How Convenient: "According to People With Knowledge of the Incident," The Horrible Misogynist Masher Who Called Kirsten Gillibrand "Chubby" Is... Dead

Gillibrand's charge has been, as they say, problematic for Democrats because it's clear she was accusing a Democrat, but she wouldn't say who.

It's problematic for Gillibrand herself because she is holding this out as conduct which Society Must No Longer Tolerate, while simultaneously protecting her masher for political purposes.

She can't say this is a matter of the highest priority when there is at least another matter -- maximizing Democrat chances in November -- that trumps it.

And it's problematic for the Democrats, of course, because they're pretending they're fighting for women while, behind closed doors, conducting their own #WarOnWomen.

So the guy who called Gillibrand "chubby" * -- Jesus Christ Almighty, I can't believe this is a major national story, but that's the stupid, trivial, childish, tribal society we live in -- is now revealed as...

conveniently dead, and ergo not in any particular risk of losing his Senate seat. And, more importantly, his fellow Democrats can now castigate and shame him and thus avoid risk to their own seats, because, of course, he's dead a tombstone.

Daniel Inouye died in 2012 at age 88.

The dirty old man whom New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says groped her while telling her, "Don't lose too much weight now. I like my girls chubby!" was apparently none other than Gillibrand's fellow Democrat....

As a senator, Inouye consistently voted in favor of women's issues.

And you know what that must mean.

But, as the Times notes, the senator did have a black mark on his record: 1992 allegations that he forced his stylist to sleep with him (she said at the time that she did not consider it rape because she did not fight back). The woman claimed to know of nine others harassed by Inouye who did not want to come forward with charges.

I have never heard this charge mentioned by the media. I guess it was reported in 1992 (or was it?), but apparently it didn't get much play and it pretty clearly did not become a multiyear reference -- a meme -- as Rush Limbaugh's taunting of Sandra Fluke did.

Gee I wonder why.

* Alexthechick reminds me that Inouye didn't just call her chubby, per the claim, but also grabbed her middle. I don't know if we can call this "groping," but it's definitely an unwanted touching, and it definitely has an intimate aspect, as well as a humiliating one.

I forgot about that. The reason I forgot is that Gillibrand says multiple people called her "porky" or "fat," and the other stories do not come with the pawing charge.

By my count, the minimum number of people discussed here are two Senators and one "southern Congressman." I believe they're all Democrats, or else she would have just named them.

Plus, one "labor leader" told her she was too fat, too.

So if the media attempts to pretend this story is now settled and done and over with, call them liars.

There are still some Porky-Callers lurking out there.

posted by Ace at 12:38 PM

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