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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHarry Reid Rebuked Amy Klobuchar For Mistreatment Of Staff
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchars mistreatment of her office staff began more than a decade ago and eventually caused such concerns that in 2015, then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) spoke to her privately and told her to change her behavior, multiple sources have confirmed to HuffPost.
Former members of her staff told HuffPost that Klobuchar ground down morale with constant and cruel late-night emails and claimed staff was required to perform personal duties for her such as washing dishes in her home in violation of the Senates rules and federal law against personal use of the office.
The section that troubled him most was titled Personal Preferences & Needs at Home. It described what the body person ought to do During free time or when waiting in her room (dressing area/bedroom):
Hang up clothes she leaves laying on the floor & her chair
Pick up dirty clothes & place in a basket (in the hallway between room & bathroom)
Organize clothing in the closet so she can find items easily (separate into shirts, suits, etc)
Throw away any garbage in the dressing area
Make sure nylons/socks/etc are in drawers are arranged for easy retrieval
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/amy-klobuchar-mistreat-staff-harry-reid_us_5c5db1ece4b03afe8d674530
MontanaMama
(23,368 posts)it is really disappointing.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,128 posts)cilla4progress
(24,802 posts)She WAS my no. 1 pick!!!
Awsi Dooger
(14,565 posts)It reminds me of my years in Las Vegas, when the absolute worst handicappers would watch every game and change their opinion immediately. They would literally have a different opinion of a team or player based on one drive or one play.
The successful ones applied a foundational scope and ignored all the noise. In fact, Nate Silver wrote a great book titled, "The Signal and the Noise."
There is no question where this properly falls, but I don't doubt that many Democrats will wrongly assign it as a signal. I have argued for 20+ years that Democrats are inept handicappers. That circular firing squad theme is the same idea.
We don't want to be stuck with an unlikable nominee making one front and center mistake after another in fall 2020. Very high potential for that, given other names.
Quixote1818
(29,025 posts)She was in my top two and now I won't be considering her.
DeminPennswoods
(15,299 posts)stories about Navy flag officers treating their assigned military aides (usually jr officers) in a similar way - like a personal servant. I guess sometimes being in a powerful position goes right to a person's head and makes them behave in a way they normally wouldn't.
csziggy
(34,140 posts)Even people who start at the same level and same circumstance can get carried away when put in positions with power over others. Unless the more powerful is completely self aware and guards against it happening it can happen.
The U.S. Office of Naval Research[4] funded the experiment as an investigation into the causes of difficulties between guards and prisoners in the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Certain portions of it were filmed, and excerpts of footage are publicly available.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment
ecstatic
(32,798 posts)abusive behavior. In the Kavanaugh hearings, she revealed her father is an alcoholic. Sometimes the disease of alcoholism causes people to act in cruel, abusive ways at times. I don't know if she drinks or not, but she might have picked up some of the behaviors she was exposed to as a child.
Usually there is a source for this kind of behavior, and this is a plausible explanation. And, it shows that this behavior can be un-learned with some treatment.
lancelyons
(988 posts)We don't need the gop to undo us. We are very good at this ourselves. Pathetic
jalan48
(13,916 posts)A former aide to ex-Sen. Al Franken recalled an encounter at a Veterans Day event to which Klobuchar was running late. (Franken resigned from the Senate in December 2017 after multiple women accused him of groping them or forcibly kissing them, often at political events.)
A young Klobuchar staffer was sent to explain the senators lateness to the Franken staffer.
Im supposed to tell you, she said, with a look of terror on her face, Senator Klobuchar is late today because I am bad at my job.
lancelyons
(988 posts)jalan48
(13,916 posts)lancelyons
(988 posts)But to often we can have the right expose a little dirt on our candidate and we fall for it and eat them alive.
Biden has been mean to somebody for sure before. All humans have.
Biden has probably lied before...
As long as we continue to insist on perfection... the right will expose some lack of perfection and we will come unglued and start eating our candidates alive.
We did that with Hillary. We did that with Bernie..
this is what the GOP says is the Dems will kill themselves. It happens all the time. We strive for idealogical perfection and when that doesnt exist, we discard them.
Its a shame. Nobody is perfect.
Hotler
(11,484 posts)lancelyons
(988 posts)Then you will be cast aside.
It makes my point. The entire thread. searching for perfection.
Hotler
(11,484 posts)Iggo
(47,597 posts)He talked to her about it four years ago, and then what happened?
Renew Deal
(81,900 posts)Just kidding.
marble falls
(57,537 posts)She got called into the office and was told to be nice for a change.
