AP reports that the new woman they're touting to replace Jack-Off Ryan as the Republican Senate candidate from Illinois apparently has a little sexually-oriented scandal of her own. She sexually harassed, using gay-baiting, no less - someone working for her while she was a top aide to President Bush.
On the bright side, she apparently did not tell her employee to go fuck himself - well, that's not exactly right, she kind of did suggest he do it with a big fat kaleidoscope (so not making this up).
Man, who don't you have to harass to become a Republican Senate candidate from Illinois anyway?
A potential Republican candidate for the Senate seat from Illinois -- where the party's nominee withdrew over sex club allegations -- engaged in 'lewd and abusive behavior' while she served as a top official in the White House drug policy office, an internal inquiry found last year.And big surprise, another sell-out gay Republican is quoted at the very end of the article defending this woman.
In front of her staff, Andrea Grubb Barthwell made repeated comments about the sexual orientation of a staff member and used a kaleidoscope to make sexually offensive gestures, according to the findings of a March 19, 2003, 'hostile workplace memorandum' prepared by drug policy office staff. The Associated Press obtained the memorandum....
The report says her staff had "the highest regard for Dr. Barthwell's credentials and knowledge, but ... almost uniformly stated their fear and discomfort with what they consider to be unusual behavior patterns and displays of temper."
The lewd and abusive behavior finding stemmed from a Dec. 19, 2002, staff gathering. Barthwell made comments about a staff member's sexual orientation after the staff member misspoke in an earlier conversation, the memorandum said.
"Dr. Barthwell made reference to this staff member sitting on men's laps. A kaleidoscope pointed upward was placed on a chair by Dr. Barthwell as the staff member was about to sit down," it said.
"Dr. Barthwell suggested that the staff member would want to cut the cake available for the gathering because the knife was 'long and hard' and he might 'enjoy handling it.' When the cake was cut, Dr. Barthwell referred to the pieces as 'most' or 'beefy' and she said to the staff member, 'I know you like it big and meaty.'"
The staff member was not identified.
In the interview, Barthwell said the staff member was engaged in the banter and didn't seem uncomfortable.
"Had he been the least bit uncomfortable at the time, I would have brought it to a stop," she said. "Because he was an active participant, I didn't."
The memorandum, though, said the staff member and at least one other person objected to her comments. It said the staff member felt the comments were "lewd, derogatory and called into question his heterosexuality."
Anyway, I think we may need a new nickname for this woman, akin to Jack-Off Ryan. Suggestions?
