Posted on 10/26/2017 6:19:26 PM PDT by markomalley
Author Christina Baker Kline has come forward saying she was groped by former President George H.W. Bush in 2014 during a Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy fundraiser during a photo opportunity.
"'You wanna know my favorite book?' he whispered. I had to lean close to hear him," Kline wrote in an op-ed for Slate.
"President Bush put his arm around me, low on my back. His comic timing was impeccable. 'David Cop-a-feel,' he said, and squeezed my butt, hard, just as the photographer snapped the photo. Instinctively, I swiped his hand away," Kline wrote.
Kline is the third woman to accuse Bush of sexually assaulting her.
Actress Heather Lind initially came forward Tuesday claiming Bush sexually assaulted her and described the interaction four years ago in a now-deleted Instagram post. The incident happened during a photo opportunity to promote a TV show.
Late Wednesday, a second woman, New York actress Jordana Grolnick, also accused Bush of groping her, according to Deadspin.
The latest statement from the office of Bush was released Wednesday and offered a detailed defense of the 93-year-old after Lind claimed that he sexually assaulted her.
The statement said that Bush has been in a wheelchair for five years and explains that he cannot reach people around the waist.
"His arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures," the statement read. "To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke and on occasion, he has patted women's rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner. Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate."
"To anyone he has offended, President Bush apologizes most sincerely," the statement added.
I agree. Further, I think this is evidence soft dementia. I’ve heard of family members over age 90 acting in ways they never would have at she, say, 75.
Then Biden is culpable for 100 times as many sexual assaults as Bush-41. Come on, a 93 year old man Bush-41 is incapable of an erection. He can’t sexually assault anyone. If women do not wish to be groped, avoid getting close to 93 year old men. Or push them away. There will be very little resistance by a 93 year old man.
LMAO, he’s a horny old dude.
One of my coworkers and I (on behalf of my company) help with annual senior center parties. He dresses up as Santa, I am Santa’s helper and I assist these very old and frail seniors as they sit on Santa’s lap and have their photo taken.
You can’t believe the obscene things some of the old ladies say to Santa when he asks them what they want for Christmas. Some of the really old men always try to grope me, saying things like “I’d like to have you for Christmas!!!” as they get way too close to me.
I think that your post shows strong common sense.
There have always been women in responsible jobs, exercising authority. I know that in the past old fashioned nursing sisters could put an immediate stop to any inappropriate behaviour by male patients. They were put in their place, and stayed there.
I think older men do these kinds of things because they think women will give them a pass due to their age. That kind of joke may be funny when you are 16, but most usually realize that that kind of joke is not going to win over many, if any, women when they get beyond age 16.
Come on. Copping a feel is not “sexual assault.” It is inappropriate and possibly illegal (misdemeanor) but it’s not the same thing as Harvey was doing.
The worst mistake of RR’s life.
Who’s defending it? I said it was the same exact thing as Harvey Weinstein. Don’t you agree?
More crude than that. You shouldn't doubt it. That said, I'm not defending the elder Bush's behavior, at all. Just saying that in the grand scheme of things if you can't handle the lame exploits of a 90 year old man then you really shouldn't be touting yourself as a strong person.
Regarding senility and ‘the true personality’ coming out, I strongly disagree. All of us have impulses (e.g. to eat too much, drink too much, say the wrong thing, etc. etc.) that we avoid acting on. A lot of that rational behavior is determined in the frontal lobe. People with frontal lobe brain injuries have a very hard time with proper contextual behaviors - as they are neurologically disinhibited (there are fascinating stories about this, including the classic case of Phineas Gage). If there are brain injuries or changes that occur in the context of a particular person aging, it may result in personality changes - but it definitely doesn't define what that person was ‘really like’ during life or in their heart.
I'm not defending Bush. I'm very upset with the ‘old money’ support of globalism etc., and I'm not a fan of any Bush returning to high public office. That said, this particular story, in my opinion, is much ado about nothing.
Some of these folks need to volunteer in an old folks home. Men in their 90s do a lot of grabbing, and it often isn’t “appropriate”. But when they are in their 90s, it is real easy to avoid them.
I forgive decrepit, senile old people a lot of things - whether I like them or not.
What’s next?
Menacing clowns. Wait, that was last year
As Lord Acton said, all power erects
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