Kirsten Gillibrand Getting Heat For Getting Pregnant
First term Congresswoman Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY20), in a highly-vulnerable district in New York's Hudson Valley, is being attacked, not for her politics, not for her stand against the Iraq war, not for the earmarks she's bringing home including money for rural broadband development.
Nope...
She's being attacked because she and her husband have conceived a child.
The Glenn Falls Post Star (Letters to the Editor)
"There are many occupations suitable for women and their physical attributes. Carrying a weapon while serving in the Armed Forces and firefighting are not suitable lines of work for women to prove that they are physically equal to men. How many male police officers feel comfortable with a 100 pound female backup?
And now, I have to add serving in the U.S. House and Senate as an occupation that may not be suitable for women.
Ms. Gillibrand's current pregnancy makes a strong case for my opinion. Ms. Gillibrand was elected to serve her constituency, and while she is away from her elected office she cannot perform those duties. The taxpayers who were duped into voting for her will have to pay for her medical benefits. Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, Ms. Gillibrand receives excellent health benefits, courtesy of her constituents. We will be without representation in Congress for a time leading up to and following the child's birth. There will be times when she and the new baby will visit doctors. You can add those days to the total that she will not be serving her constituents.
The current base salary (2006) for members of the House and Senate is $165,200 per year. I wonder if Ms. Gillibrand will do the right thing and reimburse the U.S. Treasury in the amount of $452.60, her daily salary, for each day that she is unable to perform her elected duties. For some reason, I doubt it.
RON BLACHUT
Queensbury"
Why does it feel that even though the calendar moves forward, we're collectively moving backwards in terms of enlightenment? I cannot believe that in the 21st century that anyone is seriously discussing any pregnancy in this manner. My goodness, Idiocracy really is our very near future.
Yeah, stick her in a burka while you're at it.
"Ron" is probably "pro-life," too. Too bad Santa can't bring brains for Christmas...
Oh, yeah.
Merry Fristmas!
Southern Baptist Sharia always on the march in Bushochet's America
Opinions are like a-holes, everybody has got one.
Ummmm, seriously... WTF?!?!?!
Perhaps she should've gotten an abortion to make Mr. Blachut happy.
How dare my taxes pay for other peoples' healthcare! It's not like anyone else pays for mine! Oh, wait. They do. Nevermind.
And the Rethugs are wondering why their popularity has plummeted. Hoo-Boy! Let's hear it for the backlash from this!
Stents.
Why do stents keep popping into my head?
There are plenty of reasons to dislike Blue Dog Gillibrand, who has few political principles besides protecting her own job security.
This isn't one of those reasons.
The letter-writer's attitude is unfortunately not such a rarity in Upstate New York.
slowly they crawled under the snake......to come up with this one.
How very talibangelical of you, Mr Blachut.
Someone answer me this, please: If Gillibrand's husband was the Congressman, would his insurance cover her pregnancy?
No agenda here(well, I think the letter writer's a gapin' a-hole, based on his contribution...), just askin.
Easy fix. Just write Roy Blachut in Queensbury and express one's displeasure at his attitude in life. How many Roy Blachuts in Queensbury can there be?
They are probably just pissed because the fetus is yet one more of those pesky Democrat's.
The press pulled the same crap against Jane Swift (R) former Governor of Mass-a-two-sticks when she became pregnant. Although I never supported Governor Swift politically, I thought it was wrong then and it is wrong now.
RON BLACHUT, meet Dick Cheney:
A summary of Vice President Dick Cheney's medical problems:
--1978: Cheney's first heart attack, at age 37.
--1984: His second heart attack.
--1988: After suffering his third heart attack, Cheney had quadruple bypass surgery in August to clear clogged arteries.
--2000: Cheney suffered what doctors called a "very slight" heart attack, his fourth, and underwent an angioplasty to open a clogged artery.
March 5, 2001: Just over 100 days later, Cheney felt chest pains and underwent another angioplasty to reopen the same artery.
--June 30, 2001: Cheney returned to the hospital and had a special pacemaker called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, inserted into his chest. During his 2004 annual checkup, doctors said the device had never automatically activated to regulate, which they said meant the heart was functioning normally.
--Nov. 13, 2004: Cheney entered the hospital after complaining of shortness of breath. He left after three hours. An aide said tests found no abnormalities.
--Sept. 24, 2005: Undergoes surgery to repair an arterial aneurysm on the back of each knee.
After the 2000 heart attack, Cheney, began a daily 30-minute regimen on the treadmill and began eating healthier. He takes medication to lower his cholesterol. He quit smoking in 1978.
--Jan. 9, 2006: Cheney is taken to a Washington Hospital experiencing shortness of breath attributed to fluid retention as a result of medication he was taking for a foot problem. He is placed on a diuretic and released.
Thats odd. I thought the social acceptance of sexual intercourse as being the central requirement of life is something the fundamentalists might actually be able to grasp.
Why does it feel that even though the calendar moves forward, we’re collectively moving backwards in terms of enlightenment?
Nic, is because we are moving backward. Nixon would never be impeached today.
I wish I would see more posts addressing the issue of what should be done to reverse it. Voting D in 08 is not enough.
How about the Republican jackasses reimburse every day they fuck off to play golf, sip cocktails with stock brokers, and screw their mistresses instead of doing their jobs?
I hope RON BLACHUT isn't married, because any self-respecting wife would pummel him to death for embarassing her in front of the whole world with his 1950's mentality.
