Steve Lopez: The real outrage behind the Whitman 'whore' remark

All right, sure. I think we can all agree that it's inappropriate for either Jerry Brown or one of his staffers to refer to Meg Whitman, his rival, as a whore.

What are all the impressionable young students in civics classes supposed to think? Wait, do we still fund civics classes in California?

If you saw the story about a recorded phone conversation Brown had with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, whose endorsement he was shopping for, it's not clear whether it was Brown or one of his snarky minions who used the "prostitute" reference.

But here's the deal: The endorsement went to Whitman, who would have you believe that public-employee unions are public enemy No. 1 and that they've got Brown in their pocket, making him incapable of reining in spending or balancing a budget.

And yet Meg had agreed to exempt public-safety employees from a pension reform plan in which she would move state workers into 401(k)s. Yeah, she's tough as nails, but she'll sell her soul for an endorsement.

If "whore" is the wrong word for that, is "hypocrite" the right one? You be the judge.

Talk to me, California.

-- Steve Lopez

Photos: Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[johnnylee]

The Brown staff used the word "Whore" in describing Meg Whitman but there are multiple meaning for that word. Most people think of something sexual in nature when the word WHORE is used but many Politicians and Business people use the word "Whore" to describe someone who would compromise their principles for some type of personal gain. Before Whitman lambast the Brown campaign for the use of that word, she should look up the complete definition.

[Alejandro Kehelez]

All civil servants need their pensions and benefits renegotiated. Should they be revoked? No. Police officers and firefighters deserve credit for the hard work they do. However, they signed up for the job just like our military does. Don't tell me they're doing a job nobody else will. The waiting lists in both professions are insanely long. Plenty of people would do their job for half the benefits they receive. They needn't be exempt from pay cuts and benefit realignment. Everyone needs to take a step back and stop looking out for numero uno all the time. There's a lot of people suffering out there and ALL civil servants just need to be grateful they have a job and benefits. I use the word servants as they are hired to SERVE the public, not to abuse the system. They work for us. End mafioso run unions and we might get back to reality.

[Sea Gopher]

Steve : I agree with you that it is inappropriate but acceptable for to call women "whore's" depending on the context. All I want to know is can I call my boss or teacher a "whore" with no repercussions ?

[cheryl kimble]

Is this woman really worth any more press?

Whatever you may choose to call her, let's just hope it's NOT Governor...

[Jubba the hat]

She's trying to buy love. Doesn't that make her the John?

[Sherry Venegas]

I just do not see the craziness in Jerry Brown. Just because he grew up in the governor's mansion does not mean he is dishonest or a fake. Actors say they can run a state, but I do not see any big advancements when they do.

Anybody who can take a few words and say or write something that makes me laugh and think has my thumbs up. Good wordsmiths can do anything.

Thanks, to both Jerry Brown and Steve Lopez

[Maddmax]

The media should be demanding that Brown withdraw from the race for making or endorcing such an extreme comment. But because the media is run by the Democrats, they'll just try and bury this story ASAP. Could you imagine if a Republican made this comment...!!! Media hypocrates!!!

[PTVoice]

Always an excuse for the left while condemning the right.
And the propaganda wing of the left writes on.

[older American]

The real outrage is the suggestion that Jerry Brown may have used the word "whore" when the recording make sit perfectly clear the word was uttered by a woman.

[Inkspots]

It is an apt characterization: Whitman sold out her platform and her constituency by pandering to the police officers' union. Spare me the guilt trips of public safety officers: It is their pensions that are bankrupting cities up and down the state, not the miniscule benefit packages of teaching assistants, nurse's aides and janitors. Whitman has opted to sell herself to the highest bidder, and will pretend to stand tough by squeezing the hardworking, modestly paid people on the lower rungs. Shame on you, Meg Whitman.

[Jeff]

As for the public pensions, I think there is a big difference between fire fighters, police, teachers as one group and the other civic employees. When you put your life on the line for others, you deserve more. When you are a very critical and large part of the development of a child, you deserve more. Why? We need good people doing those jobs. If you manage a municipal golf course, check people in at the DMV, process applications, etc. you are doing a job that has no life risk factors and can be done by a computer, robot or person with no special skills. Therefore, you deserve less. The entitlements afforded government employees are the largest drain on the budget and need to be dealt cut. If government people had the same conditions as private business folks, perhaps this state would run better. The fact is we NEED to cut costs, and I would rather cut a pension than fire teachers, police officers or firemen.

[Chris]

Whores are the ones who do the dirty work for the money. Pimps are the ones with the money and the power. So in this case I would say the cops are the chippies (pun intended) and Meg is the one whoring them out.

[Kenneth C. Robinson]

You have got to be kidding. You actually endorse this type of uncouth, debase rhetoric? What has California dengenerated into?

[Tod Wilkins]

Steve, How is it when Democrats support Unions and keeping pensions they are heros, but when a Republican does it, they are "hypocrites?" Why is supporting a police pension a bad thing? Double standard.

