The show of support echoes actresses who wore black to last Sunday's Golden Globes to support the Me Too and Time's Up movements. 

NBC News was first to report Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., was calling for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to dress in black. President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address on Jan. 30. 

The movement is being championed by the Democratic Women's Working Group, which includes all female Democratic members of the House of Representatives.

Damn!

And that's not all. Some Democrats are also planning to bring victims of sexual assault to the speech as their guests.

I was planning to boycott Trump's SOTU speech, but now I am a little intrigued to see if this fucks with his head.

Looking out over a sea of women dressed in black, sitting next to victims of sexual assault, and knowing they are there to send him a message, could render Trump even more incoherent than usual.

People have been calling on the Democrats to start upping their game.

Well from Dianne Feinstein's brave actions the other day, their push back on the border wall, their call for a more comprehensive response to Russia election meddling, and now this. I would say they are doing exactly that.

Now about Oprah Winfrey's Golden Globe speech...

Now that was a powerful speech!

If you are someplace where you cannot watch the video, USA Today has the full transcript here. (However it should be noted that Oprah's delivery is half the magic.)

There is now talk about an Oprah Winfrey presidential run in 2020.

I am certainly not ready to jump on that bandwagon, but I have to say that if my two choices were Tangerine Hitler, and one of the most beloved figures in America, that would not be a hard choice to make at all.

Oprah Winfrey is more compassionate, more intelligent, and simply more competent than Donald Trump has ever been in his entire life.

Trump accusers unite to call for a Congressional investigation into Donald Trump's history of sexual misconduct.

NEW: Women who have publicly accused President Trump of sexual harassment and assault will speak at a news conference, hosted by @bravenewfilms, Monday at 10:30 a.m. ET. The women are calling for an investigation by Congress of sexual misconduct by the president. pic.twitter.com/MSPevMF0os

— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 11, 2017

Courtesy of The Hill: 

Women who have publicly accused President Trump of sexual misconduct will call for Congress to investigate the allegations at a press conference on Monday. 

The women will unite for the first time to demand the probe and share details of their allegations against Trump, according to a press release. 

The conference is being hosted by Brave New Films, a film and campaigns organization that works for progressive causes. It released a film about the allegations against Trump in November. 

More than a dozen women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump during his presidential campaign. 

Trump has denied the reports, and the White House has said its official position is that the women are lying.

Ah. the old "the bitches are lying" excuse.

That is such pre-2017 thinking right there.

You know typically I might say that I would like to be a fly on the wall in the White House right now, but I am not sure that my little insect ears could handle all of the screaming and destruction of furniture that is probably going on at this moment. 

Women of Hollywood launch initiative to protect all women from sexual harassment.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

Driven by outrage and a resolve to correct a power imbalance that seemed intractable just months ago, 300 prominent actresses and female agents, writers, directors, producers and entertainment executives have formed an ambitious, sprawling initiative to fight systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood and in blue-collar workplaces nationwide. 

The initiative includes: 

— A legal defense fund, backed by $13 million in donations, to help less privileged women— like janitors, nurses and workers at farms, factories, restaurants and hotels — protect themselves from sexual misconduct and the fallout from reporting it. 

— Legislation to penalize companies that tolerate persistent harassment, and to discourage the use of nondisclosure agreements to silence victims. 

— A drive to reach gender parity at studios and talent agencies that has already begun making headway. 

— And a request that women walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes speak out and raise awareness by wearing black. 

Called Time’s Up, the movement was announced on Monday with an impassioned pledge of support to working-class women in an open letter signed by hundreds of women in show business, many of them A-listers. The letter also ran as a full-page ad in The New York Times, and in La Opinion, a Spanish-language newspaper. 

“The struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard and acknowledged in male-dominated workplaces must end; time’s up on this impenetrable monopoly,” the letter says.

During the holidays my mother asked me what I thought it was that triggered the #MeToo movement.

I told her that was simple, Donald Trump. 

