Democrat: Pelosi ‘ceded the moral high ground’ on sexual harassment

The Hill ^ | 11/29/17 | Josh Delk

[markomalley]

Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) tore into House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for her comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" earlier this week, saying Pelosi "ceded the moral high ground," by praising Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) amid sexual misconduct allegations.

“I think that her comments on Sunday set women back and — quite frankly, our party back — decades,” Rice told reporters Wednesday, according to Politico.

“I think that we ceded the moral high ground on Sunday when our leader said on ‘Meet the Press’ that John Conyers was an icon and we don’t even know who these women are, when she was fully aware that the woman in question was bound by a nondisclosure agreement,” Rice continued.

“I think we had an opportunity to stake that moral high ground when you have a president who is supporting a man for Senate who — all credible allegations that have not been refuted — showed him to be a predator of teenage girls.”

Rice is one of three Democratic House members who has called for Conyers' resignation over the allegations, along with Reps. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) and Earl Blumenauer (Ore.) She was also a vocal opponent of Pelosi's reelection as the House Democratic leader.

Pelosi has faced backlash following an interview on “Meet the Press” Sunday in which she defended Conyers, calling him an “icon in our country.”

When asked during the interview if she believes the allegations made against her Democratic colleague, Pelosi dodged, saying that is for the House Ethics Committee "to review” as part of its investigation into the allegations against him.

The California lawmaker also praised Conyers, saying he has done a "great deal" of work to "protect women" with his help on the Violence Against Women Act.

Pelosi has supported legislation by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), herself a victim of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill, that overhauls House policies on the reporting of sexual assault complaints.

The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Conyers after BuzzFeed News reported that he had settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former staffer who accused him of sexual harassment.

A D.C.-based ethics lawyer came forward after the initial report, alleging that Conyers harassed and verbally abused her while she worked for him in the 1990s.

[Col Frank Slade]

MORE WINNING

[KevinB]

Like the Dems have ever had the high moral ground on anything?

[Da Coyote]

Libs hold the “high moral ground” on absolutely nothing.
Zip.
Zero.
Nada.
They are a wretched hive of scum, villainy, and idiocy.

[BenLurkin]

When, in the entire history of the Republic, when has the Democrat Party held ANY moral high ground?

[NutsOnYew]

I think that her comments on Sunday set women back and — quite frankly, our party back — decades

I doubt very much that she believes this. This is more likely part of the ongoing effort to get San Fran Nan out of the way.

[Terry Mross]

First of all, it shows Pelosi, like the Clintons, is losing power. Second, it shows who wants take her place.

[Broker]

sexual depravity was the glue that held the Clinton regime unaccountable.
The Clinton regime is rapidly coming undone. Thank you Donna Brazile!

[Savage Beast]

The Democrats--the Democrat Party--have NEVER held any moral high ground!

It's the Party of Slavery, Jim Crow, Segregation, the Ku Klux Klan, Voter Fraud, and Bill and Hillary Clinton!

[Steely Tom]

I doubt very much that she believes this. This is more likely part of the ongoing effort to get San Fran Nan out of the way.

Well, one woman certainly got "set back" by Nutzy's performance, that I will tell you.

[seawolf101]

McNasty PeeLousy defended John Conyers the same way she defended

Hillary Clinton who took money from the Saudis who stone women.
Bill Clinton who raped a woman.
Ted Kennedy who actually killed a woman.

[trebb]

Nancy’s so used to saying outrageously stupid things she never stopped to think of what impact her comments might have - unforced error that is making a difference...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks markomalley. She ceded it twice, which was probably a relief for the moral high ground, it was getting tainted by association.

First, she said it was okay that Conyers stay, and that his accusers were, well, she didn't even know their names, had never seen them -- but Roy Moore is a child molester! That was number one, actually one and two, since she just dumped libel on Roy Moore. So, the next ceding came from her backtracking, which no one believed for a second. You know what this is? It's "Armageddon!" ;^)