People may call Meg Whitman many things—“whore” is probably not the term most typically among them. In among what may be the former Governor’s worst nightmare, Jerry Brown forgot to hang up the phone during his race for election. Unfortunately for Brown, the remainder of the phone call went to voicemail and also to an audio tape recording that’s making it rounds through the media. Now Brown’s gaining some permanency in what may turn out to be one of the most important calls in California—at least in terms of what may mark Brown’s career as “history”. The race for Governor’s been virtually tied—possibly until now.
The newest political scandal could rock Brown’s boat—uh-oh, Jerry Brown: you may have just sunk your battleship. In the California state where the politician is openly said to have shown previous claims for corruption, Meg Whitman’s camp tries to make Jerry Brown appear as sleazy as many already believe.
That’s right, Jerry Brown’s calling Meg Whitman a whore in relation to her attempts for endorsements from law enforcement—at least on tape anyway. Speculation still abounds as to whether it’s actually Brown’s voice on the voicemail recording, or one of his aides. There’s lots of names Meg Whitman might be called, by many people. In fact, Whitman might be a lot of things, but someone better pick a better slur than “whore”--before terrible images flood the psyches of California.
The race for California governor is essentially tied—obviously the reason for Brown’s tizzy. Brown gained only a small lead recently, pertaining to the fight over Whitman’s hiring of an illegal immigrant housekeeper. Brown claims Whitman’s not taking the type of responsibility that she should, given her position that employers should be held accountable for hiring illegal workers—and yada, yada, yada. It hasn’t gotten him far—not as far as the prior Governor had probably hoped. Polls showed that Californians did enjoy watching the drama over the Whitman illegal immigrant housekeeper scandal that have been unfolding—but that the scandal itself hasn’t been quite so scandalous. A bit more like reality tv than taken as complete seriousness, Whitman’s housekeeper doesn’t seem to be having much influence on how California voters intend to vote come election day.
The voicemail tape opens with Brown’s pitch in the election with statements like, “We’ve got $30 million [dollars] in the bank—we’re ready to roll.” After Brown dumbly believes he’s hung up the phone is when the real fun begins: all kinds of statements follow, beginning at the 1:50 mark of the YouTube video clip, including statements from Brown like, “Whitman’s ad is cuckoo,” and the respective winner: “they [law enforcement agencies] know [Meg] Whitman will cut a deal [for them as Governor] that I won’t.
Brown’s camp calls the accidentally recorded ‘private’ conversation as having used of “salty language”. Feminist groups says it isn’t “salty” but is instead derogatory toward women. The situation could be a major misstep and problem for Jerry Brown, the politician having been endorsed by the organization of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Ouch, ouch—and double-ouch.
The term “whore” is used at least twice on voicemail recording mistakenly left by the Brown camp—including what sounds like a question on audio of, “What about saying she’s [Meg Whitman’s] a whore?” The (supposedly-private) conversation refers to Brown’s ranting over the idea that Whitman is “buying” votes and endorsements in California during the essentially tied race. Meg Whitman’s spending in race as governor hit 140 million dollars less than two days ago, with Jerry Brown’s spending in the governor’s race at 11 million thus far.
Sure sounds like Brown’s voice on tape, after he leaves a pitch for an endorsement from a law enforcement group, mistakenly believing he’s hung up the phone. At 1:50 in the attached YouTube video blurb, the taped phone conversation by Brown complains that Whitman has bought support of police—creating an exception for them in the Whitman pension reform plan. ”They know Whitman will give ‘em, will cut them a deal, but I won’t,” former Governor Brown says on the voicemail recording.
“She’s a whore,” either Jerry Brown or an ass-kissing aide confirms on tape.
Whitman’s camp has of course jumped on the accidentally taped phone conversation that got put to voicemail—Whitman issuing statement via Sarah Pompei, spokeswoman: The use of the term “whore” is an insult to both Meg Whitman and to the women of California. This is an appalling and unforgivable smear against Meg Whitman. At the very least Mr. Brown tacitly approved this despicable slur and he himself may have used the term at least once on this recording.
