Connecticut lawmaker Ernest Hewett, D-New London, under fire for comments on women

[proud2BlibKansan]

HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut lawmaker Ernest Hewett, D-New London, came under fire on Friday after making comments to a 17-year-old girl during a Feb. 20 budget hearing that some have described as lewd.

Hewett lost his role on Friday as deputy speaker of the House, but told the Hartford Courant that he would not step down from his seat. He’s been a member of the state House for eight years.

Hewett reportedly said to the girl that he had a snake beneath his desk. Democratic leadership in the house decided it was sexual innuendo, according to the Courant’s report.

Hewett also told the Courant that he had no history or problem with women, but did not want a female intern in his office.


Read more: http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/political/connecticut-lawmaker-ernest-hewett-d-new-london-under-fire-for-comments-on-women#ixzz2MWsrntxl

[MotherPetrie]

1. He needs to go

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. If this is true, he's a sexist pig

[mythology]

3. I'm pretty sure it's true or he wouldn't have been stripped of his leadership spot

But at least the party had the sense to take him out of any unnecessary power. Now it's up to the voters to remove him from office.

[snooper2]

4. I listened to the audio...couldn't find a video..

There was laughter after he said it by a bunch in the room, I'm curious to see the video of who was laughing...


If he doesn't resign he should be voted out next election.

[Zax2me]

5. A needle in our haystack.

Repubs?
Example of the haystack.

[femmedem]

6. I live in Ernie's district and know him well.

First, as unbelievable as it sounds, I think the snake quote was an innocent, incredibly unfortunate gaffe. I've listened to the audio, and the student had just been talking about how the program she was advocating for had cured her of being shy and also gotten her to overcome her fear of snakes. Ernie responded by saying, "If you're bashful, I've got a snake under my desk here." (It was initially mis-reported as a live snake under his desk, which sounded even worse.) He was trying to say she had overcome her bashfulness to such an extent that the idea of her being bashful was as preposterous as the idea of him having a snake under his desk.

That said, there are reasons this has found traction, and reasons his female colleagues were quick to believe the worst. I suspect more is going to come out over this next week.

And the remark about female interns is indefensible.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Thanks for the info!

[femmedem]

8. More in the paper today: because of his history, female interns weren't being assigned to him

The former chairwoman of the General Assembly's Internship Committee said Monday that state Rep. Ernest Hewett, D-New London, was not assigned female interns because of "a history of bad behavior" involving young female interns.

State Rep. Mae Flexer, D-Danielson, said Monday that Hewett's "snake" comment last week wasn't the first example.

"We know he has a history of bad behavior, and we made a choice not to expose young women to that behavior just like no young woman or any young woman should have to be exposed," to it, Flexer said."

http://www.theday.com/article/20130305/NWS01/303059925/1017

[CTyankee]

9. He should have been canned when he started his sexual harassment of young female interns.

It's a disgrace that this has gone on so long...New London is being poorly served...