Feminist blogger resigns from Edwards campaign

[Adelante]

Announcement
106 Comments Published by Amanda Marcotte February 12th, 2007 in Pandagon!, Election

I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track). Bill Donohue—anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics—has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog.

In fact, he’s made no bones about the fact that his intent is to “silence” me, as if he—a perfect stranger—should have a right to curtail my freedom of speech. Why? Because I’m a woman? Because I’m pro-choice? Because I’m not religious? All of the above, it seems.

Regardless, it was creating a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign. No matter what you think about the campaign, I signed on to be a supporter and a tireless employee for them, and if I can’t do the job I was hired to do because Bill Donohue doesn’t have anything better to do with his time than harass me, then I won’t do it. I resigned my position today and they accepted.

-snip

http://pandagon.net/2007/02/12/announcement/#comments

[Warren DeMontague]

1. "anti-theocracy" ... nope, can't have that.

Bill Donohue is a first class Ass Widget. Sigh.

[Adelante]

5. I'm glad in one way

She can let loose on the bastards now.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. Yeah, it's probably for the best.

Still, too bad that jerk got his way after kicking and whining.

[MethuenProgressive]

2. Edwards needed to show backbone on this issue,

..and he did not.

[Horse with no Name]

6. He didn't show backbone

but he showed loyalty.
Not only that...he upheld someone's Constitutional rights.
We can't have that...can we?

[Bucky]

11. I wonder why she really didn't stick it out.

Her employer was in her corner, after all, and some little side blogger drawing fire instead of the candidate probably could have been a plus for Edwards in the long run. I just don't see why this outsider's viewpoints ultimately mattered to her.

[Horse with no Name]

14. She is trying to protect her candidate

Of all places, I would expect people here to understand that.
That fathead wasn't going to shut up.
He was making "her" the message.

[FrenchieCat]

27. What loyalty? Edwards hired, fired, then rehired, then she resigns....

What loyalty? Edwards hired, fired, then rehired, then she resigns....

seems like a lot, considering Edwards should have told the rightwing to kiss his ass from the gate.

Edwards loses for not knowing what to do.....and having to wait to see what the "temperature" was before being decisive.

After personal phone calls to the bloggers from the candidate, the Edwards campaign has rehired the bloggers who were fired yesterday, according to sources inside and close to the campaign.

Salon reported yesterday that on Wednesday morning the Edwards camp fired Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwen, the two bloggers whose hiring had sparked an uproar by conservatives.

But almost as soon as the decision had been communicated to the bloggers, a struggle arose within the campaign about possibly reversing it, the sources said, as the liberal blogosphere exploded.

The campaign remained silent all day about the status of Marcotte and McEwen, and neither woman posted to the John Edwards blog yesterday. There was also radio silence from the campaign for the hours following Salon's report of their initial dismissal, after a promise from a campaign spokeswoman that there would be more information later.
more....
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/08/bloggers_rehired/

[dk2]

36. Salon was not correct in that, I am sure you already know that

why would you chose to spread something that is not true? Salon has connections to other campaigns and that was speculative at best.

[FrenchieCat]

41. Yes Salon was correct.....

That piece was written after the fact of the bloggers being re-hired. This is not the initial article, which could not be confirmed at the time (it's not that it was wrong), and in actuality the original article did turn out to be true.

It would be easy for the Edwards campaign to have issued a statement after that 2nd article was written saying that it wasn't true...but they never did. And if I missed it, please link me to it. Thanks you.

[BlueStater]

9. He stood by her and didn't let those jerks intimidate him

That's showing backbone to me.

[MethuenProgressive]

15. If that's "backbone", he needs to grow some balls.

The right-wing attacked his employee for her beliefs, and now she's gone.
That says more about Edwards than the about the creep who attacked her.
At least his wife seems to be tough, maybe she should've stepped in and handled this.

[FrenchieCat]

29. Plu-Eaze......

How can hiring/firing/hiring/resigning be a sign of backbone?

Sounds more like not knowing what to do when the Blogosphere is revolting, and your ass is on the firing line to me. :eyes:

[BlueStater]

42. He didn't force her to resign

What the hell are you talking about?

[Horse with no Name]

3. This truly sucks

I am so goddamned tired of these holier-than-thou hypocrites.

[Katherine Brengle]

4. What an asshole. I hope she finds an even better job. nt

[toddaa]

7. Utterly depressed about this

I understand why Amanda did this but I can't help thinking that yet another atheist was made to shut up. Bill Donohue picked her because she's an atheist. And now that he's had some success with getting Amanda to shut up, he's going to go through the rolls of other campaigns, looking for more outspoken atheists to shut up.

[Clark2008]

22. There's nothing wrong with being an atheist - but you don't have

to "put down" others' choice to be religious to be one.

I don't go around calling Muslims or Jews or aethists names because I don't follow their faiths, or lack thereof.

She just wasn't very tactful.

That said, I don't agree with Donohue's group or his tirades, but Amanda's tirades weren't all that much better.

[toddaa]

32. I'm not gonna pick a fight with you

Just direct me to the post that offends you.

[Rage for Order]

37. How about these?

‘The Pope’s gotta tell women who give birth to stillborns that their babies are cast into Satan’s maw.’

‘What if Mary had taken Plan B after the Lord filled her with his hot, white, sticky Holy Spirit?'