Interestingly, Whitman seems unable to personally produce a comment herself--in response to that by which she seems to highly offended.
It’s still unknown or entirely confirmed as to whether Jerry Brown himself actually used the term “whore” in reference to Whitman, or whether it was one of his political staffers. The voice on the audiotape sounds suspiciously like Brown’s and LA Police Protective League’s transcript of the “whore” conversation and word’s use—the conversation transcribed by a registered court reporter—does identify the voice speaking the word “whore” as “J.B.” for Jerry Brown.
Whether or not Brown himself issued the “whore” statement, argues Whitman’s camp, Brown is not heard on the audio tape as admonishing any of his staffers for use of the what Whitman’s camp deems derogatory language. Lack of admonishment, according to the Whitman camp, makes Brown good for the dirty deed--whether or not he actually said it himself.
Extremely interesting is the spin that Whitman and her camp have placed on the Jerry Brown incident of sheer stupidity: Whitman’s camp has issued statement focusing on use of the actual term in context of traditional definition—with the spin of how derogatory the term is toward women. In doing so, Meg Whitman has actually been able to gain some Press and dodge a bullet simultaneously—her “buying” of votes, which Jerry Brown was addressing as issue, has successfully been overshadowed or even completely ignored because of the Brown camp language.
Yes, successful PR at its finest—everyone’s so focused on “whore”, no one’s bothering to check out the scope of validity. Bad move, Jerry Brown, you should’ve picked a different slang term.
There are a few interesting perspectives, inclusive of the idea that, during the tied race, the “accidental” tape recording may not have been such an accident—that the Brown camp’s “whore” comment was insignificant in comparison to revealing the idea that Meg Whitman basically “buying votes” in California. The idea’s not too far-removed from ‘crazy’, though—if that were the case—Jerry Brown probably would have chosen a less controversial insertion than “whore”, particularly considering the NOW backing and possible loss of those votes.
Jerry Brown running for California state governor and an eligibility question is interesting unto itself: per the maximum two-term limit, Brown wouldn’t be eligible to run for the position. Some, in fact, argue that the California Constitution should bar Brown from the race altogether—and that the Attorney General is not upholding the law per Article 5 of the document:
CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 5 EXECUTIVE “SEC. 2.
The Governor shall be elected every fourth year at the same time and places as members of the Assembly and hold office from the Monday after January 1 following the election until a successor qualifies. The Governor shall be an elector who has been a citizen of the United States and a resident of this State for 5 years immediately preceding the Governor's election. The Governor may not hold other public office. No Governor may serve more than 2 terms.”
Because Brown was governor prior to term limits and their institution per the Constitution, he’s technically exempt to run for Governor in what would be a third term—should Brown actually win the forthcoming race.
But don’t put anything past him: Jerry Brown’s been up to beating legal challenges. Can anyone say “politician”?: in 2007, a judge tossed out a lawsuit which claimed Jerry Brown was not qualified to serve as state attorney general—specifically because Brown had not practiced law for all of the five years prior to his election of that November. Brown successfully wriggled—or paid—his way out of that one, with pathway to the ‘results’ unknown. Superior Court Judge Gail Ohanesian threw out the lawsuit against Brown, stating that--while Brown had chosen to allow State Bar of California membership be deemed "inactive" from 1997 through April 2003, Brown was still eligible to practice law and had been eligible since his admission to the bar more than 40 years previous. "The intent of this law, Judge Ohanesian told attorneys on both sides, “was not to prevent someone in the circumstances of this candidate to be excluded from office.”
Jerry Brown’s certainly no shining steed—making California voters question what’s worse: known corruption, or soon-to-be-known corruption.
In the interim, there’s always the humor: the picture of Meg Whitman as a whore.