But thanks for speaking your mind, RON. Now we know what kind of idiot you are.
Presumptive list of Cheney's medications
When Cheney was selected as Bush's vice presidential nominee, the Bush campaign refused to disclose a list of all the medications he was taking [36]. It has been admitted that Cheney takes "many drugs for heart disease and other medical conditions" [9].
It is possible, however, to make a reasonable guess at the medicines he takes. Heart attack survivors generally all end up on the same classes of medications, and there are few medicines available for gout. Additional medications for heart failure are doubtless taken.
Medications for heart attack survivors:
ACE inhibitor such as lisinopril (Zestril), or AR blocker
anti-cholesterol "statin" such as atorvastatin (Lipitor)
aspirin
beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol, or carvedilol (Coreg)
fish oil capsules
nitroglycerin prn
? second lipid-lowering medication
? second blood pressure medication
For generalized atherosclerotic disease:
pentoxifylline (Trental)
sildenafil (Viagra) prn
For left ventricular dysfunction or heart failure:
furosemide (Lasix)
beta blocker as noted above (esp. carvedilol)
ACE inhibitor/AR blocker as noted above
? digitalis (Digoxin)
? aldosterone blocker such as spironolactone or eplerenone (Inspra)
For gout:
allopurinol (Zyloprim)
indomethacin (Indocin) prn
Other:
yearly influenza immunization
multi-vitamin
low-fat, high-fiber diet
bee sting kit near at hand (for food allergy)
I can hear the GOP rebuttal to this already,
"Yea but he's a man." Not an issue of pregnancy or political affiliation. Another sexist comments from the right-wing. Any party that terrified of losing their oppressive majority over others must have something to fear, like accountability and retribution for all the harm they have caused others from their oppressive behavior.
Nothing really to fear here, they have cornered the market on that commodity. Let's just move ahead with pride and satisfaction that a new day is dawning in this country with fear and oppression being casted into the dark hole which it can live until we surcome to it's dark power again.
Peace
xoites defends Constitution @ 15:
Wow.
Just wow.
I've spent the better part of today, (Xmas), talking on Skype to a woman in France who is 8 months pregnant, by a Bush Republican Texan who abandoned his child, and her, trying to figure out what her legal recourses here in the States are.
If there are any attorneys on here that have a handle on Family Law between American citizens, and those they get pregnant overseas, please contact me through my name links above.
Thanks!
~Nyc
PS: Does the wingnuttery ever cease, and is it too late to put this RON BLACHUT of Queensbury thing at the top of a 2007's Crazies of the Year List?
Again, wow, just wow, I thought I had seen and heard everything this year.
Dear Stupid People:
This kind of crap flats to the surface of MANY minor league rural newspapers. Thanks for giving some troglodytic neanderthal mouth-breathing retard a stage for his idiocy several orders of magnitude greater than he deserves. I mean, his very existence acts as a net subtraction on the sum total of human knowledge. By re-publishing his rot, you have also helped remove some beauty from the world.
Good move C&L.
Do we need to fight this kind of thing? Yes. Definitely. But face it: America is still a deeply racist and misogynisitic nation. Yes, it's not as bad as Afghanistan or the Sudan. Granted. But letters such as those featured here are just typical and indicative.
Try reading letters to the editor in Oklahoma. Heck - there are nuts everywhere. I remember reading kookie nonsense in San Francisco's Chronicle letters to the editor. It's everywhere, and I think we're all quite well aware o that. Now, do us all a favour and don't give morons like Blachut a platform to spew his crap.
This is from a paper near me. Disgusting.
So her political opponent is basically arguing that she should get an abortion or quit politics. Yeah, the Republican party has typically been pro-abortion but it's nice that they are being more forward about it.
Dustin de Wynde @ 21:
I am not a lawyer but i am almost 100% certain all she has to do is sue him in the appropriate court in the US.
Yes, because being fat and heavy is really what police agencies look for in recruits.
But a "Christian" President who has a bastard child out of wedlock and aborts it is totally competent.
They have to pay for her medical benefits, anyway.
Unlike a guy who spends more time reading a children's book while ignoring warnings then
acting with speed...
I wonder if Halliburton and Blackwater will reimburse us for billions in fraudulent contracting deals.
On Ron's theory,
Remember, that while on "vacation", King Putz would not even fly 500 miles to New Orleans because he was on vacation.
Big John @ 17:
Big John- I'd be happy to discuss this point- with which I disagree a bit- on the more appropriate mid day open thread.
Yes or no?
Science law (for example): water does not of its own accord run uphill (Second Law of Thermodynamics)
Science theory (for example): E = mc (squared) (Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity).
Law: try to disprove it, and you will fail
Theory: try to disprove it, and if you succeed, you will win a Nobel Prize.
Frizzlebear @ 22:
You can try and deny it, but these types of letters appear in newspapers across the entire country, regardless of the size of the metropolis.
Those Founding Fathers, the guys who wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights appreciated comedy. It's apparent- to me, anyway- that the 1st Amendment was an open invitation for anyone to make a fool of themselves. Kinda like open mic night at Funnybones.
I would not worry too much...Queensbury NY is the hotbed of Republican wingnuts in that district. While the district is conservative, he is just mad that Sweeney lost last term. She is very popular in her district
Who better to understand the difficulties that the average American family faces juggling career and family than a pregnant Congress woman. Thank you Kirsten for your service to the Republic.
What a fucking moron.It's inbred like him that give America a bad name.
