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Whore-gate? Jerry Brown Apologizes To Meg Whitman For Aide’s Sexist Slur

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» 56 comments

There is a new twist in the already heated gubernatorial race in California, and it centers around a “private” conversation between Democratic candidate Jerry Brown and a unidentified staffer who referred to his opponent Meg Whitman as a “whore.” The conversation was inadvertently caught on tape and has increased tensions in a tight and bitter campaign.

NBC News obtained the voicemail last night, and shortly after news broke of its existence, Jerry Brown’s camp issued the following statement: “This was a jumbled and often inaudible recording of a private conversation. At times our language was salty. We apologize to Ms. Whitman and anyone who may have been offended.” Predictably, Ms. Whitman’s campaign.

Predictably, the Whitman campaign responded via spokesman Sarah Pompei, who released the following response to reports of the recording late Thursday: “The use of the term ‘whore’ is an insult to both Meg Whitman and to the women of California. This is an appalling and unforgivable smear against Meg Whitman. At the very least Mr. Brown tacitly approved this despicable slur and he himself may have used the term at least once on this recording.”

Whitman’s campaign is likely thrilled to have the media no longer covering the story of the candidate’s alleged hiring of an illegal immigrant to work in her home, instead focused on her opponent put in the unenviable position of defending his aide’s use of “whore.” California!

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  • Big Eddie

    Now apologize for Allredgate .

  • right-is-wrong

    NBC News obtained the voicemail last night

    Stupid “left wing” “MSM” “LSM” so called news outlet.

    Just a bunch of cheerleaders for the radical Obama Socialist agenda.

    You will never see them OR MEDIAITE go after Liberals.

    Stupid Dumb Network.

    Hey Mediaite – in the tank with the “lefties” huh?

  • NORBIT

    So Democrats are not only the most blatant Racists, they also sport a healthy dose of Sexism as well!!!
    LOL!!

    The whole 40-year manipulation of public opinion by the PROFESSIONAL LEFT is going down in one svelt-swoop this November!

  • The Real Royal King

    This is shameful. “Morning Joe” was very hard on the Brown campaign. I was glad to see that. I’m also glad I don’t live in California. I couldn’t vote for either ofthese terrible candidates.

  • Cecelia

    What seems to be a reflexive appellation from liberals towards women who don’t share their views, is particularly unsurprising to conservative women on blogboards.

  • Cecelia

    The Real Royal King said:
    This is shameful. “Morning Joe” was very hard on the Brown campaign. I was glad to see that. I’m also glad I don’t live in California. I couldn’t vote for either ofthese terrible candidates.

    Oh, sure Patsy. why use the term “whore” when you can endlessly comment upon the appearance of conservative females as being cheap, tawdry, or slovenly.

  • writer

    I’m sure California is also glad you don’t live there, King.

  • The Real Royal King

    Cecelia said:
    Oh, sure Patsy. why use the term “whore” when you can endlessly comment upon the appearance of conservative females as being cheap, tawdry, or slovenly.

    Have I ever used “slovenly” for a woman? That’s a term I usually reserve for men. For women, “cheap” to be sure, when appropriate. I’m not sure there is a more appropriate adjective for the Drop Out Governor. But, “slovenly”, I doubt.

    In fairness, I have been critical of Hillary!, Kagan and Pelosi for their tacky pants suits. I suppose Hillary! is conservative, but the others are clearly centrists.

  • writer

    The King’s comments about ‘Brisket’ Palin are a hoot, though. Still haven’t figured out what that girl personally did to the King to make him hate her so badly, but it must have been something terrible.

  • felixw

    Play smear games in your campaign and it can come back to haunt you.

  • CosmosDan

    Can we be realistic. Politicians and their

    Cecelia said:
    What seems to be a reflexive appellation from liberals towards women who don’t share their views, is particularly unsurprising to conservative women on blogboards.

    Staffers and politicians ought to have enough sense now to be more careful with their language but a momentary slip in a private conversation is not the huge moral failing the media makes it out to be. It’s sensationalist media to talk about this repeatedly. Sometimes people talk dirty and it would be great if they never did but how much attention does this really deserve.
    Of all the things I didn’t like about Cheney, him swearing at someone and it getting caught seemed pretty dam irrelevant.
    Handy timing for her, unfortunate for Brown.

