During an interview on Sunday’s State of the Union, CNN host Jake Tapper asked if House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi condemn Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond’s sexist comments about White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.
In case you missed it, Richmond made some rather disparaging and disgusting remarks at Conway’s expense.
Going back to the now-infamous photo of Conway sitting on the couch in the Oval Office, Richmond told an audience at the Washington Press Club Foundation’s congressional dinner:
I really just want to know what was going on there, because, I won’t tell anybody. You can just explain to me that circumstance because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there…But don’t answer. I don’t want you to refer back to the `90s.
Tapper introduced a clip of the above quote by characterizing it as a “crude joke” and after the clip, Tapper flatly told Pelosi: “So, Leader Pelosi, the joke was sexist. It was disgusting. Shouldn't the congressman apologize to Kellyanne Conway? And, honestly, where is the Democratic Party in expressing outrage about this?”
Pelosi played clueless, admitting that she was “just finding out about this” (kinda like Barack Obama did with certain scandals during his administration).
She then deflected to attacking President Trump to avoid agreeing with Tapper that Richmond should apologize:
I wasn’t at the dinner. I’m just finding out about this. The fact is, I’m still in sort of a state of ‘What is going on here?’ that the person who occupies the White House is a person who was on that Hollywood video, that said the crude things he says about women…You all are criticizing Cedric for something he said in the course of the evening — and he maybe should be criticized for that, I just don’t know the particulars. But I do, every day, marvel at the fact that somebody who said the gross and crude things that President Trump said — he wouldn’t even be allowed in a frat house, and he’s in the White House.
Tapper responded that the Access Hollywood video was covered extensively and he probed further: “If one criticizes only Republicans when they make crude comments, does that not undermine the moral authority if they don’t criticize when Democrats make crude comments?”
Again, Pelosi dodged:
Well, I think everybody was making crude comments, and I just don’t know, I wasn’t at that dinner. But I was at the dinner last night at the Gridiron Club, and we were all, I think, quite, shall we say, respectable. I’ll look at what my colleague said there, but I do think that in the Oval Office we were always, always with decorum appropriate for the White House.
On Monday, after consulting with people he claimed to know and trust, Richmond issued an apology:
After a discussion with people I know and trust, I understand the way my remarks have been received by many…I have consistently been a champion for women and women's issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them. I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive.
Richmond then blamed his ill joke on where he grew up, saying, “…that someone is looking or acting ‘familiar’ simply means that they are behaving too comfortably.”
Nice try.
Relevant transcript below:
CNN’s State of the Union
March 5, 2017
9:25 a.m. EasternJAKE TAPPER: I need to ask you about this crude joke that was told this week by a member of your caucus, Democratic Congressman Cedric Richmond, at the Washington Press Club Foundation annual dinner, at the expense of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. Take a listen.
DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE CEDRIC RICHMOND (Lou.): And you can just explain to me that — that circumstance, because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there.
TAPPER: So, Leader Pelosi, the joke was sexist. It was disgusting.
PELOSI: Right. Right.
TAPPER: Shouldn't the congressman apologize to Kellyanne Conway? And, honestly, where is the Democratic Party in expressing outrage about this?
PELOSI: Well, I wasn't at the dinner. I'm just finding out about this. But the fact is, I'm still in sort of a state of, what is going on here that the person who occupies the White House is a person who was on that Hollywood video that said the crude things he said about women. You all are criticizing Cedric for something he said in the course of the evening. And he maybe should be criticized for that. I just don't know the particulars. But do I, every day, marvel at the fact that somebody who said the gross and crude things that President Trump said, he wouldn't even be allowed in a frat house, and he's in the White House.
TAPPER: Well, I think we have covered the Access Hollywood tape quite a bit. But I guess the question is, if one criticizes only Republicans when they make crude comments, does that not undermine the moral authority, if -- if they don't criticize it when Democrats make crude comments?
PELOSI: Well, I think everybody was making crude comments and I just — I just don't know. I wasn't at that dinner. But I was at the dinner last night at the Gridiron Club. And we were all, I think, quite, shall we say, respectable. I will look at what my colleague said there. But I do think that, in the Oval Office, we were always, always with perfect -- with decorum appropriate for the White House.
