Gillibrand's underhanded swipe at Elizabeth Warren

[BeyondGeography]

TROY — On Friday, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand made an extraordinary claim. "We have Democratic presidential candidates running for president right now who do not necessarily believe that it's a good idea that women work outside the home," Gillibrand said during a women's labor event in Iowa. "No joke."

...Wow. Who are these retrograde misogynists? Gillibrand didn't say and still won't. I asked Evan Lukaske, her national press secretary, whom she was referring to, but the question went unanswered. That's cowardly. A politician willing to make such a dramatic accusation should have the backbone to follow through with names. Instead, Gillibrand left voters guessing. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes, though, to deduce that she was taking an underhanded swipe at Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

That may seem unlikely given that Warren is a woman (obviously) who has spent much of her life working. But Warren also coauthored a book called "The Two-Income Trap," which argued that women's entrance into the workforce was disastrous for middle-class families. Published in 2003, before Warren was a national figure, it's a thoughtful and well-researched book borne from her bankruptcy work and experience as a working mother. I won't be able to do justice to the complexity of her argument here.

To be clear, Warren didn't argue that women shouldn't work; she explicitly made it clear that wasn't her point. But she did contend that having millions of women entering the workforce allowed corporations to lower wages and eventually boosted the cost of housing, day care and other key components of modern family life. "Middle-class mothers went into the workforce in a calculated effort to give their families an economic edge," wrote Warren and her daughter, coauthor Amelia Warren Tyagi. "Instead, millions of them are now in the workforce just so their families can break even." Some of those moms, spending exorbitant amounts on child care, would like to stop working so they can spend more time with their children, Warren noted. But many feel unable to do so. "Today's middle-class mother is trapped: She can't afford to work and she can't afford to quit," Warren wrote as she argued for a federal subsidy for stay-at-home moms — a proposal that, unfortunately, is not part of her presidential platform.

...Gillibrand and other presidential candidates who have lived exceptionally privileged lives may not understand that anxiety or why some moms — and dads — might rue falling into the two-income trap. But Warren certainly does. No matter her faults or mistakes as a candidate, she at least knows what it means to live with the constraints faced by a typical American family. By the way, I twice asked Lukaske, the Gillibrand spokesperson, specifically if the senator was referring to Warren. He didn't answer, but did send along a statement attributed to Meredith Kelly, the campaign's communications director. Here it is: "Kirsten believes we need to have a broader and more intentional conversation about valuing women in this country and even this primary, and she intends to do so in the coming days. Stay tuned.” Again, it's a cowardly, mealy-mouthed answer, and one only needs to look at the polls to understand why Gillibrand might be desperate to make waves.

More at https://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/Churchill-Kirsten-Gillibrand-s-unfair-swipe-at-14201944.php

[True Dough]

1. Gillibrand just keeps digging that hold deeper and deeper

She'll be gone from this race soon.

[Blue_true]

7. If she is after Senator Warren, she made a mistake to telegraph her attack.

Senator Warren likely would have been ready regardless, but now that the attack has been telegraphed, even more so.

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. Every word that Senator Warren said is 100% TRUE. nt

[KPN]

26. Absolutely. Warren does better at speaking

the truth about our economy and it’s affects on our society better than anyone, including Bernie.

[George II]

3. Gillibrand is really getting desperate, to the point of insulting the other candidates.....

....I think she'll be one of the first to drop out toward the end of the week.

[Blue_true]

9. I believe we will see a rush once the next to drop out quits.

I don't think Gillibrand will be the next, but I believe she will join that dropping out wave to save face.

[aeromanKC]

18. Good riddance!!

She's one of about 3 I'd hold my nose and vote for. The sooner she goes away the better. I pretty sure my nose is safe!!

[Blue Owl]

4. Go away, Gillibrand

n/t

[Funtatlaguy]

5. Aren't her fifteen minutes over yet.

[usaf-vet]

22. In my book, the moment she went after the comedian. Maybe the comedian will get the last laugh.

[Blue_true]

6. Issues like adequate healthcare coverage make it impossible for one parent to become a stay

at home parent. I for one believe the lower paid parent should consider staying at home to raise kids, if healthcare coverage for the whole family is adequate. Such a things makes economic sense for a family. In a lot of cases, Moms make more money than Dads, so Dads should be the one staying home.

[highplainsdem]

8. Gillibrand was going after both Biden and Warren, as I explained earlier today.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287215108

First saw tweets about this lat yesterday, including tweets from Warren supporters mentioning that book and their belief that Gillibrand meant to target it.

Gillibrand was referring to "candidates" -- plural -- so she didn't mean only Warren or Biden. She thinks she can help herself by attacking both.

[thesquanderer]

10. I was afraid Gillibrand was possibly going to be impressive in last month's debate...

...but luckily my fears were unfounded. And i dont expect her to do any better this time.

[Mme. Defarge]

15. Good one!

[zentrum]

11. It's about Biden.

In 1981 he was the sole Democrat holdout voting against a child care tax credit.