  • http://www.karlspensen.blogspot.com Karl Spensen

    Oh GOD the only thing that gives me more of a raging FREEDOM CHUBBY than calling a lib a “racist” is calling them “SEXIST”!!!!!111 HahahahAHAHahahAHaha take THAT, party of whiny minorities and ugly feminists!!!11 The irony is SO delicious… and AROUSING!!!!11

  • Cecelia

    The Real Royal King said:
    Have I ever used “slovenly” for a woman? That’s a term I usually reserve for men. For women, “cheap” to be sure, when appropriate. I’m not sure there is a more appropriate adjective for the Drop Out Governor. But, “slovenly”, I doubt.

    In fairness, I have been critical of Hillary!, Kagan and Pelosi for their tacky pants suits. I suppose Hillary! is conservative, but the others are clearly centrists.

    Oh, we’ve seen you in your sartorial glory…

    maxminimus.blogspot.com– a blog by a gentleman that could be of immense help to you, no matter your income, and it’s moderated so your multi-personality anti-social personality disorders won’t work there.

    Never let it be said that I don’t have a rudimentary respect for your thespian gifts, Pats, and the lively cunning necessary to them. Never let it be said that I don’t harbor a hope that you are capable of reforming and becoming a responsible and considerate adult man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andy-Lamb/1085325013 Andy Lamb

    The Real Royal King said:
    In fairness, I have been critical of Hillary!, Kagan and Pelosi for their tacky pants suits. I suppose Hillary! is conservative, but the others are clearly centrists.

    Hillary is conservative…..I assume you mean sartorially, right King? Nothing policy wise there, correct?

    And Kagan….and Pelosi…..PELOSI……centrist………

    You’ve said some wacky stuff on here but……

    HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • SpineCrusher

    Non-issue, this was a personal conversation…not public.

  • Cecelia

    CosmosDan said:
    Handy timing for her, unfortunate for Brown.

    Yeah, tough luck for Brown!… Whitman owes that staffer a bouquet!…

  • writer

    That’s Gold, Karl!!!!111 Gold1111!!!!!!!!

  • Cecelia

    Karl Spensen said:
    Oh GOD the only thing that gives me more of a raging FREEDOM CHUBBY than calling a lib a “racist” is calling them “SEXIST”!

    Particularly when they are…

  • Bania

    writer said:
    That’s Gold, Karl!!!!111 Gold1111!!!!!!!!

    * Used by permission from BANIA Inc.

  • writer

    Thanks, Bania. Wouldn’t want to get into copyright infringement.

  • Harry Flashman

    So…..Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown has lived his entire life as a politician yet Whtman, who built a huge business from the ground up, is somehow the whore in this equation?

    By the way, comments condemning this from NOW in 3…..2…..1……

    Sorry. Coyuldn’t hear the feminist condemnation over the crickets chirping.

  • notsofast

    Brown is a slut!

  • exiledtruther

    Harry, I thought the exact same thing. Then I remembered that NOW only defends liberal woman. Conservative woman are on their own.

    Actually I should amend that, they defend liberal woman UNLESS they are victims of Bill “the perv” Clinton. Those gals are on their own too.

  • writer

    Rachel Maddow doesn’t call women names. She just giggles when Keith does it.

  • Arkansas Steve

    Sadly, what really matters is not a stupid insult made by stupid people.

    Here I am in Arkansas, and I am perceptive enough to realize that if California goes bankrupt, it will cause me and ALL of you a great deal of pain!

    Meg Whitman might, just might, keep California out of bankruptcy. Jerry Brown will live in Washington begging our President to bail them out. If that happens, you’re going to see fireworks that won’t be “made in China”.

    I don’t care how liberal you are, if you’re capable of rational thought, you’d better hope that Meg is California’s new governor.

  • RichS

    SpineCrusher said:
    Non-issue, this was a personal conversation…not public.

    You mean we should ignore it since they were saying what they meant instead of spewing bs for their adoring media bedmates?

  • FearMonger

    writer said:
    Rachel Maddow doesn’t call women names. She just giggles when Keith does it.

    That’s kinda what happened here…. Brown can blame it on an ‘aide’ all he wants but the FACT is that HE endorsed the comment. I’d say the case could be made that he APPROVED THAT MESSAGE.

