Posted on 10/12/2010 9:42:26 PM PDT by kristinn
California gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown debated tonight at Dominican University in San Rafael. The moderator was Tom Brokaw who raised the 'whore' comment with Brown.
Video of the exchange at Bay Area NBC
Transription by Kristinn.
BROKAW: Mr. Brown you did attempt to reach out to the police union. The telephone message was left on. It's now a notorious part of this campaign. In which somebody in your campaign referred to Ms. Whitman as a "whore." A campaign spokesman then described that as "salty language" and apologized after a fashion. We've heard no outrage from you about the use of that kind of language which to many women is the same as calling an African-American the n-word. Have you been in charge of the investigation in your campaign to find out who is responsible for using that phrase?
BROWN: I don't agree with that comparison, number one. Number two, this is a five week old private conversation...
WHITMAN: Oooohh.
BROWN: ...picked up on a cellphone, uh, with a garbled transmission. Very hard to detect who it is. This is not, I don't want to get into the term and how it's used. But I will say the campaign apologized promptly and I affirm that apology tonight.
BROKAW: You're repeating it to Ms. Whitman?
BROWN: Yes I am. I do. I, it's unfortunate. I'm sorry it happened. I apologize.
WHITMAN: So Jerry, it's not just me, it's the people of California who deserve better than slurs and personal attacks. That's not what California is about. It is not our better selves. And I, um, think people know exact...I think every Californian, and especially women, know exactly what's going on here. And that is a deeply offensive term to women.
BROWN: Well, can I just interject? Have you chastised your chairman, Pete Wilson, who called Congress "whores" to the public sector unions?
WHITMAN: You know better than that Jerry. That's a completely different thing. The fact you are defending your campaign...
AUDIENCE: Heckles Whitman.
WHITMAN: The fact you are defending your campaign for a slur and, um, you know, a personal attack on me I think it's not befitting of California. It's not befitting of the office that you're running for.
BROWN: It's unfortunate. Private conversation. I'm not even sure it's legal because you have to get the consent of all the parties and there's lots of people talking so, I again, Ms. Whitman I'm sorry it happened. That does not represent anything other than things that happen in a campaign. But the issue there of course is pension reform and the fact that you got the endorsement of that union. I didn't because they said I'd be too tough on unions and public employee pensions and I'll take that.
WHITMAN: So that's actually...
AUDIENCE: Cheers Brown.
BROKAW: Admonishes audience to keep quiet.
Tape ends.
Of course. :)
;o)
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