MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell wants some alleged sexual harassers on Capitol Hill gone immediately. Others, she laments the “rush to judgment.” What’s the key difference? Whether the offender is a Democrat or a Republican. On Thursday, Mitchell reported on the news that Republican Congressman Blake Farenthold will not seek re-election. It was revealed he paid $84,000 in tax payer money to settle abuse allegations against him.
Mitchell ranted to Bernie Sanders: “But the Texas Republican is not stepping down immediately.... Is deciding not to run for re-election a year from now good enough?” Later, she whined to Kasie Hunt: “So, Blake Farenthold not stepping down immediately though. And why wouldn't he feel pressured by his colleagues to step down?”
Mitchell bitterly added, “I guess the Franken rule of capital punishment once these allegations pile up doesn’t hold for him?” The Franken “rule of capital punishment?” Wow. Someone isn’t happy that the Senate’s leading liberal is leaving.
Speaking of Franken, let’s take a look at him. After all, he’s not leaving the Senate immediately, despite pictures of him groping a sleeping woman and allegations of unwanted kissing.
Surely, Mitchell judged the Democrat by the same standard as this Republican Congressman? Well, no. On December 7, she lamented Franken’s departure:
There does seem to be a rush to judgment in this case. But immediately people jump on you and say any kind of harassment is too much to handle.
A bit of a difference, huh?
A partial transcript is below:
Andrea Mitchell Reports
12/14/17
12:22ANDREA MITCHELL: Senator, while we've been speaking as well, on a very busy news day, Paul Ryan, the Speaker, said that Blake Farenthold is going to decide not to run. Has announced he’s not going to run for reelection. But the Texas Republican is not stepping down immediately. There is evidence that he paid $84,000 in tax money to settle something. We don’t know what. There’s a lot of reporting to the Ethics Committee on the House side — you were a House member — about really abusive, abusive workplace conditions that he has acknowledged now on Facebook today. Is deciding not to run for reelection a year from now good enough?
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS: I would hope that the Republican leadership in the House will put pressure on him to say that if these allegations are true — And what you are telling me, I have not studied this issue. They appeared to be true — that I think it would be best. And that’s the leadership's position, should be the leadership’s position that it would best that he resign right now.
...
12:29
MITCHELL: Breaking news. As we've been reporting, Blake Farenthold is the latest lawmaker to announce an exit from Capitol Hill over sexual misconduct. But not immediately. The Texas Congressman is bowing to a mountain of public pressure and internal concern among fellow House Republicans through the Office of Compliance back in 2014. Those are your dollars, folks.
...
MITCHELL: Wow. Every day it's another episode. So, Blake Farenthold not stepping down immediately though. And why wouldn't he feel pressured by his colleagues to step down? I guess the Franken rule of capital punishment once these allegations pile up doesn’t hold for him?