Speaking as the first woman firefighter(long time ago) in Five Islands, Maine, I would just like to say to Mr. Blachut ..........Burn, baby, burn.
What cave did that Neanderthal crawl out of? Please plug it up so no more get out!
While I agree this guy is a total tool, I'm not terribly worried that his opinion means much. There will always be cavemen and crazies - they only have as much an audience as we choose to give them.
My favorite response to this sort of lunacy is the "White flour" counter-protest to an Asheville white supremacist rally last May.
Drives 'em craaaazy to be laughed at for the fools they are.
Jo @ 34:
It's likely your comment is rhetorical... There is a certain irony in wishing someone like that harm. It reminds me of on abortion opponent killing clinic workers.
There are people like this all over the country - many of them vote - one occupies the Oval office. Barring another coup, they'll be tossed in the trash barrel next January.
Wow! Really? It's 2007 and a women getting pregnant is cause to get someone upset? Really? Man I've heard just about everything.
Slippery Slope @ 38:
Who's wishing anyone harm? Blachut is getting all steamed up, he can go stew in his own juices.
hey kids, be grateful for the little things...
At least it's a letter TO the editor, not FROM the editor.
Maybe the paper published it as a sort of public service..in case the neighbors don't know who the misogynistic nut job in town is.
And to think she represents the area around Woodstock, NY.... which BTW has more Ron Paul signs per square mile then any area I've seen. I'd call this person an aberration.
The irony is Blachut has been on state disability for seventeen years. Talk about a waste. The money invested in this man who has a coronary at fifty. I'm fed up with these winguts sucking up my tax money for medicar.medicaid, social security, food stamps, meals on wheels, all the while bitching about bloated government. Hey Blachut there is a waste of money here and you're it!
How many days to people who are running for another office (e. g., President) miss?
As George Carlin says: they hate women. It's that simple.
A non-voting Democrat is better than a voting Republican, in my book.
Furthermore, her vote is not being wasted unless and until the time comes when just one extra vote would tip the scales one way or the other.
this is like the Dark Ages....I thought it was feeling like the 1950's...but now I realize that it is worse than that....much....soon Burkas will be on sale too....
xoites defends Constitution @ 19:
Amazing and commendable list of what Cheney probably needs for his medical problems. But what should be pointed out is that he did not have to pay a dime for this while 47 million Americans who do not have health insurance must hope and pray that they do not become sick because they, unlike the vice president and members of congress, realize that their health care needs cannot be met. Another reason to argue that while the United States may be the most advanced country in the world, by not providing universal health care for its citizens, it is certainly not the wisest country on this planet.
I've seen this on three websites. My question, are they posting this to draw attention to his attitude, or to him? We are all walking razors.
you are all so wrong. she was just elected. there is alot of work in this district and the country. it's a 2 year stint. she asked for money as soon as she got elected. now she's pregnant. she couldn't wait? plus she voted for the iraq funding....
get a grip, people. you don't know the details.
There's a reason Bush is President: because so many Americans are absolute morons.
pjsmith @ 50:
She didn't get pregnant by herself. Like a typical sexist pig, you imply that it was all her doing.
The irony of this all is that you pigs would attack her during Christmas -- a time of a celebration of birth. You disgust me.
VegasRage @ 36:
Actually, judging by recent studies, Homo neanderthalensis was more progressive vis-a-vis women's rights in the Paleolithic than Homo sapiens is 40,000 years later. Truth bites, don't it.
Wouldn't the same employment laws apply to a Congresswoman when on leave to have a child as any other woman? I really don't see an issue here and can only imagine the ample amount of free time that this person must have to actually write a letter about it to a newspaper. When I last checked, women were given time off to give birth and were not expected to reimburse anyone for it. They are even allowed to get sick, I think.
Angry, old man sydrome is a terrible thing to see in action.
pjsmith @ 50:
We just had an election? I must have missed it. Please fill me in on the details. In particular, I would love to hear all about the "she couldn't wait" part.
Bu,Bu,but I thought they were all for babies......oh...I get it....not a dems baby....they'd rather save the money.Can't have those tax dollars going to a pregnant Dem and her child...
Hey Ron,
Maybe your mother should have been practicing contraceptive with the guy who knocked her up that conceived you.
Yes, by all means charge a harmless pregnant woman with "duping" her constituency. Don't mind that president of ours.
Seriously though, if this qualifies as manipulation would it also include men who are stricken with a heart attack as a result of poor diet and exercise and, thus, are hospital-ridden?
Frizzlebear @ 23:
I agree with Fizzlebear and have to ask why we would give folks who are BEYOND the Lunatic Fringe a platform, today of all days? I lived in the area years ago, donated to Kirsten in the last election and can tell you that a lot of Rednecks there think every one agrees with them and they are far from being "correct" (I won't say "Right"). Whenever I go back to see family (on my mother's side) and get in a conversation with such an idiot, I just smile and move on. It's a lot easier (and safer) than pointing out the flaws of such verbose stupidity to someone who likely has a gun and a few beers under his belt. Those who disagree with this kind of fool, generally do so as a quiet majority, unless the stupidity is public and FREQUENT. Even in Rural America, there are members similar to those of us who are C&L fans, who stand up without outside help. Kristen wouldn't be in office if this member of WingNuttia was representative of the population as a whole! But did any of you read the link provided? Another editorial was someone responding to a different member of the lunatic fringe and he also wrote against "Swift Boating" and pointed out that Kerry did 3 tours and had a right to dissent. What gives me hope in all this was how folks spoke about the local issues. And yes, I did see hope in spite of the "keep em Barefoot and Pregnant" article that we're are commenting on. In today's Corporate, one size fits all media, it was comforting to see local issues still being discussed. A Canadian Holiday train, 4 way intersections and discussions of other local issues was sadly missed by those commenting here. On today of all days, I'd prefer to look at the good things around us and not just at the wingnuts (who's stupidity drives us all crazy the rest of the year). In a few days, I'm sure a local progressive who is as outraged as we are, will deal with Mr. BLACHUT and point out for all to see, the obvious Sexism. We have our peers, even in Glens Falls and Queensbury. He's probably taking grief from his own family for this foolishness. Merry Christmas All!
Ron Blachut is a d@ck.
Nathan @ 58:
Hopefully a refund was also requested from the members of Congress who suckered the people into voting for them and then took it upon themselves and died. They should have waited until their term was up or never run for office.
I'm not sure one guy's letter to the editor would constitute anything large enough for us to actually care about... So that's his opinion, oh well... It's not like there's a poll saying thousands of people want this lady to resign or anything, it's one letter to the editor in a really small newspaper.
It is kind of weird this made it on C & L. I mean I've never heard of the "Glenn Falls Post Star" before and I certainly wouldn't care what they have in their letters to the editors section... very odd
Aeon @ 52:
Well, the pig comment kind of disgusts me too... How about we just go back and forth with insults? Sound fun?
I think PJ is wrong, hopefully obviously, but "sexist pig"? That's a leap...
I kind of like this idea, how about we dock all the Presidential candidates the days pay when they are out campaigning instead of working like McCain, Paul, Clinton, Obama, Biden and even Kucinich and Dodd who are the only two worth a fuck in this whole thing. Maybe we start fining people for missed votes to boot. I wouldn't do it here since it would be maternity leave but dinning them for derelicition of duty. Maybe I'm nuts but I like this idea.
more of those Republican family values...maybe if she was able to get a gay hooker pregnant then the Republicans would approve.
Idiocracy is a fucking stellar movie!
How dare she? I hope the child was not conceived "on the clock." But glad someone mentioned her health care -- isn't it time for Medicare for all? Per King George's recommendation, all those health insurance types can go to community college for retraining. I hope it's a boy and she names it Rufus. A new life.
That doesn't count as an attack, because it's not a legitimately reasoned person. It's just some random douchbag who doesn't deserve to have anyone with merit evaluate his opinion.
I suppose the same could be said for me, but I don't think that everyone else has to adhere to my opinions, which is the hallmark of conservatives.
The :"women should be barefoot and pregnant" crowd chimes in.
You're not a Baptist, are you, Nicole?
If things are as they should be this would not make one little bit of difference.
She would serve her term and go back home and do what ever she wants.
congress critters were not ment to go and stay forever! The congress critter with seinority is a farce a crule joke played on very stupid people.
I hate to simplify, but this is a stunning example of plumbing as a justification or qualification. You know, 'my penis makes me better because I can't get pregnant' and 'my penis makes me big and strong.' Because there's no such thing as a petite man. I hear/see an awful lot of comments about people 'being responsible' when they get pregnant, and if I was gonna do it again, the insurance that comes with that job would strike me as an excellent time to get knocked up. Since I know a lot of people who continued to work through the pregnancy at more physical jobs, I can't imagine the Congressperson could, you know, work through most of her pregnancy. I went back to class two weeks after a Caesarian and back to work a month later. One might even think that those kinds of events provide, if nothing else, anecdotal evidence that women might just be tougher than the original letter implies.
If that's all the argument available, and I don't see anything in this argument that is not basically 'my penis is better than a vagina,' it's pretty sad justification for competency. Of course, most of the arguments that use biology as a formal qualification are pretty sad. If the only way you can argue that you're qualified for a job is to drop trou, it's not much of a job. And you're not much of an arguer.
heh-heh-heh, penis.
As far as the 'financial concerns,' I don't need nor want some rightie telling me that, yet again, there has to be a trade-off between childbearing and work. You know, if you don't stay home, you're a bad person and a bad parent. That is the argument used by one parent to avoid childrearing and house maintenance duties. And, has been pointed out, plenty of the good old boys, Cheney included, have spent a substantial portion of their terms in the hospital, sucking the public teat.
*retires her frilly little apron and stomps on her pearls*
pjsmith @ 50:
Typical American Male thinking.
In Canada, we give 1 year maternity OR paternity leave when someone has a child. I understand in the US people are lucky to get 3.
Why will having a baby stop her from performing her job?
Don't answer. I really don't want to hear from you anymore.
I didn't know a woman getting pregnant stopped her from doing her job. That's a new one.
MoxieGrrrl @ 18:
Mistresses? Really?
More likely their boy friends or interns.
Who is RON BLACHUT and why do we care what he thinks?
The difference between letters to the editors and on-line discussions is that the near instantaneous attacks on trolls cannot happen. If I wished to write a letter that would anger folks on all sides, I could not do any better.
If a web site has long term commenters, then they would ignore the troll. What he wanted was a response. There are 75 comments above me almost all contributing to the troll's pleasure.
If someone is to be condemned, it is the letters page editor who knew was he did - published a letter so inflammatory that it could increase circulation as long as the cycle lasts.
Well, honestly, this goes to show that upstate NY(north of westchester county) is as red as kentucky. and their teeth are only marginally better.
