Cosby, Kavanaugh and #MeToo make a teachable week
And it also sparked a backlash that led to a new record surge in female members of Congress in what became known as "the year of the woman." The high profile of the Thomas-Hill hearings brought new prominence to the charge of sexual harassment and ultimately today's #MeToo movement and the groundswell that demanded investigation of the charges against Kavanaugh.
With the Kavanaugh hearings and another midterm election only weeks away, that movement has come to a significant crossroads. Even President Trump, himself accused by multiple women of sexual offenses, sounded notably sanguine and complimentary of the woman now charging attempted rape by his high court nominee.
Yet at a news conference Monday, he seemed to go out of his way to let his inner anti-feminist show itself with female reporters.
In one egregious example, he called on journalist Cecilia Vega of ABC News during the Rose Garden event with a shot at her intelligence.
Trump: "She's shocked I picked her, she's in a state of shock."
Vega: "I'm not, thank you, Mr. President."
Trump: "I know you're not thinking, you never do."
Vega: "I'm sorry?"
Trump: "Go ahead."
Trump and the mostly men standing around him made quite a smiling, sarcastic sight, suitable for somebody's campaign ad. Maybe Trump just wasn't thinking either.
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(E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@chicagotribune.com.)
(c) 2018 CLARENCE PAGE DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
