Massa Says He Tickled Staffer ‘Until He Couldn’t Breathe’

[Tx4obama]

Source: Roll Call

Ex-Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.), who resigned from the House on Monday night as he battled allegations that he sexually harassed his aides, acknowledged on a Fox News program Tuesday that he touched a male staffer.

“Now they’re saying I groped a male staffer,” Massa told host Glenn Beck. “I did. I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe.”



Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/44005-1.html

---

Also:

Massa under investigation for allegedly groping male staffers
Former representative. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) has been under investigation for allegations that he groped multiple male staffers working in his office, according to three sources familiar with the probe.

The allegations surrounding the former lawmaker date back at least a year, and involve "a pattern of behavior and physical harassment," according to one source. The new claims of alleged groping contradict statements by Massa, who resigned his office on Monday after it became public that he was the subject of a House ethics committee investigation for possible harassment.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/09/AR2010030902157.html

[tabatha]

1. What a douche bag

and especially after Foley.
How dumb can some people be?

[dkf]

2. This is getting ridiculous.

I don't know if its the staff blowing up things or this idiot, but I'm getting very disgusted here.

[jezebel]

4. I'm not blaming the staff. What 50 year old straight man engages in ticklefests with his male aides?

And I'm only referencing straight because he claims the groping wasn't "sexual".

[ArcticFox]

11. I don't think he's straight.

[jezebel]

13. Oh neither do I. It's becoming obvious. nt

[Hekate]

16. Tickling someone like that is an act of aggression and power, not sex per se....

As a child I was sensitive to tickling, and until I learned to hold my breath and go limp -- thus depriving the aggressor of the reaction they were looking for -- I was a target. I don't know why our neurosystem is programmed to laugh and jerk around helplessly at this painful stimulus, but there's nothing funny about it.

There may be something sexual in Massa's behavior, in that he sought a sorta-kinda socially acceptable sorta-kinda humorous means of handling other men in public, but like other unwanted touchy-feely behavior I think this is mostly about aggression and power.

And whether Massa's targets were male or female, he should have kept his hands to himself.

Hekate

[eShirl]

18. What boss thinks it's appropriate to tickle any employee?

[joeybee12]

3. Hmmm...someone has an interesting fetish...n/t

[UpInArms]

5. I've been working for almost 40 years and have had countless

employees, never never never have I ever touched any of them.

disgusting is all I can say.

[Spazito]

6. So, do I have this right?

He didn't "tussle" an aide's hair as he first said, he "tickled him until he couldn't breathe" instead? Or did he "tussle" one aide's hair and "tickle" another aide "until he couldn't breathe"?

This just keeps getting stranger and stranger by the day.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. I'm glad he's leaving.

I hope his staffers sue.

[Cirque du So-What]

8. I wish this motherfucker would just STFU and go away quietly

That's what Mark Foley did, and it went a long way toward allowing the story to die of its own accord. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Eric Massa has gotten a huge advance from TMZ or the National Enquirer to self-promote this story and keep the corporate media fizzing with rabies about it, to the detriment of the Democratic party.

[Ecumenist]

9. Okay, um, that's a little weird.

Brother man seems to have something to tell his closest and dearest.

[Botany]

10. So far Massa

walked in on a guy "jerkin the gerkin" and slapped his leg and asked if he needed some help (navy days)

told a staffer that he should be having sex w/ him and then touched the guy's head

****************

Massa seems to be crazy or interested in sex w/ men (not that there is anything wrong w/ that) or
a sexual harasser or trying to take as many down w/ him or dying of cancer or some sort combination
of the aforementioned things

[marshall]

22. It's weirder than a cigar in the tw@

Washington lives by different rules than the rest of us.

[JesterCS]

12. tickled his pickle maybe n/t

[msanthrope]

14. I'm waiting fo rthe DU'ers who think Massa is such a hero to show up. n/t

[Cha]

15. The local Albany news said he was going

to be on Larry King tonight getting more of that 15 minutes..so we can hear how warm and fuzzy he is and blaming his downfall on the Democratic Party.

[Johonny]

17. It's still not clear to me why he resigned

A ticklefeast and sexual harassment charges aren't generally I give up items for someone in Congress. He must have more dirt than this...

[cali]

20. harassing your staff is generally cause for resignation

and aggressively tickling an employee is definitely harassment. In addition there are text messages sent by Massa to staff that are about to come out.

[Jennicut]

21. Oh no. I hear text messages and I know that is not good.

Just...why? Why do this to yourself? The guy has serious issues.

[KittyWampus]

19. Jeez, I usually just tickle my staffers til they pee their pants. Okay, okay, I don't have staffers

I have cats. And when I tickle them hard they claw me.

[comrade snarky]

23. Massa has now officially crossed the line from "Huh?"

To "Creepy..."

And is heading full steam for "Ewww!"

[Ecumenist]

24. ROTFLBAO!! nt