Media

Tony Calls Baloney On Hillary Clinton’s Weinstein Response

By Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.

Betsy Rothstein Gossip blogger
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As pervy Harvey Weinstein jetted off to an Arizona rehab Wednesday night, CNN’s resident “Parts Unknown” foodie Anthony Bourdain had no reservations about going after former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for her infinite intelligence and delayed response to the casting couch scandal.

It was a compliment — well, sort of.

Bourdain has reason to pour boiling water on the situation and suggest that Clinton should have known better or perhaps did know and didn’t use her intelligence to be aware of these kinds of things. After all, his Italian filmmaker girlfriend, Asia Argento, came clean about allegedly being raped by Weinstein. Numerous reports showed Bourdain displaying his “full support” for her announcement.

“I am proud and honored to know you,” Bourdain tweeted his girlfriend on Tuesday. “You just did the hardest thing in the world.”

He even asked, “Can we used the word rapist now? #Weinstein.”

The bombshell news about Argento first exploded Tuesday morning when a story by Ronan Farrow was published in The New Yorker in the context of many other women who said they were either harassed or raped by Weinstein.

The New York Times first came out with its Weinstein scoop late last week. Clinton waited a full five days to respond to the ordeal. Which was a full five days too long for people who were sickened that she had received years worth of campaign contributions from Weinstein and couldn’t think of a thing to say about his torrid behavior.

On Monday, Clinton released a statement saying she was “shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein.” Which did not serve as a balm to Bordain’s nerves.

On Wednesday, Clinton said she had no clue that Weinstein had an “alleged history” of sexual assault. She told CNN she plans to give the money he donated to her to charity.

But even that wasn’t enough for some people.

CNN media reporter Dylan Byers remarked on Twitter, “This is right — HRC says HW $$ will go to 10% she gives to charity every year… shouldn’t it be on top of the 10% in order to mean something? I think it’s fantastic that HRC gives 10% to charity every year. I’m only saying that if HW $$ is just part of that 10%, nothing’s changing.”

Apart from the issue of those pesky donations, Clinton did express her disdain for Weinstein’s behavior. “I was appalled,” Clinton told CNN. “It was something that was just intolerable in every way,” Clinton said. “And, you know, like so many people who’ve come forward and spoken out, this was a different side of a person who I and many others had known in the past.”

Clintons said Democrats have appreciated his financial help for years.

“People who never spoke out before having the courage to speak out, just clearly demonstrates that this behavior that he engaged in, cannot be tolerated and cannot be overlooked,” she said.