Eric Schneiderman's downfall shouldn't depress Democrats

[DonViejo]

By Jennifer Rubin May 8 at 10:30 AM

-snip-

The bolt from out of the blue stunned even hard-bitten New York political-watchers. Schneiderman was a Democratic star, a major figure in the anti-Trump resistance and a defender of women’s rights. (“Schneiderman, a Democrat who was first elected in 2010 and was up for a potential third term later this year, has been an outspoken advocate for women. His office filed a civil rights lawsuit in February against the movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of repeated assaults and attacks on women, as well as against his brother and the Weinstein Company. In March, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) directed Schneiderman to review how the Manhattan district attorney handled a sexual assault allegation against Weinstein.”) As a state senator, he championed legislation to classify strangulation as a violent crime, a move hailed by anti-domestic-abuse advocates and victims.

As horrifying as the allegations against Schneiderman are, the swiftness with which Democrats (including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand) called for him to resign suggests that the party has internalized the lessons of the #MeToo movement. Unlike White House aide Rob Porter, whom the White House protected until actual photos surfaced of one of his ex-wives who alleged abuse, Schneiderman found no protection in Democratic ranks. Allegations by multiple women against powerful men are no longer greeted with skepticism publicly; at least among Democrats there is virtually no tolerance for domestic violence and/or sexual abuse. The speed with which the episode went from a magazine story to resignation of arguably the most powerful state attorney general in the country speaks to the sea change in how sexual abuse and harassment allegations are treated, at least when the president of the United States is not involved.

Much has been made of Schneiderman’s role in Trump-related matters. He forced Trump to fork over a $25 million settlement in the Trump University case and to shutter his foundation after The Post’s David A. Fahrenthold revealed improper spending. Schneiderman was also at the forefront of suits against the administration on everything from immigration to the environment to protecting health-care subsidies to challenging a census question on citizenship. He has been cooperating with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III (e.g. on the Paul Manafort probe), even proposing a change in state law making it possible to prosecute Trump figures under state law even if Trump pardons them for federal crimes.

Democrats panicky about the loss of a legal lion to go after Trump should take a deep breath. The suits against the administration on policy matters will continue, in many cases joined by similarly aggressive attorneys general from other states. New York is a deep-blue state, with a legislature in which Democrats dominate in the state assembly and hold a narrow one-vote majority in the state Senate. Whoever replaces Schneiderman temporarily will in all likelihood pursue many of the strategies he employed against Trump.

-snip-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/05/08/eric-schneidermans-downfall-shouldnt-depress-democrats/?utm_term=.7d3791d4ef57

[Dawson Leery]

1. His successor, SG Barbara Underwood was a clerk for Thurgood Marshall.

[frazzled]

2. Well, yes, it should

No one should ever have had as their main worry, with regard to this story, that there would be no "legal lion to go after Trump." There's a slew of attorneys in New York State who have been, and will continue to, investigate and prosecute. Wha' up, Jennifer Rubin? This is a red herring, "hey, look over there" piece that encourages people to change the subject away from Schneiderman and onto other things. Shame on her.

What remains depressing—or should be—is that the widespread abuse of women continues and knows no political bounds, and that it gets brushed aside by both parties in favor of side issues. There's a pretty obvious lack of discussion here on this board, even, since the story broke last evening, of the actual crimes (and hypocrisy). The threads (and even they aren't many) mainly focus on who should replace him as AG. If this had been a story about a Republican and not some Democratic hero, we'd be talking about it nonstop for a week. Shame on us.

It's depressing. The hypocrisy of a prominent democrat is depressing. The nature of the abuse was horrifying to read about. And no, this is not a badge of honor for Democrats to have rid themselves of him so quickly--a major story in the New Yorker with well reported appalling details would have made anything else unthinkable. The story was worse than a photograph.

I'm depressed that no one is talking about the abuse. It makes me think Democrats care as little about women's rights as Republicans, and are just as hypocritical. It's DAMNED depressing. Democrats should be worried about the welfare of women and what this story tells us about that (that even outspoken seeming liberals are among the abusers).

Okay, I said it.

[dsc]

3. On what planet was this brushed aside

He was forced to resign in less than 12 hours from the story breaking. Literally no elected Democrats anywhere was saying he shouldn't resign. Heck, we have had politicians who have been convicted that lasted longer in office then he did.

[frazzled]

5. Because of his resignation, we are not talking about the abuse

Smell the roses: it's embarrassing to those on the left (myself included) ... a resignation doesn't make the issue of abuse go away. We'd be talking about if for a full week if it weren't Schneiderman.

[blueinredohio]

4. I'm damned depressed and felt like Schneiderman was our last hope of getting Trump

and his band of thieves. They are going to get away with all their shit.