The Rovian Republicans have hit Platte County, Mo. This is awful.

[leftyladyfrommo]

A friend of mine is the Platte County Auditor. Platte County is very Republican and all concerned were very upset when Siobhan Williams won running as a Democrat.

Let me say this. I pet sit for Siobhan. I have been in her house over and over and I have simply just sat and talked with her many times. I have no idea what her sexual persuasion is - it never came up - and I could care less.

As auditor her job is to audit and find problems. Which she did. Two years ago she let people in the Platte County government know there were problems that needed to be corrected. I think involved a lot of money that was being spent by the county unwisely. Nothing was ever done to correct the problems. So she went public with these issues.

In retaliation one woman who was involved has claimed that Siobhan made unwanted lesbian moves on her. And she has filed suit - sexual harassment charges, I think.

This is all untrue. For one thing Siobhan is not even gay. But trying to answer these charges is going to be awful. For one thing she has gay friends that she doesn't want to hurt.

She is going to have to put up a rigorous fight. She can't just quit because then everyone would thing these scurrilous charges are true. But fighting is going to cost a lot of money. And no matter what she argues the idea that she is gay and has made unwanted sexual advances is out there. There is no way to take it all back.

What a mess. She says that these people don't just want her to resign they want to completely destroy her reputation in the most awful way.

No wonder good people really don't want to be involved in politics. Its just too damned dangerous.

[ensho]

1. sending her some Stamina so she can keep up the good fight

and not let the bastards win.

(don't have any extra money)

[midnight]

2. The republicans love sex scandles, but this is a twist I could of never anticipated.

[HopeHoops]

3. Yeah. I mean, the Republicans are usually the CENTER of the sex scandal!

They just get bent out of shape when a Democrat is actually having FUN at sex.

[leftyladyfrommo]

6. Sadly, she is a single woman who lives alone.

I don't think there is a man around (I don't know that for sure). There are a lot of us single women who live alone and who are perfectly content to live our lives that way.

Unfortunately we get branded as lesbians just because of our life style. Not that I care. They can just brand away. The whole argument is so stupid.

[HopeHoops]

10. Pesonally, I don't care WHAT concenting adults do in private.

The Republicans must have some kind of weird fetish that drives them to inquire about such things. Perhaps this explains the diaper and loofah incidents.

[kestrel91316]

16. As a content single heterosexual woman, I give your post a +1000.

[leftyladyfrommo]

22. We kind of get left out of the picture - don't we?

I am just fine by myself. And I am a whole lot happier this way. I can do what I want in my own time without having to answer to anyone for anything.

And I think sex is highly overrated. boy, talk about a radical idea!

[roguevalley]

17. that woman is going to earn serious bad karma for doing this to her.

I hope she rots, the skank. Sending good vibes to this lady because that's all I got right now. :(

[meegbear]

4. For many people, nothing indites like denial ...

I hope she gets justice.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. How can she ever really get justice after this.

No matter what she does it is still going to be out there that she is gay and that sadly will affect a lot of voters in this backward state. There are a lot of religious fundamentalists here.

I don't think she needs money. The county has an attorney to fight for her but she also has had to get her own attorneys. Apparently the county attornies can agree to settle out of court no matter what. She can be completely innocent and it will still look like she's guilty just because they decided to settle instead of fight.

[LiberalAndProud]

7. A strong offense would be a good defense.

Siobhan should file a libel suit post haste. Making scurrilous accusations should not go unpunished. Sexual harrassment, indeed!

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. Her attornies are working on the case.

But she can use all the help she can get from Missouri Democrats. Are you a Democrat with nothing to do. Well, here is your chance to really make a difference.

She needs letters to the editor of the KC Star and the Parkville Luminary (she lives just outside Parkville).

[niyad]

8. sending good thoughts and energy her way. wish I could send money, too.

[leftyladyfrommo]

23. Sending letters would be better than money.

I wish that all the Democrats everywhere would clap their hands. And get involved in this.

If this happened to her it could happen to any Democratic woman elected official anywhere!

[Javaman]

11. "No wonder good people really don't want to be involved in politics."

That sums up our current problems in a nut shell.

The ameican idolization of politics.

[leftyladyfrommo]

18. She is a CPA but with the litigation hanging over her head right

now she couldn't find another job even if she resigned.

She can't resign. She has to fight this just to save her reputation.

[liberal N proud]

12. Even if she was gay, what does that have to do with her work?

These people have this warped sense of morality and they want to force everyone to live to their ideals.

[LiberalAndProud]

13. I find the false sexual harrassment charge heinous.

Maybe that's just me.
Lesbian or not? I don't care. It sounds like she is very good at her job.

[liberal N proud]

14. Absolutely

And that is the problem with those kind of charges, once made they are out there and very difficult to counter.

[leftyladyfrommo]

21. That was the other thing that was really bothering her.

She isn't gay. But now a whole lot of people will think that she is. And that matters in Missouri politics - no matter how unjust and stupid it is.

[liberal N proud]

24. It matters in Missouri no matter how stupid it is

I lived in Maryville (50 miles north) for 25 years. I know what you mean.

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. Well, it wouldn't effect her work. But if she actually did make

unwanted sexual advances toward a married woman that would not be a good thing.

But she didn't and they have nothing they can show that she did. It is simply "he said, she said" at this point.

I don't understand how they can even bring a case against her.

[cbdo2007]

15. It's hard to judge based on the news reports avialable on this.

Who knows, it may be true? I don't know. I wasn't there and all there are is accusations and a lawsuit.

Another poster was correct if this isn't true, then Siobhan Williams definitely needs to countersue for libel and stuff.

All the truth will come out I'm sure, but at this point this could go either way. I'm not going to just side with the Dem just cause she's a Dem.

[leftyladyfrommo]

20. Well, she's a friend of mine.

I talked to her for a long time yesterday. She is going to fight - will cost her a lot of money but she feels like she has no alternative.

And the sad thing is that she doesn't want to go for the jugular against the people making these ridiculous allegations - she doesn't want to act in the same awful manner that they are.

And this is all timed to hit right around the next election. The timing couldn't be worse for her or better for the Republicans.

[Ignis]

25. Every auditor puts a target on his/her back.

And it's especially worse in a hostile environment like the one you've described above.

I've known three different auditors whose careers were all imperiled by phony sexual harassment charges. Luckily, only one of those three really saw a hit to their professional reputation over it, but it's apparently one of the "easier" ways to smear an auditor.

Here's hoping Siobhan hangs in there and toughs it out. :hi: