NYT‘s Magazine writer and infamous This Town author Mark Leibovich is once again riling people. This time, it concerns Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand‘s (D-N.Y.) blockbuster revelation in a new book that some of her male colleagues have sexually harassed her. She won’t name names, however. That’s what Leibovich is disputing.
Maybe Gillibrand granted that senator anonymity so that he could insult her candidly…
— Mark Leibovich (@MarkLeibovich) August 28, 2014
This unlocked an anger valve from some of his followers.
Jesse Berney, a contributor at the lefty Blue Nation Review, replied, “Wow @MarkLeibovich maybe it’s none of your fucking business if a woman decides to name her harasser.”
Ethan Peretz wrote simply, “Blaming The Victim: Press Edition.”
It’s tough to say whether Ordinary Mama was employing sarcasm, but she wrote, “SHE’S PROBABLY LYING YOU KNOW.”
All insults aside, The Daily Beast‘s Olivia Nuzzi, who faced her own harassment when using Uber, suggested maybe there’s a reason Gillibrand didn’t name names. “@MarkLeibovich if she named names, it would become about the individuals rather than the problem itself,” she wrote.
But “Elizabeth” shot the messenger. “I see what you did there @MarkLeibovich! Questioning the motives of a woman speaking up about sexual harassment! How clever + original!” she wrote.
Another follower also named “Mark” brought up an interesting point: “@MarkLeibovich And if she named the senator, you, or someone like you, would be there demanding recorded proof and screaming ‘defamation!'”
But Leibovich isn’t alone in suggesting (however sarcastically) that Gillibrand should out the asses who squeezed her stomach.
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe, both Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski were adamant that she ought to come clean with who did this to her.
“Doesn’t she have a responsibility to name names?” asked Scarborough. “I think she should. These men need to be outed.”
Mika said sharply, “No one is naming names. I think that’s actually weak.”
Speaking like a true reporter, HuffPost‘s Sam Stein, a guest on the show today, wouldn’t opine on the matter.
“I would like to see her name names, obviously, because I want the information,” he said.