    Hmmmm… ya’ think MAYBE they’ve referred to Whitman that way in the past? Perhaps someone should ask. Then Mediaite can do a ‘story’ about Jerry Brown ‘running scared’ from the media.

  • redwriteblue

    When Jerry Brown was Governor he started letting the environmentalists create the state’s environmental laws that drove a lot of the businesses out-of-the-state.

    Have you ever wondered why California is known as the Rip-Off state? See what Californians have to go through to renew their car and truck registrations.:

    http://www.flixya.com/post/brightlights/1943892/California_Dictates_Auto

  • shootfromthehip

    NBC is in the tank for the left!

    Damn liberal media!

    Oh wait, no, NBC is an actual NEWS outlet, unlike Fox, who would never speak ill of a Republican.

  • FearMonger

    shootfromthehip said:
    Oh wait, no, NBC is an actual NEWS outlet, unlike Fox, who would never speak ill of a Republican.

    wow. you’re an idiot.

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/02/steele-blames-afghan-war-obama-drawing-calls-resign/

  • Penguin60

    right-is-wrong said:
    NBC News obtained the voicemail last night Stupid “left wing” “MSM” “LSM” so called news outlet. Just a bunch of cheerleaders for the radical Obama Socialist agenda. You will never see them OR MEDIAITE go after Liberals. Stupid Dumb Network. Hey Mediaite – in the tank with the “lefties” huh?

    Vicious attack on those lefties,eh?

  • notsofast

    shootfromthehip said:
    Oh wait, no, NBC is an actual NEWS outlet,

    You have a great sense of humor.

  • http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

    Attack of the Dingleberries. The Dems need help.

    A new independent poll has the dean of the U.S. House, Rep. John Dingell, trailing his Republican opponent, Rob Steele, by 4 percentage points.

    The automated phone survey of 300 people in the 15th Congressional District showed Steele getting 43.8% of the vote. Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat and the longest-serving member of Congress, got 39.5%. About 11% were undecided. The gap is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 percentage points. The poll was conducted Monday.

    Dingell was first elected in 1954–he took the seat over from his father who was first elected in 1932. So, on the upside, Dingell can always campaign on the compelling message: Are you better off now than you were 78 years ago?

  • CosmosDan

    Cecelia said:
    Yeah, tough luck for Brown!… Whitman owes that staffer a bouquet!…

    That would be pretty funny, because it’s true.

  • The Real Royal King

    exiledtruther said:
    Harry, I thought the exact same thing. Then I remembered that NOW only defends liberal woman. Conservative woman are on their own. Actually I should amend that, they defend liberal woman UNLESS they are victims of Bill “the perv” Clinton. Those gals are on their own too.

    Right, Michelle-in-Utah. Wage parity for working women. Domestic abuse protection. All liberal causes championed by the despicable NOW. Commanist lessbyans all of them.

    All the Marys in Heaven you are a simpleton.

  • The Real Royal King

    gordonbloyershow said:
    Attack of the Dingleberries. The Dems need help. A new independent poll has the dean of the U.S. House, Rep. John Dingell, trailing his Republican opponent, Rob Steele, by 4 percentage points. The automated phone survey of 300 people in the 15th Congressional District showed Steele getting 43.8% of the vote. Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat and the longest-serving member of Congress, got 39.5%. About 11% were undecided. The gap is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 percentage points. The poll was conducted Monday. Dingell was first elected in 1954–he took the seat over from his father who was first elected in 1932. So, on the upside, Dingell can always campaign on the compelling message: Are you better off now than you were 78 years ago?

    And, this has what to do with Brown or Whitman, Marceaux, I mean Troll, I mean Blower?

  • right-is-wrong

    The Real Royal King said:
    And, this has what to do with Brown or Whitman, Marceaux, I mean Troll, I mean Blower?

    He got a job with Felix

  • felixw

    right-is-wrong said:
    He got a job with Felix

    Or maybe Phelix, as the guys in drag spell it.

  • cmdrgmh

    Who cares. Some staffer called her a whore. BFD. This rich bitch can’t handle people calling her names she had better get out of the race.

