A Deplorable October Surprise (Susan Estrich re: LA Times)

LA Times ^ | 10-03-03 | Susan Estrich

[veronica]

So this is the October surprise? The Los Angeles Times headline that Arnold Schwarzenegger groped and humiliated women?

None of the six women interviewed by The Times filed legal charges. Four of the six were quoted anonymously. Of the two who were named, one, a British television hostess, had told her story to Premiere magazine years ago, and it has been widely known and largely ignored. The other recounts an alleged incident of fondling at Gold's Gym nearly 30 years ago.

[finnman69]

As a professor of sex discrimination law for two decades and an expert on sexual harassment, I certainly don't condone the unwanted touching of women that was apparently involved here. But these acts do not appear to constitute any crime, such as rape or sodomy or even assault or battery. As for civil law, sexual harassment requires more than a single case of unwelcome touching; there must be either a threat or promise of sex in exchange for a job benefit or demotion, or the hostile environment must be severe and pervasive.

But none of these women, as The Times emphasizes, ever came forward to complain. The newspaper went looking for them, and then waited until five days before the election to tell the fragments of the story.

What this story accomplishes is less an attack on Schwarzenegger than a smear on the press. It reaffirms everything that's wrong with the political process. Anonymous charges from years ago made in the closing days of a campaign undermine fair politics.

[EggsAckley]

Thanks for the ping!

[Wolverine]

Susan redeemed herself last night on Hannity & Colms, in Philly. If you didn't see it, you really missed her spoken truth about what is going on now!

[cyncooper]

Heads up....On Fox a reporter just said the guy who made the notes about Schwarzenegger's alleged "Hitler" comment said the media is taking his notes about that comment out of context.

Who woulda thunk?

[expatpat]

Bubba is done, then -- he apparently raped Juanita B twice!

[lawdude]

Klinton rapes two women, is involved with numerous others and possibly involved in the deaths of many others. And he gets.............a free pass.

Hmmm

[Robert A Cook PE]

Has the LA Times EVER printed any story about Clinton raping Juanita B?

(Last I heard - that story had NEVER RUN in the LA Times, and had been spiked (concealed!) by CBS through the entire impeachment period while the rest of the news DELIBERATELY ignored it since it was a CBS "exclusive" that they "did not want to break first.....)

Yet CBS waited and delayed the program, then didn't even report it on their OWN SHOWS for weeks AFTER the Sunday night show.

[Tamzee]

Excellent news!

You have Freepmail :-)

[Robert A Cook PE]

See my question, reply nbr 67.

Why the fervor over this, when the Wiley charges and Clinton(and Air Force fondling, and numberous other "bimbo" incedents) were ignored?

[Tamzee]

But of course :-)

[expatpat]

Yes -- start with the Baldwin brothers and the Sheens.

[onyx]

LATimes going down with gray and the democrats. Worse than disgusting --- they're evil. Both of them.

[doug from upland]

Susan has to say this because she, a rape victim, defended The Rapist.

[Mo1]

The LA Times printed it huh?

[BibChr]

Let's see: the last time I said a Susan Estrich column was a "must-read" was....

Oh, wait.

NEVER.

But this one is!

Dan

[cardinal4]

I had to go to the grocery store this morning (still half asleep). While I was there, it hit me. Yesterday was the political equivalent of "shock and awe", thrown at us by the Democrats and their media cohorts.

Three major fronts opened this week. One, of course, wasnt planned and was a bonus for the left; Rush's gaffe on ESPN. But the other two were timed and planned for release this week. The CIA thing is the other attack. My theory is that the left is doing it to foil Arnold AND water down anything Mr Kay, the weapons inspector, might have had to say..

The left has truly adopted an "attack at all costs" mentality. And why not? They have no message, no money and no credibilty. Since they cant get anything down electorally (is that a word?), they have resorted to the smear.

[EllaMinnow]

Thanks!

You get the puppy...

[finnman69]

you can read the article here w/o registering

http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/showcase/la-oe-estrich3oct03.story

[MeekOneGOP]

This was in the old days, before her 'makeover' I think ...

Susan Estrich: What's she saying?
Just imagine the sound of fingernails on a blackboard !

[alwaysconservative]

What's this I hear about Davis physically abusing his staff (a la Hillary), the LASlimes has had the story for awhile and is covering it up? (I read that in another post somewhere.) Why aren't they printing THAT little nugget of character? Oh, that's right, he's a Dem. They get free passes on this stuff.