Deal breaker!!!
marble falls
(57,537 posts)Didn't think I'd need this:
marble falls
(57,537 posts)her office is said to have the most complaints by staffers in the Senate. I'd sure like to hear her take.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)brooklynite
(95,007 posts)TeamPooka
(24,303 posts)hahahahahaha
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,128 posts)marble falls
(57,537 posts)snowybirdie
(5,252 posts)where this came from? There's this aggressive, successful Senator who is tough on staff, and now we're hearing that a dying former Leader spoke with her about her office practicws. Oh my! She's such a meanie! Gotta keep them woman folks down and don't let them get power, don't we!
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)I think the question I would ask myself is would I want my son or daughter to work for a person who treats people in that manner.
Baltimike
(4,148 posts)Maybe there's an explanation?
Paladin
(28,287 posts)I've seen first-hand the sort of damage that out-of-control, unchecked executives can do. The evidence against Klobuchar is persuasive, and there are plenty of other Democratic candidates to consider.
ripcord
(5,553 posts)OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)I hope they're not neglecting their Multiple Unnamed Children and Pets.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)any of these people. Anyway not sure why folks would call this a deal breaker? THE ONLY THING folks should be concerned about is who can beat rump. That is all.
Response to UniteFightBack (Reply #15)
WhiskeyGrinder This message was self-deleted by its author.
OnDoutside
(19,987 posts)dhill926
(16,390 posts)DURHAM D
(32,618 posts)jftr - If you are someone's body person wouldn't you naturally just pick up stuff and put it away while you are standing around bored.
ripcord
(5,553 posts)marble falls
(57,537 posts)Molly Redden
Senior Politics Reporter, HuffPost
Molly Redden is a senior politics reporter for HuffPost. Before joining HuffPost, she covered gender issues as a senior reporter for the Guardian US and was a staff writer for Mother Jones and the New Republic. She is based in New York. She can be reached at molly.redden@huffpost.com.
Amanda Terkel
Washington Bureau Chief, HuffPost
Amanda Terkel is the Washington Bureau Chief at HuffPost. Previously, Amanda served as Deputy Research Director at the Center for American Progress and the Managing Editor of ThinkProgress.org. She is a graduate of Colgate University and can be reached at aterkel@huffpost.com, or on Twitter @aterkel. Sign up for her newsletter, Piping Hot Truth: https://aterkel.substack.com.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)And with it being from a labor union from over a dozen years ago, it's difficult to label it as ratfucking.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)Did the talk from Sen. Reid produce any changes? Did staff turnover stay at the same rate after his sage advice, or not?
And, what, pray tell, is a "body person" in the context of serving a US Senator?? It's one thing for a rock star to have an entourage of people doing menial things, because their pay comes out of the entertainer's earnings, but quite another when the taxpayers are picking up the tab.
Cha
(298,074 posts)ask and then I saw your post.
Has Amy Klochubar learned from being call out by Harry Reid?
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)who calculated that she had the most turnover of any Senator since 2001 should be able to give us that answer. And, we need to take into account the fact that some of the turnover might be due to GOP control of the Senate for the past several years, some aides might well have availed themselves of better opportunities than serving a Senator who was not in a position to influence legislation that would have passed.
Her announcement tomorrow need not focus on this issue, but it will surely come up in her round of media interviews after she tosses her hat in the ring. If she faces it squarely and without evasion, it may put the issue to rest. Admitting that she had something to learn from Sen. Reid is a good step in that direction.
marble falls
(57,537 posts)have answered, too.
question everything
(47,599 posts)replied the guest, a woman professor of political science
jalan48
(13,916 posts)From the article.
During that same campaign, the president of the AFSCME local, the union which represented many of Klobuchars employees in the attorneys office, asked the larger, Twin Cities AFSCME affiliate not to endorse Klobuchars Senate bid, citing her shameful treatment of her employees.
Klobuchar had created a hostile work environment and severely damaged the morale of the office, wrote James Appleby, the president of the local. The letter claimed grievances to the union increased under Klobuchars tenure, and that Klobuchar once told her own employees they werent competent enough to work at her former law firm. It also claimed the local had asked the union to withhold its endorsement for her county attorney bid in 2002.
In short, Amy Klobuchar is exactly the kind of candidate that AFSCME should oppose, he wrote.
IluvPitties
(3,181 posts)crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)I am concerned about cabinet turnover should she be elected POTUS.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)There's a lot of stuff an aide would put up with that a Cabinet-level secretary would not.