The Senate voted 94-1, with the then-Democratic senator from Delaware the sole no vote. And what was surprising was not just his vote, but the way he justified it on the Senate floor.

Many of the former vice president’s positions from this time period are now at odds with where the current Democratic Party is, prompting challenges from his 2020 primary opponents about whether he still holds them or whether he has evolved. His campaign declined to comment for this piece.

Biden was concerned that wealthier families shouldn’t get government assistance for child care. He also made a moral argument, saying the federal government shouldn’t encourage parents to leave the home for work unless it’s absolutely necessary for economic survival. It’s an argument that, had it carried the day, would have disproportionately affected women.

From the Huffington Post

[BeyondGeography]

12. She said "candidates" plural

Doesn’t really matter. Like many people here I didn’t see her being a factor in the campaign. I did think she’d be less inconsequential and annoying than she has proven to be.

[zentrum]

28. Two words: Al Franken

[BeyondGeography]

30. Yup, compounded by the fact that is she really isn't known for anything else

And for good reason, as the campaign has shown.

[Trumpocalypse]

35. Do you mean the same Al Franken

that Warren asked to resign?

https://www.bostonherald.com/2017/12/06/elizabeth-warren-calls-on-al-franken-to-resign/

[zentrum]

37. Oh snap.

If Gillibrand hadn't spearheaded, it would have had time to have due process.

Read the new information that has come out---Jane Meyer investigation.

[Trumpocalypse]

38. Due process???

Due process is a term that applies to criminal and civil trials, not to congressional ethics committee hearings.

And there is no evidence that Gillibrand spearheaded anything. Even if she did, doesn't that mean that Warren was just a blind follower. Doesn't really speak well for her.

[highplainsdem]

13. It's about both Biden and Warren, as I explained earlier today:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287215108

[zentrum]

29. Ah--Thanks.

[YOHABLO]

14. Personally, I can't forgive her crusade against Sen. Al Franken.

The truth of the matter is, unless you are wealthy enough to stay home with yourr kids, most have to work in order to get by. It's just a very expensive world we live in.

[Mme. Defarge]

16. Jamais!

Never!

[Trumpocalypse]

32. Crusade?

How was it a crusade? And Warren, Harris, Booker and Sanders all called for Franken's resignation too. Were they on a crusade?

[madaboutharry]

17. I think Gillibrand has made irrevocable mistakes

that have doomed whatever chance she may have had running for president. The first was leading the news conference demanding Al Franken resign. In fact, that may have done it alone by cutting her off from the money she needed from donors. Second, her debate performance was forgettable other than her interruptions and declaring when it was her turn to talk.

I also think people think she seems cold, which may not even be her fault or might not even be the case. Some people just seem like that on television.

People think Amy Klobuchar is kind of boring, but it’s how she seems on television. I met her at a meet and greet and she is the opposite. She’s warm and funny and engaging. But like we just learned with Bob Mueller, television can be unfair.

[JI7]

19. i find Klobuchar one of the more likable candidates.

[madaboutharry]

24. I think so too.

And she is also extremely intelligent.

[BeyondGeography]

25. Many of her former staff members apparently didn't

At least two dozen of them. She never got off the ground after that.

[PatrickforO]

21. Gillibrand isn't my favorite candidate by a long shot, because of Franken.

I gave Warren a 'pass' on it because she didn't lead the charge and actually has economically solid policies.

I don't think Gillibrand will last long beyond the coming debate. She doesn't have much money, and whether it is fair or not, the Franken railroading job is really weighing her down.

[Trumpocalypse]

33. Interesting double standard.

[delisen]

27. I don't think the problem is television is "unfair"

the problem is that many democrats have accepted the premise that facts, action, education, and leadership are no longer important in maintaining and protecting democracy.

Harris, Sanders, Booker, Warren -all demanded that Franken resign. It was the Senate Minority Leader himself Chuck Schumer who ordered Franken to resign or else. Were all these Democrats, including Schumer mere followers of Gillibrand without any ability to think or act for themselves?

There is one difference between all of these senators and Gillibrand-----she has worked for years (done active, hard work) on standing up for the rights of women in the military, especially those who have suffered sexual harassment.

While I was opposed to Franken resigning without due process and wrote to him begging that he not resign, I am not willing to tell myself a story that Gillibrand needs to be punished and others excused.

[Trumpocalypse]

34. Well said nt

[PatrickforO]

20. Yet another reason to really like Warren.

She gets it.

[jberryhill]

23. "No joke"

Oh, there’s a joke all right.

Is tearing down others all she does?

[delisen]

31. Gillibrand has led fight against sex harassment in military

Warren's ability to analyze the way in which corporate America enriches itself and the way in which human rights advances can be misused by the powerful is important but I also consider the work which Gillibrand has done in the area of human rights-for women and gay military service members to be important also.


http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/gillibrand-military-sexual-assault

[ecstatic]

36. Who is keeping Gillibrand's campaign afloat?

She's alienated just about every wing of the Democratic party. How is she still attracting donations?!