November 3, 2017

"Mother Jones magazine’s editor and chief executive acknowledged on Thursday that they investigated Washington bureau chief David Corn for inappropriate workplace behavior..."

"... warning him about touching female staffers and insensitive descriptions of sexual violence, and would now probe the allegations further in light of two emails written by former staffers in 2014 and 2015 and obtained by POLITICO."
One of the emails, written in 2015 by a former staffer outlining concerns she had heard from other women in the Washington office, said Corn, now 58, made “rape jokes,” “regularly gave [several women] unwelcome shoulder rubs and engaged in uninvited touching of their legs, arms, backs, and waists,” and “made inappropriate comments about women’s sexuality and anatomy.” The other email, from 2014, was by a former female staffer who claimed that Corn “came up behind me and put his hands and arms around my body in a way that felt sexual and domineering.”
ADDED: I guess it's just a coincidence, but clicking on my David Corn tag, I get back to 3 old posts about — of all people — Ashley Judd. (Ashley Judd is in the news lately because she's made accusations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein.)

I wrote on April 9, 2013: "Secret recording of Mitch McConnell strategy session about how to go after Ashley Judd."

David Corn at Mother Jones has lots of audio clips and transcript, but he doesn't tell us who made the tape and gave it to him. Surveillance on a political campaign? If that's not bad, should we revise our opinion about the Watergate burglary?

Corn would like us to think he's got material that's quite nefarious, because "McConnell and his aides considered assaulting Judd for her past struggles with depression and for her religious views." But doesn't every campaign brainstorm about everything that could possibly be used? One campaign aide said:
She's clearly, this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced. I mean it's been documented. Jesse can go in chapter and verse from her autobiography about, you know, she's suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days when she had a mental breakdown in the '90s.
And there's a quote of Judd's about how bright and flashy things are in America, such that when she returns home from overseas things, like "pink fuzzy socks on a rack" can make her "absolutely flip[] out" and she "can never anticipate what is going to push [her] over the edge." We're supposed to be offended that McConnell's people even considered using material like that?...

Either this kind of bugging is acceptable or it's not. I'm surprised Corn went forward with it when the material isn't even shocking. It's actually quite bland... in comparison to what I assume is batted around within all the various campaigns as they decide how to attack opponents. Can we get transcripts of all that crap? I'd love to blog it.

Suddenly, I realize why Corn may believe this material is worth printing: These are attacks on a sweet and pretty lady. Corn's decision to publish is — ironically — evidence of sexism.

69 comments:

Ken B said...

Another "look at me" business. Entitled cool kids with power.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Ah, no wonder Corn was such a big WJC apologist.

Darrell said...

Leftist privilege.

Sprezzatura said...

An especially good day to be Romney.

Or, is thinking that way a sin?

Of course jabbering about giving zero Fs about not-rich folks is probably some sorta sin, too.

So enjoy it Mitt.

Rob said...

Mother Jones is subjecting Corn to a fine-grained analysis.

Rob said...

Mother Jones is explaining to Corn why his actions were offensive, and Corn is all ears.

Rob said...

Was the behavior worse when Corn was high?

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

At least he didn't shuck his clothing off in front of anyone.

campy said...

He was a stalk-er.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Presumably this behavior produced no children.

OK, this is retarded, but it's pretty emblematic of where progressives are today. Unserious, not clever, and tiresomely rote.

William said...

His offenses aren't all that offensive, but one rejoices in his dilemma. I keep hoping that some women will come forward with amusing anecdotes about Carl Bernstein. That would be true bliss.

gspencer said...

"... warning him [David Corn] about touching female staffers and insensitive descriptions of sexual violence"

The Red Dot,

Corn as George: Was that wrong? Should I have not done that? I tell you I gotta plead ignorance on this thing because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing was frowned upon, you know, cause I've worked in a lot of offices and I tell you [leftist] people do that all the time.

Sprezzatura said...

"Suddenly, I realize why Corn may believe this material is worth printing: These are attacks on a sweet and pretty lady. Corn's decision to publish is — ironically — evidence of sexism."

I'm no lawprof but, this if a person conjectures re a thought that another person 'may' have had, doesn't any conclusion based on that conjecture require some uncertainty. E.g., 'Corn's decision to publish [may] — ironically — evidence of sexism.'

I dunno.

stever said...

This is my shocked face,

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Offering to teach the new interns how to play Corn Hole was probably a mistake.

Darrell said...

Did Corn ever stop referring to women as slits and cunts?

JohnJMac862 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JohnJMac862 said...

What an awesome time for the cool kids to mock Mike Pence amiright?

Bay Area Guy said...

Hopefully, no potted plants were injured in this scandal.

Curtiss said...

He finally got popped.

rcocean said...

Get the popcorn out.

I'm as Corny as Kansas in August,
I'm as normal as blueberry pie.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Thank you for the earth-shattering news. I just don't know how my life would have gone on had I not gotten the chance to read this incisive, groundbreaking reportage/quote.

It'sSwordfish said...

You look good enough to eat, Corn whispered huskily.