My mom thought it was the Harvey Weinstein scandal, but I told her that Harvey Weinsten would very likely have kept right on treating women like shit and getting away with it, if women had not been shocked, angered, and mobilized by an admitted abuser of women defeating the first viable female candidate for the job of president.

That was why the day after the inauguration we saw women lead the biggest protest in this country's history, and that is why we are seeing women coming together to not only protect themselves from the Donald Trump's of this world, but to chase them out of positions of power and influence forever.

Time Magazine had it exactly right when they chose the #MeToo movement for their "Person of the Year," and I think we are only seeing the very beginning of what this movement is capable of achieving.

More women than every before are entering politics, and I am telling you that chances are far more than just 50/50 that the next President of the United States will be female.

This is going to be the era of the woman, and you can take that to the bank. 

Donald Trump is now making insulting sexual insinuations about a female Senator via Twitter. Update!

Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office “begging” for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2017

Well I think we all know what "and would do anything for them" means in this case, just like we all knew what he meant by "“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever" when he was talking about Megyn Kelly.

This man is a pig, and he continues to degrade and insult women even while sitting in the most powerful political position on the planet.

He simply cannot be removed from office fast enough in my opinion.

Update: Senator Gillibrand responds.

You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office. https://t.co/UbQZqubXZv

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) December 12, 2017

Apparently the Senator is also about to make a public statement any minute now.

Update 2: Elizabeth Warren has weighed in.

Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame @SenGillibrand? Do you know who you're picking a fight with? Good luck with that, @realDonaldTrump. Nevertheless, #shepersisted. https://t.co/mYJtBZfxiu

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) December 12, 2017

It appears that the battle lines have now been drawn. 

Women, progressives, and feminists on one side.

And pedophiles, misogynists, and perverts on the other.

Victims of Donald Trump's sexual misconduct call for a Congressional investigation.

Courtesy of WaPo: 

As the country grapples with a national reckoning over sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men, three women who accused the most high-profile man in America again questioned Monday why their claims did nothing to stop him from winning the presidency. 

It was “heartbreaking” for women to go public with their claims against President Trump last year, only to see him ascend to the Oval Office, said Samantha Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant who in October 2016 said Trump inappropriately inspected pageant participants. 

“I put myself out there for the entire world, and nobody cared,” Holvey said Monday on NBC's “Megyn Kelly Today” show.

During the television appearance and a news conference, Holvey sat alongside Jessica Leeds, a New York woman who said Trump groped her on a plane, and Rachel Crooks, who said he kissed her on the lips at Trump Tower, to renew their allegations against the president. 

The women also called for Congress to investigate these allegations amid the dramatic shift happening nationwide in response to charges of sexual misconduct against men from Hollywood to Capitol Hill. Claims have erupted across industry after industry, against lawmakers and movie stars alike, as the country has shown a sudden, newfound willingness to take such accusations seriously.

In response to the pleas of these women Kristen Gillibrand called for Trump's resignation.

Democratic US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says President Donald Trump should resign over allegations of sexual misconduct: "These allegations are credible; they are numerous" https://t.co/XNPhM9obx2 pic.twitter.com/KRiPAoxkle

— CNN International (@cnni) December 11, 2017

And she is not the only one calling for an investigation, or his immediate resignation.

Even his own Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said these women deserve to be heard.

That apparently pissed off Donald Trump according to the AP:

Haley’s comments infuriated the president, according to two people who are familiar with his views but who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly about private conversations. Trump has grown increasingly angry in recent days that the accusations against him have resurfaced, telling associates that the charges are false and drawing parallels to the accusations facing Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. 

Poor baby. 

Today Sarah Huckabee Sanders' attempts to change the subject seemed especially strained and ineffective.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders addresses allegations of sexual conduct against President Trump:

"The American people knew this and voted for the president, and we feel like we're ready to move forward" pic.twitter.com/Oj7NHOcV9o

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) December 11, 2017

Things even got a little testy.