[Davd Chambers]

With Brown’s “whore” comment, the political facade slipped for a moment to reveal the true face of the Democratic party. The party that so violently opposed segregation and civil rights for African Americans. The party whose senate majority leader formed a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. The Democratic party that Brown’s words show all too clearly is also contemptuous of women, especially smart women! Why would we expect otherwise. Do we learn nothing from history?

[Neil Popowitz]

I'm with you Steve. Whore may not have been the "nicest" choice of words, but no one seems to be talking about the real issue - if the keystone of Whitman's campaign is that she has a spine of steel and the positive spin on her spending $150K to get elected is that she isn't beholden to the special interests, such as unions, why aren't we talking about the fact that she is selling out for an endorsement BEFORE even getting elected?! Sounds like a spine of spaghetti to me!

[ALD]

Calling nutMeg a "whore" isn't that incorrect. After all, she's prostituted herself in many unknown ways to win this election (which she WILL lose). . . . Who are her donors?

[rp]

I just got out my thesaurus to confirm it....... yup.... it's an absolute fact:

The word whore is an accepted synonym and completely interchangeable with the word politician.

[Dr Gerald L. Holloway]

Brown is Brown!

[Will]

To: Ramon Sombrero

BOYCOTT MEXICO
BOYCOTT MEXICO
You brought it up demotard

[Cyndy Greger]

the law that ought to be enacted is that once you are on a public pension you can't go back and work for the state in a "consulting" role -- because you are already on the public dole and then by "consulting" in your former position or even in another one...you are preventing a younger person from having gainful employment...while you hog 2 salaries !

It's amazing how many people in public service are really of the mindset "self service.
Ugh.
it's horrible that we even have to think about legislating moral behavior like this...but after seeing the fire dept. and the county worker list with how many "retired" people are still getting a paycheck as consultants...it made me sick.

[Kathy Brown]

It gets REALLY old for Democrats to claim that everyone who doesn't endorse them has "cut a deal with the other candidate". Democrats, including Jerry Brown, are every bit the "whore" as any Republican ever was. Pot calling the kettle black if you ask me.

[john]

she has to be elected, and of course this involves making compromises with the public service unions. they are powerful in california. if people were rational, then they'd obviously vote for left-wing if they live off of other peoples taxes (welfare or working for the state) and they'd vote right-wing if they paid net taxes (private sector workers).

the stuff about compassion, safety nets, the environment, civil rights, free this / free that paid by the state, gay this / gay that, all of those issues are smoke screens, when all that matters is which side of the wealth transfer are you on.

the state never creates wealth, that comes all from individuals doing private enterprise (trying to get rich by starting a business of some kind, without the government being involved).

the left pretends that there is a fixed pie of wealth, that's how they demonize the rich. saying if the rich are richer, that's the reason the poor are poorer, like the rich are taking from the poor.

in a free society it doesn't work that way. the only way money is taken is by taxes.

i don't think there's any particular right for people working in the public sector to have a high salary and a high pension. in the end public service is not about living grand, retiring at age 50 with a 90% pension on a 100k / salary. this would never work in the private sector, because whatever business was run this way, would go bankrupt.

which is what's happening at the government level, why we have to keep borrowing. the government promises too much and spends too much, and the fix is to just have less government.

that doesn't mean let black babies starve in the streets or old people live off of catfood. it does mean that public sector workers should not be unionized though, a public sector union is basically a bunch of people who use other tax payer money (again, public sector employees are NOT net taxpayers), to bully the government into not firing for bad performance and to get paid more than they are worth (based on what a free market would determine).

the big irony is the left is all preaching about "hope", when all of their messages are really about fear. and the right is supposed to be all mean and scary, when really the basic assumption is if people work hard, they succeed.

a simple way to look at this is capitalism doesn't need an ever growing government. but government does need capitalism, and it even needs an ever growing private sector (i.e. the economy), to keep paying for the bloat. it's not symmetric.

everything that is paid for in the world is paid for out of taxes coming out of the private sector. the public sector doesn't actually help the world that much, it doesn't improve mankind, it just make a lot of noise.

[Margarita Fox]

Be careful Mr. Lopez, Ms. Whitman may accuse you of being in Jerry Brown's pocket in order to smear her. I agree with you -- I didn't care for the remark, but everything so far has shown her to be very hypocritical and self-serving.

[george]

about Steve's comment:

"Firefighters and Police do the work no one else will."

usually there are like 1000 applicants for every firefighter position opening. it's a dream job, great benefits and mostly for very little work. if there are that many applicants for so few positions, it means the pay is too high.

i think the police are different because in theory at least you need to weed out bad people somehow. i'm not sure how hiring works for them. however i really doubt they can't work until 60 like the rest of us. tons of other jobs (in the private sector) require long hours sitting in cars or at desks.

it's like in greece how the unions convinced the leftist government that all sorts of jobs deserve early retirement. hairdressers was one profession.

i know one police officer, he's my age (39) and he makes 94k. that is a lot for a non technical job that you really can teach any honest man who's not easily corruptible.