I have been a firm and active believed in the equality of women in terms of offering them equal opportunity and pay, and in my several management positions have had women in supervisory positions working for me. In fact, I have often considered that women have an advantage over men when it comes to many business positions, because women have learned how to manipulate men much better than men have learned to manipulate other
men, and since most executive positions are occupied by men, women have a better chance, all else being equal, of being able to get their way.
But, equal OPPORTUNITY is the key. women should not just be blindly assured any jobs they choose to attempt.Some ten years ago, I made a mistake on a motorcycle, and was paralyzed (temporarily, fortunately). While I was being manhandled, flown, ambulanced from place to place, at one transfer from an ambulance, one of my two attendants was a woman. As we arrived at a hospital, and the rear door of the ambulance was opened, the male attendant noticed a friend of his, and entered into a conversation a few feet from the ambulance, For some reason, the female, perhaps impatient, decided to transfer me from the ambulance by herself, of which I was unaware, until while pulling the collapsible stretcher I was strapped to out of the ambulance, with me headfirst on it, she discovered she could not handle the weight, and began to drop me, headfirst. (One of my injuries was a broken neck, and I was headed for surgery to correct that defect) I started to curse VERY LOUDLY, and the male attendant was able to jump over and rescue me before my head hit the ground.
How do I feel about the extreme view of female 'equality'!? For christ's sake, use common sense. There are differences, and do not subject victims of fires being dragged down a flight of stairs by a female 'fireperson' with their heads bouncing from step to step because she doesn't have the strength to carry them.
And if I ever break my neck again, I will not let a female attendant get anywhere near my stretcher.
Preacher Boob @ 81:
So the male who ditched you to chat with a friend played no role? I noticed that he was left out. The woman was careless for trying to help, despite tha she was left alone, but the male's actions were acceptable.
Use common sense was the icing on the cake.
Another repugnacan deep thinker voices his opinion. As usual it's worthless.
Preacher Boob @ 81:
Sorry for your individual experience, but I know a few 200-lb. women who would kick your ass and throw you over their shoulder with one hand. If you are referring to an undersized woman say THAT! Don't tell me 'any woman' would have dropped you.
I'll agree that the standards should NOT be relaxed in some occupations just to give women candidates the opportunity to get that job for the same pay when they may clearly be more of a risk, rather than productive. If the requirement for men is lifting a 100bag and taking it up a flight of stairs, then a woman should have the same requirement.
Just don't give that generalization and blanket indict ALL women.
I hope you are all healed.
I know Y they're picking on her. It's in the intro to one of Sam Seder and "Senator" Katherine Harris's (J-Falo) sketches, I just uploaded the evidence -
http://tbsn.thesequencers.us/?p=55
WOW! Nice to know "Preacher Bob" is just as stupid and has his head shoved just as far up his as* as the tough guy punk who don't think no womenz should be holdin no EEElected positions! Yeah, the punk who left him hangin had NOTHING to do with it huh? Heck, I'll bet he has allot in common with dimbulb Bob and the retard who don't like womenz in MANZ work. Wasamata? Scared yer pecker ain't all that? Scared a GURL kin do yer job? Man it must suck to be you and see you lookin back from the mirror every morning.
I wonder if that idiot newspaper editor is going to give back the portion of his own salary that was put in his pay envelope while he wasted time writing that idiotic op-ed piece.
I swear this country is getting stupider by the minute and this is a perfect example of someone being as dumb as dirt.
ck @ 63:
Letters to the editor like this one need to be reprinted and laughed at because we cannot forget that these are the type of people who elected Bush and whose idea of "reality" are in the 1950's or before!
Wow... someone hasn't yet gotten themselves out of the stoneage. Ron, you realize you go TO the club on a date, not WITH a club, right?
What a fucking sexist pig.
I'll add - I do agree that its probably not right to relax job standards when they're important. It does require a woman to work harder than a man unfortunately; but there are some jobs where shear physicality IS important. However women CAN do the job, as CoIntelPro mentions; I've known some women who were tougher than any man I know. Back when I sparred with wooden swords, the other guys gave me no trouble; but eff me if the girls didn't kick my ass. (And don't think I went easy on them - when I get into sparring mode I'm all business.
But back to the original topic... WTF is wrong with this douchebag? I have the suspicion he's of the "barefoot and pregnant" mindset.
I wonder how Mr. Bleeeccchhhhut feels about George Bush being on "vacation" 44% of his official time? Think he would be as offended?
barkleyg @ 89:
Bingo.
This is what we call the marketplace of ideas. Any time an idea is states, it's going to be challenged by someone. Good ideas can stand on their own two feet after a thrashing, partly because the idea has yet to be, in any way shape or form, proven false.
A bad idea like this one however, falls down flat on its face. It won't stop a few bozos from embracing it, but so long as the vast majority of people can see what a terribly moronic bunch of crap it is, it'll stay dead. You still can't let the idea go unchallenged though; an unchallenged idea can build lots of momentum.
Scott Lee @ 91:
Of course not, he's a guy you'd have a beer with!
Scott Lee @ 91:
I wonder how the moron feels about having a jew and a woman as his senators? That's GOT to hurt!
Do we have nothing better to do on Christmas than to be pissed off about what some guy in Queensbury, NY thinks? How many of us can point where Queensbury or Glenn Falls is on the map?...so why do we care?