Question on accusations of sexual misconduct against Trump: “You said he has denied them. Can you say whether or not they are false?”
Sarah Sanders: “I'm not going to respond.” pic.twitter.com/BTOvF82yQ1

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 11, 2017

Let's face it, as this #MeToo revolution continues moving forward the fact that Donald Trump, a man accused by at least 16 women of sexually abusing or harassing them, remains in the White House becomes more and more conspicuous.

At some point soon it may simply be impossible for him to continue in that job as more and more people demand an investigation, or that he simply be removed from office.

Laura Ingraham is concerned that the #MeToo movement might "killing all the fun of Christmas."

Courtesy of Share Blue: 

Fox News host and Trump cheerleader Laura Ingraham is concerned about the growing number of women who are coming forward to report incidents of sexual assault and harassment. 

Well, she’s not actually concerned about the women — she’s worried that they might ruin office Christmas parties this year. 

“Is the #MeToo movement becoming a spoiler for this season’s Christmas parties?” Ingraham asked Friday evening during a segment on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle. 

Speaking with comedian Jimmy Failla, Ingraham said she was worried that women who feel empowered to report sexual misconduct might ruin the holiday season by making office Christmas parties less festive. 

“I can see this year it might be — a little less festive, let’s say that. No alcohol and no fun and no lampshades and, I don’t know, maybe that’s better,” she said. 

“Is this just killing all the fun of Christmas?” she wondered absurdly.

Yeah, what a shame that male employees can no longer drunkenly grope their female counterparts or attempt to drag them into a dark corner to sexually molest them.

Keep in kind that this idiot is currently employed at Fox News, which had to fire both founder Roger Ailes and top cable news host Bill O'Reilly for being perverts, as well as paying out millions of dollars in settlements to keep the female victims quiet.

Old golf magazine interview reveals Trump's love of the word "p*ssy."

Courtesy of the Daily Beast:  

In a previously unreported comment to the now-defunct Maximum Golf magazine, Donald Trump singled out a “young socialite” at his club at Mar-a-Lago by telling a reporter, “there is nothing in the world like first-rate pussy.” 

The remark never made its way to print, as a top editor of the magazine forbade the reporter from putting it in the publication. But the former journalist who wrote the article, Michael Corcoran, and another editor, both confirmed that it was said by Trump as Corcoran followed him around at his Florida golf club for a profile. 

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

 This interview took place in 2000, which would have meant that Trump was well into his fifties.

When I was an adolescent my pals and I used to refer to girls in such a vulgar fashion, but that did not follow too many of us very far into our adulthood. And certainly not into our forties and fifties.

And yet here is a full grown man, married twice by this time, still referring to women as nothing more than a disembodied sex organ.

Keep in mind that after the Access Hollywood tape came out (Which was recorded in 2005, making Trump even older than in the 2000 interview.) Trump said, "Anyone who knows me, knows these words do not reflect who I am."

Well now the entire country knows Donald Trump.

And yes these words absolutely reflect who he is, even today at 71 years of age.

Longtime "Today Show" anchor Matt Lauer fired from NBC over allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.

Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News. On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment. pic.twitter.com/1A3UAZpvPb

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 29, 2017

Courtesy of NBC News: 

Matt Lauer, the anchor of "Today" for two decades, was fired by NBC News after a detailed complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. 

"Today" co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb announced Lauer's firing Wednesday, telling viewers at the top of the show that they were processing his departure but didn't yet know all of the details. 

In a memo to employees sent Wednesday morning, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said the complaint, which was made by a colleague of Lauer's, prompted a serious review and represented a "clear violation of our company's standards."

Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer, 59, for his behavior since he took over as anchor of the show in 1997, but there was "reason to believe" it may not have been an isolated incident. 

"Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender," Lack said.

Guthrie, who joined Lauer at the anchor desk in 2012, said she was "heartbroken" for both him and the "brave colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their stories to tell." 