If you have issues with the catholic church, or any other faith for that matter, it is possible to make your point without being purposefully offensive and juvenile. Edwards should feel free to keep her on as his blogger, but only if he doesn't want a single catholic to vote for him.

[illinoisprogressive]

8. It is sad when someone gets chased away from working for a campaign and democracy

[Adelante]

13. I hope she sues the shit out of the scumbag nt

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

12. Go, Amanda, I love this paragraph!

Another thing—this has doubled my committment to reaching out and helping highlight when the religious left fights the right wingers who have falsely claimed to speak for all religious people.

Fight on another front. Never give up. :applause: MKJ

[MethuenProgressive]

17. She seems to be a very bright person!

I left a message of support on her blog, she has quite a sharp wit - she'll do well!

[Missy M]

16. That's too bad.....

but she thought it was better for Edwards in the end. I'm sure of one thing, Donohue will never silence her.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. this is SO FUCKING FUNNY!

honestly. 3/4s of the population hates distrusts and realizes that these cristo-nazis care nothing about concepts like

honesty
integrity
personal choice


the fact that Edwards has bent down and bowed to shitheels like this means that he can never stand up to them again. and that makes his fodder for much stronger candidates.

[Clark2008]

26. She resigned...

How is Edwards faulted for that (and I don't even like him, but she resigned. He didn't fire her).

[FrenchieCat]

30. he did fire her initially.....and then rehired her....then she quit....

Hell I'm getting dizzy just trying to keep up.

Edwards caved, uncaved, and then she backed out.

I'm not sure how he comes out looking good. :shrug:

[ulysses]

19. is Clark hiring her?

Just asking.

[Adelante]

20. Clark doesn't enter into this story

Just saying.

[ulysses]

21. why not?

You're obviously a Clark partisan - and no fault for that - and I'm wondering if Wes will do her right where John done her wrong.

[Adelante]

23. I am a Clark partisan

But I have no way of knowing such a thing - it's kind of out of the blue, you know? :shrug:

[Clark2008]

24. Just a guess - but since he's Catholic... mmmm... probably

not.

He would defend her right to be an atheist, I'm sure, though.

[ulysses]

25. does that let Edwards off the hook for her leaving the campaign?

If not, why not?

[Clark2008]

28. I'm not blaming Edwards for her resigning - that was her choice.

However, I think it's wrong to blast a religion just because you don't happen to agree with it. I'm all about tolerance.

Neither Donohue nor whats-her-name seem very tolerant of those who don't follow what they follow. That's all I'm saying.

[Jai4WKC08]

33. Why would that "let Edwards off the hook"?

What does Clark have to do with any of it? That's just sick.

Defend your own guy or not. Don't try to drag others down for decisions they have NOTHING to do with.

[ulysses]

34. ROFLMAO!

Edwards isn't even my candidate any more, but do you not see the humor in a phalanx of posters, each festooned with "Clark!" images, attacking the man while declaring their own neutrality in the matter? Please. :D

[Adelante]

35. I'm the first one you addressed

Where did I attack Edwards? I'm more interested in the blogger herself than I've ever been in Edwards.

[Adelante]

38. Good night, ulysses

Please note that at the time of your post that started this horse shit, I was the only Clark "partisan" in this thread. ROFLMAO!

[ulysses]

39. and?

I'm not sure what your point is. You've been joined by a few more partisans, surely.

[Tom Rinaldo]

45. But Clark08 was defending Edwards! lol. ya can't win. n/t

[Adelante]

47. When you introduced Clark into this thread

And you did introduce Clark into this thread, not I. There were no other obvious Clark supporters in the thread. You decided to play it cheap and act as if my individual presence automatically colored the thread. While later some Clark supporters criticized Edwards, others defended Edwards; I and still others never attacked Edwards. I have my own brain, I don't share Wes Clark's, although it would be a great big brain to share. Have some respect for individuals and don't prejudge a whole group of people or use this sorry tactic to divert from the topic, which is the blogger, not Clark.

[Jai4WKC08]

48. I didn't attack Edwards either

But I challenge you for trying to use Clark to defend Edwards.

Clark has never been anywhere near the position of having his staff attacked by a right-wing group. But I'll tell you one thing. Clark was attacked vociferously for accepting Michael Moore's endorsement. And never so much as criticized Moore for what he said, much less backed away from the endorsement. In fact, he stook up for Moore's right to speak his mind, and he did it on national TV.

Now, instead of commenting on the issue, you attack those of us who support Clark. Nice try to divert the discussion. Doesn't work.

[Robbien]

31. Right Winger get paid big bucks. Lefties get driven off and go unpaid.

I wish Pandagon would have stayed.

Donohue just got a win and is just that much stronger. He lives on to attack another day.

[BurtWorm]

40. Sick.

The right's going to have to pay for this with a sacrifice of their own. And then no campaign will ever be able to hire a person with an independent thought in their brain.

Another sterling step forward for American politics. :sarcasm:

[DonkeyInChinaShop]

43. Talk about a sinking ship

What a sad state of affairs the Edwards campaign has become.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

44. It seems to me that Edwards hired her, then when he was pressured by the right, he fired her.

When he was criticized for firing her, he was macho, wanted to show he was in charge -so he rehired her.

In the long run...the right-wing got their way, and she’s gone.

[Doondoo]

46. K&R