Mutaman said...

Ann is obsessed with every sexual harassment story except those at Fox- the Ground Zero for sexual a=harassment. Billo- what 32 million? Roger Ailes- he's dead. Eric Bolling- who?

jerpod said...

Corn boor.

Fabi said...

What did David Corn say when informed of these allegations? "Aw, shucks!"

Big Mike said...

These are attacks on a sweet and pretty lady.

No, Althouse, not even close. Ashley Judd has told us that she is nasty woman.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Jimmy crack Corn and I don't care
Jimmy crack Corn and I don't care
Jimmy crack Corn and I don't care
Another hypocrite at bay

buwaya said...

Each case exposes the hypocrisy of the great and good, who have made their careers berating the common people for their lack of sensitivity and sophistication.

It is not merely the sins of the abusers in each case that signify, but moreso the silence of their entire class. The sheer number of these cases makes clear the utter corruption, using their own standards of virtue, of the entire media and political caste.

Every talking head on TV and opinion writer in the MSM should be regarded as a swine unless strong proof is presented otherwise, and by default all they say should be regarded as lies, or truth selectively presented so as to serve a larger lie.

And should any if them again attempt to berate you, you know it comes from a hollow place.

Big Mike said...

The other reason why Ira Corn is in the news lately is that he was responsible for publishing the bogus Trump dossier when no reputable news organization would touch it. No reputable news organization, but "Mother Jones" is a bit different in that respect.

holdfast said...

At least Fox News pays its victims well. I bet The Nation pleads poverty when it comes time to write the cheques. Cheap pinko bastards.

Sebastian said...

"you know it comes from a hollow place." We've always known it, we cynical conservatives. But a few more people are catching on that we have been patronized by our hollow inferiors.

Resisting the patronizing is one thing. Filling the empty core with something substantial is another.

Darrell said...

When Corn wasn't jacking off to the photos of Chelsea Clinton that the boys at NBC had taken in the dressing room when she was a special correspondent for NBC News--the ones topless from the back with the skid marks on her panties--he was rubbing his dick around the coffee mugs of all the female staffers at the various places he worked. No word on him jacking off on the unwrapped tampons in the dispenser in the womens' john, while he whispered "You'll all have my babies--baby Corn!" Hard to believe all this (and worse) is true, but with stories like this all over the internet, you have to wonder.

Bay Area Guy said...

The analog to the hot/crazy matrix for females is the old/creepy matrix for some men.

I'm thinking Joe Biden and David Corn both in the upper right quadrant.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

All the sex in the news has reduced the supposed 6 degrees of separation to 2 or 3.

Derek Kite said...

Corn was one of the brilliant 'journalists' who went after the Joe the plumber in 2008.

I hope he never works again. The world would be a better place.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Why do I get the feeling David Corn is just the kind of journalist to cream Bob Packwood over his unwelcome touching at the senate?

He had to have said something...

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

For a long time it seemed like sensual harassment was a republican bug.

Now that Trump is in the White House, it's hitting the houses with lamb's blood above their doors ;)

HoodlumDoodlum said...

A fellow Blogginghead, oh no!
Did you suspect anything, Prof. Althouse? Did "everyone know" at BhTV?
Sad.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I'm crediting Trump with albeit indirectly getting the sensual harassment ball rolling.

Had Hillary won, there is no way the Weinstein story would have come out.

The story went out for the same reason Donna Brazile dropped the dime on Hillary.

The democrats want Hillary to go away.

bgates said...

Of course jabbering about giving zero Fs about not-rich folks is probably some sorta sin, too.

Ugh, David Corn said that too? What a scumbag.

Lucien said...

The good thing is that Hollywood's "at long last sir, have you no shame" card is maxed out for at least a year. Meryl Streep can rant at the upcoming award shows (whenever they are) and the public's attitude will be STFU.

The bad thing is that in two years this will be forgotten, and the worst elite class in American history will continue to lecture us proles about what sub-human troglodytes we are and how we need to kowtow to the progressive decisions of our betters. What's really bad is that the public has reached a state where the misguided lectures of our "betters" will almost certainly leave our elites hanging from lamp posts. I think 2019 will be a grim year.

narciso said...

It turns out corns big scoop about how he got the romney tape want even true.

narciso said...

According to Robert creamers confession to project veritas.

Jason said...

I’m sure this reporting has a grain of truth to it.

Jon Ericson said...

Turn on the Muldoon beacon!

Bob Loblaw said...

Thank you for the earth-shattering news. I just don't know how my life would have gone on had I not gotten the chance to read this incisive, groundbreaking reportage/quote.

Hey TR, when they last leftist male feminist gets fired and or arrested, can you turn out the light?

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Golden: look up Corn's Lefty snark making fun of Mitt Romney's "binders full of women" and relations to female voters. Mmmmm yeah.

Mark said...

I am surprised that the commentators here are embracing this standard. It seems like a low bar to destroy someone for, if it were applied everywhere.

Wonder how many at Fox would survive this standard. Its a long way from what doomed Ailes and O'Reilly.