"I'm sure we will be learning more details in the hours and days to come. And we promise we will share that with you," she said.

I predicted weeks ago that we would see people who we would never have suspected accused of sexual misconduct, and I have to say that this is certainly one of them.

One thing is for certain, NBC News is absolutely not going to waste any time once allegations are made.

And another thing that is for certain is that Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb are the very definition of grace under pressure.

It is quite clear that their heart is broken and yet they soldier on and do their job even through their tears.

Which only underlines the hypocrisy in this tweet from Trump this morning.

So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the “unsolved mystery” that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

The fact that this POS continues to live in the White House while so many people are losing their jobs for far less egregious acts of sexual misconduct is a terrible injustice that I hope will someday be rectified. 

One of Steve Bannon's Navy Seal security guards attempts to intimidate 5 ft 2 mother and author on elevator.

Courtesy of the Daily Mail: 

One of Steve Bannon's Navy Seal security guards lost his cool after a 5ft 2in woman made a snide comment towards the former Trump strategist in a hotel elevator, it has been revealed. 

Samantha Ettus found herself in the same elevator as Bannon and his two security guards at Manhattan's Regency Hotel on Tuesday. 

Unable to resist the urge to skewer Bannon, who was part of President Trump's original West Wing team before being ousted earlier this year, Ettus told him: 'I hope you get what you deserve.' 

Furious, one of Bannon's two former Navy Seal security guards moved towards her as if he were about to 'pounce'. 

DailyMail.com understands the veteran was only settled when Bannon told him: 'Let it go, Major Chief.' 

According to Ettus the other security guard restrained the man until Bannon called him off, but that she was left shaken.

Here is a picture of the author and mother so you can see for yourself how intimidating she could be.

But let's face it we should not be surprised.

After all Bannon, Donald Trump, and even Vladimir Putin are all terrified of women.

That is why they worked so aggressively to keep one of them out of the White House.

Sadly for them that just seems to have made them stronger and more determined. 

France leads the way.

Courtesy of Reuters:  

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday unveiled measures aimed at educating the public and schoolchildren about sexism and violence against women and improving police support for victims.  

During his campaign Macron, who won the presidential election in May, promised to rethink sexual politics and gender equality, which he made a national cause for his five-year mandate. 

The Harvey Weinstein scandal in the United States has accelerated a rethink of attitudes toward sexual harassment in France, a country that cherishes its self-image as the land of seduction and romance. 

“Let’s seal a pact of equality between men and women,” Macron said in a speech marking the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. 

About violence and sexual abuse, he said: “It is essential that shame changes camp.” During his speech, Macron observed a minute’s silence for the 123 women killed by their partner or ex-partner in 2016. 

That is the kind of national response that we need here in America.

And that is the kind of leadership we deserve.

In fact that is the kind of leadership we once enjoyed.....

 ...not so very long ago.

The White House is quietly making it harder for women to report sexual harassment.

Courtesy of HuffPo:

Behind the scenes, and mostly through executive orders, the White House is making it harder for women to report sexual harassment and fight sex discrimination. 

The clearest example came in March. It received little coverage at the time. President Donald Trump reversed an Obama-era order that forbid federal contractors from keeping secret sexual harassment and discrimination cases. The 2014 rule prohibited these companies, which employ about 26 million people, from forcing workers to resolve complaints through arbitration, an increasingly common method businesses use to settle disputes out of the public eye. 

“This was a clear sign of the administration silencing women,” said Jessica Stender, senior staff attorney for Equal Rights Advocates, a women’s rights nonprofit. 

And it’s only a small piece of the picture. “The Trump administration has a clear anti-women agenda,” Stender said. “I say that with complete certainty. This is an all-out, full frontal attack on women.” 

The attack so far has seen the most success via executive order, but a vast swath of the public policies proposed or endorsed by administration officials attempt to scale back women’s rights. From Trump’s repeal of executive orders meant to reduce pay discrimination to the budget floated in May, the failed repeal of Obamacare, and now the Republican tax bills, actions taken or backed by this administration harm women.