  • notsofast

    cmdrgmh said:
    Who cares. Some staffer called her a whore. BFD. This rich bitch can’t handle people calling her names she had better get out of the race.

    Right. Your mother is the biggest whore in the world.

  • http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

    The Real Royal King said:
    And, this has what to do with Brown or Whitman, Marceaux, I mean Troll, I mean Blower?

    Last time I checked Brown was a democrat just like you. He is a whore just like you.

  • timcajun

    First, a women should never be called that name, not even Whitman! As wrong as it was, it could have been taken another way by anyone other than Fox! The fact is she was making a deal with the unions, (bribe?) and Brown wouldn’t agree to the same, she was then called another term for sell out, low life or scum that would trade of herself for a vote! The use of the word poor, the break down correct!

  • SpineCrusher

    RichS said:
    You mean we should ignore it since they were saying what they meant instead of spewing bs for their adoring media bedmates?

    Don’t act like Meg, yourself or any other human being on this planet hasn’t used derogatory language in private conversations.

    That’s life and this is politics. Calling someone a deragory name in a private conversation is much different than railing against undocumented immigrants while you have one working in your own home.

    such hypocrites.

  • SpineCrusher

    The Real Royal King said:
    And, this has what to do with Brown or Whitman, Marceaux, I mean Troll, I mean Blower?

    BlowHard would be more apropos

  • SpineCrusher

    gordonbloyershow said:
    Last time I checked Brown was a democrat just like you. He is a whore just like you.

    At least a whore gets some luvin. When’s the last time time your fat-ass saw your junk without using a mirror, BlowHard?

  • CarmanK

    It was a private conversation and it should not have been aired. Everyone wants to be the National Enquirer, these days. Whore has many connotations and ONE who sells their body or their principles can fit into the category. It’s just not good politics.

  • CosmosDan

    cmdrgmh said:
    Who cares. Some staffer called her a whore. BFD. This rich bitch can’t handle people calling her names she had better get out of the race.

    It’s handy opportunity for her to switch the attention of her illegal former employee. but realistically, in an era where so much is recorded and brought out into the media, be smart enough to control your language. He just needs a scapegoat volunteer.

  • jo hoochie

    This could also be a set up to make Brown look good. If he wasn’t willing to whore himself out to the unions like she was then he comes out looking good. He is an ass and they do things like that!!

  • Jackie_Treehorn

    Cecelia said:
    What seems to be a reflexive appellation from liberals towards women who don’t share their views, is particularly unsurprising to conservative women on blogboards.

    Yeah because all the sweet comments by right wing loons against Hillary and Pelosi make you guys angels huh?

  • timcajun

    The media Fox whore Ann Coulter, blames Brown for that states current problems from 30 years past when he was Gov..She also lied again and said during Bush the unemployment rate was at 5%, not 8 or 9 in 2008, so its ok to blame Brown for something from 30 years ago,but unfair to blame Bush for what he caused now! The baggers want it both ways! I need a bagger loon to tell me this is wrong, hurry!

  • Cecelia

    Jackie_Treehorn said:
    Yeah because all the sweet comments by right wing loons against Hillary and Pelosi make you guys angels huh?

    Now check out Jackie’s gravatar…

  • http://none pyrope

    Arkansas Steve said:
    Here I am in Arkansas, and I am perceptive enough to realize that if California goes bankrupt, it will cause me and ALL of you a great deal of pain!

    And herein lies my total interest in the gubernatorial race in the land of fruits and nuts. (Them what ain’t fruits and nuts are flakes.)

  • http://none pyrope

    jo hoochie said:
    This could also be a set up to make Brown look good. If he wasn’t willing to whore himself out to the unions like she was then he comes out looking good. He is an ass and they do things like that!!

    I believe he said “I can use that!” in response to the “whore” comment.

  • http://none pyrope

    cmdrgmh said:
    Who cares. Some staffer called her a whore. BFD. This rich bitch can’t handle people calling her names she had better get out of the race.

    Where is your dignity? Your class envy is painfully obvious. Would you feel the same way if someone made such a degrading remark about someone you love?

  • ageofknowledge

    Hehehe Jerry “Moonbat” Brown. Here’s some advice for you California voters: If it’s Brown, flush it down.

  • timcajun

    If it Whitman let it dry then, have your illegal spread it on the lawn.

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