Elizabeth Warren Challenges Michael Bloomberg on 'Kill It' Abortion Comment

[melman]

--

In an interview after the debate, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews pressed Ms. Warren, asking her why she believed “the former mayor of New York said that to a pregnant employee” when Mr. Bloomberg had denied doing so.

“A pregnant employee sure said he did,” Ms. Warren replied. “Why shouldn’t I believe her?”


She said, as she had during the debate and many times before, that pregnancy discrimination was personal for her because she had once lost a teaching job after becoming pregnant. Such discrimination is rampant, she said, yet “men all across this country say, ‘Oh my gosh, he never would have said that.’”

Why, she asked, were the woman’s own words not compelling? In a he-said-she-said situation, why was Mr. Matthews’s immediate instinct to believe the man?


When Mr. Matthews pushed her to say outright that she thought Mr. Bloomberg was lying, she responded, “I believe the woman, which means he’s not telling the truth.”

“Why would he lie?” Mr. Matthews asked.


“Why would she lie?” Ms. Warren responded.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/25/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-pregnancy-employee.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

[Squinch]

1. This has run its course. It's hurting her now.

[Squinch]

4. Sure. Go with that.

[PatSeg]

22. Welcome to DU!

[PatSeg]

36. Its been my favorite source for news and political

debate since 2002. I've met a lot of really great people here and I'm still friends with quite a few of them off of DU. When I first became an actual member in 2004, a lot of people welcomed me and it really made me feel good. I try to do the same!

[George II]

12. I couldn't believe that she pressed that point again for several minutes last night.

[PatSeg]

21. I agree

She made some excellent points against Bloomberg in the last two debates, but overplaying her hand could damage her politically. Personally, it doesn't bother me, but she got her point across, no need to replay it over and over again. Sometimes, less is more.

[progressoid]

57. Seems like it's Mathews who wanted to replay it.

[PatSeg]

58. Well, that's a very Matthews

thing to do. He doesn't like to let anything go.

[trueblue2007]

37. she was JUST HORRIBLE. and i liked her. She needs to appoligize NOW!!!!!

SHAME ON YOU WARREN !!!!!!!!!!!! Sooooooooooooo unprofessional.

I thought you were pretty wonderful but you really went low.

[Squinch]

38. I do still think she's wonderful, but she's not going anywhere in this race.

I hope she gets out. We need her talents elsewhere.

[whathehell]

6. Huh?

Sounds like his female employees needed it more.

[BusyBeingBest]

8. It's a joke.

[whathehell]

11. Really?

Could have fooled me.

[BusyBeingBest]

13. I guess I did.

[whathehell]

20. Yeah, but I doubt I'm alone

since it wasn't funny. ..

[BusyBeingBest]

25. Okey-doke, then.

[whathehell]

27. Yes indeedy

[Walleye]

30. I thought it was a funny joke.

[BusyBeingBest]

32. Thanks.

Tough crowd today!

[BilltheCat]

51. had the same thought

have to admit I had the same thought. there is absolutely NO hard evidence to support her claim and she keeps attacking him like a rabid dog and I don't think it helps her. she should concentrate on promoting her own accomplishments of which there were many.

[George II]

7. Too bad Warren and others aren't giving us the full sentence ending with "?"

[melman]

14. Okay

Let's have "the full sentence ending with ?" if it's so important. Lay it on us!

[George II]

34. It's been all over the internet. Since you know how to track down my posts from 9-10 years ago....

...I'm sure you can find it.

[melman]

35. I don't want to find it

If you really felt it was that important you'd post it here. In the unlikely event such a sentence even exists.

[George II]

39. Then perhaps you shouldn't post an OP based on something that you say yourself...

you "don't want to find".

[melman]

40. I didn't

I posted a link to a New York Times story.

You insist this sentence exists. If it really does and it really makes a such difference in this story go ahead and post it.

I mean, one would think if it really makes Bloomberg look so much better you'd be eager to do so.

And yet you're not. Strange.

[melman]

42. Here

89. On April 11, 1995 at approximately 11:20 a.m., Bloomberg was having a photograph taken with two female Company salespeople and a group of N.Y.U. Business School students, in the company snack area. When Bloomberg noticed Garrison standing nearby, he asked, “Why didn’t they ask you to be in the picture? I guess they saw your face.” Continuing his penchant for ridiculing recently married women in his employ, Bloomberg asked plaintiff, “How’s married life? You married?” Plaintiff responded that her marriage was great and was going to get better in a few months: that she was pregnant, and the baby was due the following September. He responded to her “Kill it!” Plaintiff asked Bloomberg to repeat himself, and again he said, “Kill it!” and muttered, “Great! Number 16!” suggesting to plaintiff his unhappiness that sixteen women in the Company had maternity-related status. Then he walked away.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/politics/michael-bloomberg-women/

--

Inquiring minds may wonder which of these "sentences ending with ?" is supposed to make such a difference.