It should not surprise any of us that the man who believes he has carte blanche to grab women by their genitals, and who defends a candidate accused of sexual assault and statutory rape, would have no interest in helping women or keeping them safe from male predators.

We just have to wait and see how long he can stand against the tide of determined women coming into politics specifically to wrest control out of the hands of the patriarchy and start moving the country toward a more just society.

Senator Al Franken issued a Thanksgiving apology in the wake of new allegations.

All Franken and Leann Tweeden.

Courtesy of EW: 

Sen. Al Franken issued a new statement this week in the wake of several sexual misconduct allegations against the former Saturday Night Live star. Though Franken’s statement did not explicitly confess to groping or other inappropriate behavior, he acknowledged that some women felt disrespected by him, and apologized for that. 

“I’ve met tens of thousands of people and taken thousands of photographs, often in crowded and chaotic situations,” Franken said in the statement, per the Associated Press. “I’m a warm person; I hug people. I’ve learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women — and I know that any number is too many. Some women have found my greetings or embraces for a hug or photo inappropriate, and I respect their feelings about that … I’ve thought a lot in recent days about how that could happen, and recognize that I need to be much more careful and sensitive in these situations. I feel terribly that I’ve made some women feel badly and for that I am so sorry, and I want to make sure that never happens again. And let me say again to Minnesotans that I’m sorry for putting them through this and I’m committed to regaining their trust.”

This was in response to two more women coming forward and claiming that Franken was inappropriate with them.

Courtesy of HuffPo:

Two more women have told HuffPost that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) touched their butts in separate incidents. These are the third and fourth such allegations against Franken in the past week. Leeann Tweeden, a radio host, wrote last week that Franken had kissed and groped her without her consent during a 2006 USO tour. On Monday, Lindsay Menz accused Franken of groping her at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. 

The two additional women, who said they were not familiar with each others’ stories, both spoke on condition of anonymity. But their stories, which describe events during Franken’s first campaign for the Senate, are remarkably similar — and both women have been telling them privately for years. 

In a statement to HuffPost, Franken said, “It’s difficult to respond to anonymous accusers, and I don’t remember those campaign events.” 

The first woman, who spoke to HuffPost on condition of anonymity because she’s worried she’ll be harassed online for making the allegation, said Franken groped her when they posed for a photo after a June 25, 2007, event hosted by the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus in Minneapolis. 

“My story is eerily similar to Lindsay Menz’s story,” the first woman said. “He grabbed my buttocks during a photo op.” 

The second woman told HuffPost that Franken cupped her butt with his hand at a 2008 Democratic fundraiser in Minneapolis, then suggested the two visit the bathroom together. She spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear that the allegation could affect her position at work.

One thing to be noted is that unlike Donald Trump or Roy Moore's accusers, these two women have decided to remain anonymous.

THAT does not mean that their stories are not valid, anonymous sources are often the backbone of journalism, however if does mean that they can say whatever they want with no real cost to them personally.

That second women's story, if true, seems to be the most damning of the four in my opinion.

If Franken actually groped her buttocks and then invited her into a bathroom that seems the more egregious charge.

However if there is an ethics investigation I would imagine that these women would be compelled to testify and I am interested to see how their stories hold up to scrutiny.

At least one former White House ethics attorney for the Bush Administration has some doubts.

We need more facts but much of this fits an old GOP playbook

Franken: The Obvious Setup and Liberals Took the Bait https://t.co/vduJtIcGr0

— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) November 23, 2017

As progressives we are expected to take allegations like this seriously.

However if we start overreacting to every anonymous accusation, without first vetting it thoroughly, by demanding that the accused leave government or quit their job, we could literally see our biggest champions sidelined while the conservatives cover for their predators and maintain the upper hand.

All of this leaves us in a very precarious situation, and unfortunately the conservatives know that all too well.