Confused @ 96:
well, I opened my presents, had a fabulous dinner and enjoyed some sumptious desserts. What more could I possibly have to do as christmas winds down.
IOKIYAR. This congresswoman is a practictioner of "family values", and she's still the target of attacks.
Pray tell, how many ReThugnicans have skipped days in congress for lobbying junkets?
How many ReThugnicans have had multiple wives via divorce?
How many ReThugnicans have had multiple children by multiple wives?
Were she a poor woman who didn't have medical insurance the guy would probably be complaining about the taxpayers footing the bill for that too.
ck IMHO it isn't opinion, it's bald faced lies.
Come on man... The guy probably is 70 years old and makes a hobby out of writing his opinion and sending it in to the paper. Harassing him for his opinion (yes it was an opinion) is not something we are supposed to be about... It's embarrassing and I sure hope C & L takes the comment down... We shouldn't be into harassing private citizens... Even if they do write a boneheaded letter to the editor...
jeez... think about it for a second. A lot of people would probably find things you think pretty bad... Do you think they should be allowed to harass you for it? Would you want your address and phone number posted online at a site where most of the hatred is? I don't think so
Well, considering how easy it is to track down information on someone it is today, I have to say Mr. Blachut is an idiot. It took me only about 3 minutes to track down a great deal of information about him. So, I imagine his phone and email must be very interesting today. However, I doubt that this man CAN ever be enlightened, no matter how many emails or calls he recieves. Personally, I think we need to be kept aware that there are mental thugs like this out there. They, like racists, need to be exposed. I can only hope that he gets pulled over by a female cop who read his letter.
ck - ... (yes it was an opinion) ...
How do you know that he's not lying about what his opinion is?
I live in the NY 20th Congressional District and voted for Gillibrand in 2006. I first heard this story from her in a fundraising email this week. Her folks saw the letter and it was in my inbox shortly thereafter. She's in a dogfight for her seat and will be every single election she ever has. This area (draw a wacky circle around Albany, NY) was in GOP hands for a while before she won over John Sweeney last year. If you want a good laugh, do a google news search on him.
That is not a complaint about Gillibrand. She is already facing a possible GOP opponent who has already put commercials on the air against her a year ahead of the general election. That is pretty staggering. This is going to be one of the hardest fought districts in this country, one of the only possible seats the Repugs could regain. She will use every tool in her arsenal, even a letter from a cretin like Mr. Blachut.
I just thought I'd add a little local information to the comments.
ck @ 103:
He's 61. Married to Doris. Has a Corsica that he proudly displays on various webpages and belongs to several vintage auto clubs. He used to work for Disney and for ABC. Oh yes, and he's on long-term disability and complains on the union page that helped him get that long-term disability about liberals. Oh yeah, there is a nice pic of him on his yahoo page.
Hun, this isn't some old coot, who sits about hating life. This is a guy who likes to shove his views down other people's throats and relies on them being too polite to talk back to him. I've met his type a million times. Heck, I work with one. And they are just about loose it when challenged.
You put it out there, you should be willing to stand up for it. Telling him that you disagree seems reasonable.
JJohnson @ 92:
Stanley Rosenthal @ 105:
LOL - ok I'll give you that...
Stanley Rosenthal @ 105:
So Stanley...the man really believes (opinion) that women are equal to men; but decides to lie and write a stupid letter to the editor because...?...
Seriously, I have relatives that have backwards opinions like these...do you want there phone and email too?
Ellen @ 107:
Well that's nice and all, but really, it's his opinion and he's entitled to it no matter how screwy it is. If all that was going to happen by posting his address and phone number online were a few phone calls telling him that they disagree, then fine... But the probability that a lot of crazy people are going to harass him seems higher than just a few sane people discussing his views.
Let me ask this: Do you think that, even if he gets a deluge of calls telling him how wrong he is, it will change his mind? Do you think that anyone at all will benefit from harassing/calling him (except the phone company)? People like this usually aren't too into changing their opinions, and I think most of us know that. To post his contact info is to invite harassment, not intellectual conversation and you are fooling yourself if you believe otherwise.
> the man really believes (opinion) that women are equal to men; but decides to lie and write a stupid letter to the editor because…?…
Because he doesn't believe that women are equal to men. He knows they're superior to us!!!! ;-)
> Seriously, I have relatives that have backwards opinions like these…do you want there phone and email too?
I'm not suggesting at all that he should be harrassed at his home for lying.
ck @ 111:
Read one of my posts above. I don't think it's going to change his mind. However, HE posted his information all over the internet first. It took me exactly 3 minutes to turn up that information. I did not post his email or mail address, because he already has on several sites. So, I'm hoping this is going to be a REAL educational less for Mr. Blackhut.
Let me make this clear. I wouldn't have posted his contact information here. But he has been very public about himself, so it's out there in plain site. I did notice that his LinkedIn page is down (doesn't say when it was taken down though). If you want to put your opinion out there, you have to be willing to deal with consequences - as long as there is no violence or threats of violence. I write letters to my local editor frequently. My name and location is published when I do. I know exactly what I'm doing. This should be a nice wake up call for Mr. Blachut and I'm willing to bet dollars-to-donuts, his neighbors are going to be grateful that he's gotten his call.
swarty @ 106:
Wow... Thanks for the insight.
So, what I gather then is that Rep Gillibrand wouldn't mind seeing a few campaign donations coming in Care Of: Mr. Blachut.
What a great idea. I'm sure that would really piss off Mr. Blachut; to know he personally helped with her re-election.