[George II]

43. Great, you found it. It's right there about halfway down that article that you just posted.

[melman]

44. Feel free to explain why that makes such a difference

Or do we have to "search" for that also?

[George II]

46. It's a completely different meaning from what you have in your OP. I can't explain it any better.

[melman]

47. No it's not

At all.

And lol at how you keep saying "your OP" as if I invented this. It's a NY Times story that quotes directly from the debate post-show.

[George II]

48. Whose OP is it? At least you acknowledge that "kill it" isn't the complete sentence with a "?"

[melman]

49. Explain how the meaning is changed

Let's hear it.

[George II]

50. Your version is an exclamatory sentence, the real version is an interrogative sentence.

[melman]

54. And it's still an unbelievably horrible thing to say

But go ahead and defend it if that's what you need to do.

[George II]

55. I never defended it, but at the same time it's wrong to misrepresent what he actually said.

[melman]

56. Oh so you agree Michael Bloomberg's comments were ugly and indefensible

Good to know.

[Moderateguy]

9. She better watch it since big, bad Bloomberg likes "throw his money around to buy elections"

He might just spend a few hundred million to primary her

[Green Line]

15. He probably will after this

We have a number of possibilities here, Katherine Clark, Maura Healey and Seth Moulton, who I really don't like, but he would be viable.

[Mad cow]

31. He already backed her Republican challenger in 2012 (nt)

[MoonlitKnight]

45. And Leningrad Lindsey

And George W Bush.

[TwilightZone]

10. "I believe the woman, which means he's not telling the truth."

Well, no, that's not technically correct. Warren could believe her, but she still may not be telling the truth, which would mean Bloomberg isn't lying. Step one doesn't automatically prove step three.

Note: in the context of everything else re: Bloomberg, I'm similarly inclined to believe the woman's story. I think it's certainly possible, and probably likely. My point is that accuracy matters, particularly when making assertions of this nature. Opinions are still opinions, not facts.

[melman]

17. Matthews was trying to bait her into giving him a sound bite

And she didn't let him. Smart.

[Awsi Dooger]

18. Warren's instincts and gauge of probability were terrible

Your summary is excellent. Just because Warren believes her doesn't mean the woman was telling the truth. There is considerable uncertainty there. That uncertainty should have been enough for Warren to avoid such an inflamed topic in a debate setting like this.

I believe Bloomberg. I thought his reaction was exactly per someone who had not made the statement.

[PatSeg]

24. Both parties could be telling the truth,

but not remembering it the same or in the case of Bloomberg, he might not have thought it was important enough to remember at all. Of course, if he had said it or something similar, its likely he would never admit it.

[blm]

52. A male coworker heard him say it. Does the woman get believed when a male

corroborates her story? Does she get extra credit then?

[left-of-center2012]

16. Has this helped Warren ...

Has this helped Warren in:

Iowa (where she came in 3rd)

New Hampshire (where she came in 4th)

Nevada (where she came in 4th)

Will it help in South Carolina?

[PatSeg]

26. In the last republican debates,

it was Trump who set the tone and eventually some of the other candidates jumped in the mud. Unfortunately, for some bizarre reason, the ugly stuff only worked for Trump and backfired on the others. I still find it very strange that no one can get away with the things he does.

Welcome to DU!

[PatSeg]

41. True, there can only be one

It still blows my mind though, as he is a terrible public speaker, has no charisma, and is extremely unattractive as well. I can understand a con artist fooling a lot of people at one time, but I'll never understand why THIS con artist. When I think of a hustler, I think of The Music Man or The Rainmaker - fast talking, charming, and good looking. Trump is an oaf and clown.

[JudyM]

29. Has there been a poll? Others may well believe her. She's trying to get him to let the women talk

and he’s resisting, won’t give a blanket release.

[Walleye]

28. I believe the woman on this one.

I worked in the ad biz in NYC in the 80’s. Cutthroat.

[Mike Nelson]

53. "Kill It"

... She is saying Bloomberg orders his pregnant employees to kill their babies. I expect she will have some solid proof forthcoming... that was the most startling moment in the debate. There must be a reason Elizabeth seemed so sure... she must have some proof...