Seems like its partisanship all the way down.

Humperdink said...

Mark said: "I am surprised that the commentators here are embracing this standard. It seems like a low bar to destroy someone for ... Seems like its partisanship all the way down."

The commenters here are embracing the left's rules. Partisanship? You betcha!!!!! Hope Corn never writes for a major publication again.

Tell us again Mr. Corn, how McCain, Romney, and Trump are Nazi's. Tell us again how Romney deliberately killed an employee's spouse by cancelling his health insurance.

Go suck on a pacifier.

tim maguire said...

I have a soft spot for every New York Press writer from the Russ Smith days. Even David Corn.

Rusty said...

Mark said...
"I am surprised that the commentators here are embracing this standard. It seems like a low bar to destroy someone for, if it were applied everywhere."

Perhaps we don't like being lectured to by the equivelent of the strange guy rubbing one out in his speedo at the public pool.

Lyle Smith said...

His career has gone on long enough. He's just a 58 year old journalist Chuck. Dime a dozen. Drain the swamp.

Oso Negro said...

@Mark - What, Rusty is supposed to enjoy being lectured to?

Jason said...

The allegations against Corn, unless something else comes out, are bullshit.

It’s clear that hiring a workplace full of libtard women is a bad idea.

Mark said...

So he should call me a perv?

I expressed an opinion about the topic. He decided to respond like a troll with personal attack.

And now his buddy jumps in to harass further. Another pathetic example of moderated discussion on this blog.

Birkel said...

Did Mark the Leftist Collectivist get angry when people decided that the Leftist Collectivists should be held to their own standards? Quit enabling all the Leftist Collectivist abusers.

And quit trying to grab the rest of us by the wallet.

Birkel said...

Jason,
Would you advise anybody to hire a third party with a recently acquired Liberal Arts degree? Or from the universities that provide safe spaces?

This is economic Darwinism hard at work. Incentives matter.

James Pawlak said...

"Mother Jones" has a Washington bureau? Is that "Adding insult to injury"?

Bad Lieutenant said...

One hates to pile on, Mark, but WTF do you want exactly? Give Kevin Spacey the key to the city and a lifetime supply of boys?

Mark said...

If you keep lowering the bar every time a leftist like Corn is accused with something, you are going to lose a lot of people. Enjoy reaping what you so, partisan assholes.

"Six women who work in Florida’s Capitol say the state Senate’s powerful budget chairman, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Latvala, has inappropriately touched them without their consent or uttered demeaning remarks about their bodies."

Just you wait. This is going to take down sitting Republican congressmen, now that you have embraced the Corn standard.

Steve said...

At about age 25 I had a new job in a fancy law firm. Even had a secretary for the first time in my life. We were working on a big project and it was stressful. I was standing behind her while she made the last changes. She we stressed and I rubbed her shoulders. A senior attorney walked past and asked me to step into his office briefly. He told me very nicely that attorneys didn’t touch secretaries that way. At age 25 really didn’t think it was inappropriate to rub a 55 year old woman’s shoulders but I took the advice to heart.

The issue is that in many of these organizations there are no adults to demonstrate appropriate behavior and tell the youngsters when their behavior is inappropriate. Maybe we could organize a lend lease of 55 year old conservative fathers to try to civilize Hollywood, Sacramento and seemingly every news organization on the planet.

Bad Lieutenant said...



Just you wait. This is going to take down sitting Republican congressmen, now that you have embraced the Corn standard

Literally, so what?

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"And now his buddy jumps in to harass further. Another pathetic example of moderated discussion on this blog."

An interesting little insight into what Leftys think moderation is for. Mom! Johnny won't agree with me!

Leftist totalitarians are such pathetic little bitches these days. Where are the Stalinist strongmen of yesteryear.

Joanne Jacobs said...

He made "insensitive" remarks about sexual violence? This is a very subjective and very low bar.

Carter Wood said...

I can't count the number of times I've seen Corn at the 9:30 Club. Can I still go to shows there, or is there now a corruption of blood?

Rusty said...

Referring to Corn. Of course.
Jesus Mark. Don't be so sensitive. It isn't about you.

Rusty said...

It's about some other pervert.
Named Corn.

FIDO said...

Mark,

No it isn't. We have this useful trait in our cultural baggage which includes a) forgiveness, wherein a malefactor can be given grace. The current 'zero tolerance' Left seems to have forgotten this.

Second is b) a realistic assessment of male female interactions. A man saying 'nice tits' or groping an ass is not a sinner against all women. He is a man making a boorish pass at a woman who he thinks MIGHT be into it.


It is also within our cultural baggage for her to slap his face in response if he is incorrect in his assessment. Then the matter generally is dropped except for a few glares across the break room.

Because we don't consider a man who wants a woman to be 'toxic' or 'evil' or 'patriarchal'. He is simply a man who has had a slip or a regular pattern of poor manners.


And C) when it comes to an existential struggle with the Left who want to destroy us, we can be ideologically flexible in some instances. We do not want to destroy men. Your side seems to.