Merry Christmas all.
I'm a 43 year old man and I have known several women who worked and worked hard right
through their pregnancies at their challenging jobs. I think it's reasonable to expect that a congresswoman will be able to do her job while pregnant and even with a newborn child.
Ron hasn't worked in a while I bet.
ps an inept male cop was rude to me once :D
Ellen @ 114:
I understand, I just don't like retaliation and it seemed like it to me. I'm pro changing peoples minds, but anti forcing anything, and it seemed to me to be more of a forced conversion than a real attempt at changing his mind. I do understand your viewpoint though.
Unfortunately I don't know much about the congresswoman, so I can't say if I would be glad she got donations through this or not, but hopefully something positive comes out of it.
btw: My name is listed on quite a few sites because of the advocacy I do on some specific issues, and is in the phone book. If, though, I wrote a letter to the editor which inflamed the right wing, I would be devastated having to deal with someone finding and posting my contact information online, and my girlfriend would probably kick me out =)
funny: contributing to kirsten gillibrand c/o ron blachut
ck @ 116:
Well, considering that all sorts of nuts are out there.... I recall the teenage girl who made an anti-war video getting death threats from the right-wing loonies. But you had better google yourself, because if you have job, you are almost certainly listed somewhere with your contact information. It's very easy to track anyone down once you know their name and the town they live in. Being anonymous is impossible these days.
CoIntelPro @ 85:
I did not indict all women, I pointed out that I preferred and admired women for some assignments, including supervision/management. The point is, one should be blind to what sex someone is, judge them based on their abilities. I think we basically agree, probably got off track when I said I wouldn't let a woman come near my stretcher again. My fault, when I wrote that, I was envisioning the woman who dropped me, and she was, obviously, too slight for the job. In retrospect, it was probably at least equally the responsibility of whoever trained her (or failed to), who should have made her aware of her limitations, by making her move stretchers loaded with sandbags, before giving her a live person.
Preacher Boob @ 114:
So, where is your condemnation for the male who was more interested in his personal life than doing his job. You say you had a broken neck. Therefore, that was a pretty damn serious injury. Why was he chatting, when he should have been getting you into the ER? Seems like that's okay with you.....
ashton @ 82:
The male didn't 'ditch' me, there was no rush, we had all been chatting amiably during the ambulance ride, they were interested in how I happened to end up with them, I was interested in how they viewed and did their jobs, it was casual. The 'common sense' referred to 110-120# woman attempting to handle a 185# (+ mobile stretcher) patient alone, and whoever hired her to do it without advising her not to attempt it alone.
The male didn't see her doing it, or he would have stopped her, as was obvious from the way he acted and talked after the event. In other words, she screwed up, and had she been a 110# male, it would have been just as much a screw-up, unless he was a lifter.
Preacher Boob @ 116:
So, you didn't have a broken neck? Sorry, you say your injury was serious and yet, his chatting is just fine??? Sorry, I don't buy it.
Is this a joke?
Because I'm having trouble getting my mind around the fact that someone is this fucking stoopid!
Ellen @ 117:
See post #116.
yogi, Bush depends on us thinking he's stupid too, when in actuality he's evil.
(no offense to the memory of 'Evil' Knievel' intended there)
Preacher Boob @ 121:
Look either it was a serious injury and the male should have been moving you into the ER or it wasn't. Something about your story isn't adding up. So, now I doubt the whole thing.
Ellen @ 119:
I don't give a f*ck what you 'buy'. I was strapped immobile to a collapsible stretcher, and had been for about 3-4 hours, including a flight by air ambulance. Being paralyzed (at least for me) was not painful, mentally, I felt good. The male ambulance driver and I had been cracking jokes. There was no critical rush. By that time, it had been a total of about eight-ten hours since I broke my neck, riding alone, out in the desert. I was happy because I had survived. To put it kindly, you know not of what you speak, and are an assumptive ass.
Let me clarify, a head, neck or spinal injury, even if only suspected, is a SERIOUS injury. No paramedic is qualified to decide if you have time to wait while they carry on a coversation. Speed of diagnosis and treatment are VITAL when it comes to those kind of injuries. Therefore, your story doesn't hold water. If what you are saying about the nature of your injury is true, then the male attendent was being grossly negligent by delaying your treatment while he carried on a coversation. Perhaps the reason you are giving him a pass is that you both have testicles.
Ellen @ 124:
See post 125. Why not try breaking your own neck, so you'll have a basis for judging?
Preacher Boob @ 125:
Methinks he doth protest too much... and now the circumstances are changing. I agree paralysis is no joke. What I think is a joke is how hard you are working to blame it on the female, when it sounds more likely that the male attendent was a slacker who thought his social life was more important than your health.
MM @ 4:
I agree, and some have Bigger ones (of themselves) than others.
Ellen @ 126:
You have no idea what you're talking about. I had already been to a different hospital in a different city (in fact, a different state), was in no immediate danger, and was proceeding to a hospital competent to screw my neck back together. And who the f*ck are you to 'clarify' anything? And diagnose my condition? I had had competent medical help, the only screw-up was the dummy who almost dropped me.
Really, I don't think we have any reason not to believe Preacher Boob. I haven't seen anything he's said that couldn't actually have happened.
Agree or disagree on what the guy says it is true that the equal pay for equal work philosophy may be somewhat stymied when you are not at work to earn your pay.
Whether or not ANY of our reps are at work 100% of the time is a question to be considered.
Erroll @ 49:
Not to mention the billions this SOB and his evil cronies steal in tax-payer dollars every year -under the guise of "privatization": While at the same time screaming about the size of government and all those "socialist" programs that help ordinary (non-millionaire republicans) citizens.
Give me strength to be able to stomach these greedy, self-absorbed inhuman bastards for one more year. And may the republican party go the way of the Whig party from which it sprang.
ck -
> Really, I don’t think we have any reason not to believe Preacher Boob. ...
And you had no reason to think that what's his face was lying with his flame-baiting about KG (that is until I gave you reason. ;-) )
buzzcut, with our politions doing so much to destroy the Constitution (like Pelosi not doing her Constitutionally mandated job of impeaching Cheney and then Bush and capitulating to Bush), we're probably better off with Congress not doing anything. Give 'em 100% time off, and they'll never pass another unConstitutional law. "Just think about it." (Limp Bizkit)
I thought these people were supposed to be pro-life. How many male members of Congress are at their desks every day?
I served in the military (both before and after women were integrated into all units). I am tall and there were women in my unit that were taller (and stronger) than me. There were men who were smaller than many of the women. I do not doubt that there are military jobs which require great strength but most require intelligence, quick reactions, and fine motor skills more than strength. These are skills which many women possess. I suspect Ron Blachut never served in the military.
Does Mr. Blachut refuse his pay for every day he is sick and does not show up for work? Dose he pay all his own medical bills?
It`s Clinton`s fault.The pregnancy leave was enacted during his term.
Seriously,we are too damned obsessed with work.I think that work addiction or workaholism is a major health problem in this country.Employers love workaholics.Families hate it.There used to be a Workaholics Anonymous meeting in Houston which met at 6:30 on a Sunday morning.What can we learn from this?
This country is nuts when they take seriously the kind of mindless tripe that Ron Blachut is putting out.
Dear Mr. Blachut,
You and your thinking are why they hate us,not because of our freedoms.
To discover more about Ron Blachut and his inadequacies, just do a Google search on his name. It appears he is nature's answer to the numerical zero.
This just in: Idiot posts crap in local newspaper! Film at 11.
Merry f*cking Christmas to you too Ron. I'm sure you're a f*cking bundle of joy.
Here's a tip for Mr. Blachut:
Approximately 1 out of every 4 Americans is a stupid fucking idiot. If you check 3 of your neighbors, you'll discover that they are not stupid. You're it.
The 21st Century was ushered in by telephone psychics and George W. Bush. I quickly surrendered my dreams of flying cars and cures for all known disease; honestly, I'm surprised and grateful we aren't rubbing sticks together to make fire right now. But the century is still young...
Happenstance @ 142:
Even though I am a history major, I used to wonder how a civilization can go from enlightened and educated to ignorant and superstitious virtually overnight. When Rome fell Europe entered the Dark Ages and it took hundreds of years to recover.
Now I realize it wasn't the barbarians who crashed the gates that caused the fall, it was the savages who were already on the inside.
Gillibrand should travel to a barn and have her child among farm animals like baby Jesus did. She can't pop silver nuggets out of here uterus like Ron's mom can.
This man is obviously extremely intimidated by a woman's ability to conceive and bear a child, without his approval (as are all women, as are the women in his life, which is why he is lashing out at this woman) that he feels he must subjugate them to a standard of lesser humanity and ability. He cannot bear a child, he is a man, he can go to war and be a policeman and do all of those manly things, so someone who can do what he cannot is naturally less of a person than he is, and must be put in her place.
I wonder how this fellow feels about having a vice president who has a history of heart troubles, dares to try to fulfill his obligations in his role as vice president?
I think it is funny that a man would be so upset that a woman representative would get pregnant, and that he would feel that naturally, she is then incapable of fulfilling her role as a representative. I guess he didn't have a mother or he would realize that women are excellent at multitasking. Look at the number of women in the workforce today who have successful careers and families. This makes some men feel inferior, and so in turn, they determine that women iare nferior by the very fact that women can do what they cannot.
In Germany, after the birth of the child, the mother takes a 24 months haitus, at half a salary,in order to preserve the intimate mother-child relationship, so important at such a crucial period of infancy. Then she returns to her job, and she is allow to choose between keeping her old job, do the same job part time, or take any other and work in a flexible bases, like for example fro 0900 to 1300. It's the law. Do managers like that? Of course not! But, the nation gets to enjoy the usufructs of such social benefits: A stable society.
Chris @ 77:
Touche (please insert accent mark, could never get the hang of those). Chalk it up to firing that comment off after a long day with a 7 year old.
Carrying a weapon while serving in the Armed Forces and firefighting are not suitable lines of work for women to prove that they are physically equal to men. How many male police officers feel comfortable with a 100 pound female backup?
And now, I have to add serving in the U.S. House and Senate as an occupation that may not be suitable for women.
barefoot and pregnant are the only suitable work situations for women?
let's see what's the word for this man? mmmmmmmmm... oh, yeah - NEANDERTHAL
pjsmith @ 51:
I wouldn't care if she were to the left of Kucinich or the right of David Duke - the point is not her politics, it's the absurdity of the complaint. Were she out running for governor of NY instead of being pregnant, would you whine about it? Were she a male who took time away from Congress for ANY reason, would you cry? If the answer is "yes" to those questions, I apologize for thinking there is more than one misogynist in NY.
Does anyone but really stupid people believe this republican BS?
It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever vote for a republican again.
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