Katie Pavlich: DC’s faux feminists

As the latest barrage of sexual harassment and assault allegations make their way through the halls of Capitol Hill and into the lead of prime-time newscasts, the question about how long this has been happening is inevitably being asked. And of course, why wasn’t this kind of widespread behavior addressed or stopped sooner?

In the wake of sexual harassment allegations against Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), we find part of the answer.

Conyers is accused of firing a staffer after she refused to give him requested sexual favors. He then quietly paid her off with taxpayer money through his office budget.

{mosads}During an interview with “Meet the Press” over the weekend, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) engaged in the very victim-shaming the left has long lectured against.

“We are strengthened by due process. Just because someone is accused, and was it one accusation? Is it two? I think there has to be … John Conyers is an icon in our country. He has done a great deal to protect women — Violence Against Women Act, which the left — right-wing — is now quoting me as praising him for his work on that, and he did great work on that,” Pelosi said. “I don’t know who they [the women] are. Do you? They have not really come forward.”

Some say Pelosi botched the question. She didn’t. Botching would imply she made a mistake, when it’s clear her intention was to sow doubt in the minds of viewers about the credibility of the women making claims against Conyers.

Conyers already went through his version of due process within the walls of his office and made the decision to make a hush payment to his victim before she created a problem. The feminist sisterhood stands strong, unless of course a male Democrat in favor of abortion comes under fire, then it crumbles.

Never mind that Pelosi said in 2014, “#YesAllWomen deserve to live free from threats of domestic violence & sexual assault. We must shine a bright light on such despicable crimes.” 

It’s a nice gesture that Pelosi is now, all of the sudden, concerned about due process when it’s a Democrat on the line for accountability. Pelosi of course doesn’t view due process as an equal option for everyone. She certainly doesn’t feel the same about wrongfully accused young men at universities around the country. After all, they aren’t worth anything to her politically.

After being berated by members of her own party, Pelosi now says she believes at least one of his accusers.

But Conyers isn’t the only one Pelosi has favored over victims.

When Pelosi was Speaker, former Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) was the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. There, he preyed on women who were victims of sexual assault in the military and offered to help them so long as dinner dates and other favors were exchanged.

As mayor of San Diego, he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by 12 different women. He eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery for engaging in violence against women. After his resignation, which Pelosi had to be pressured into calling for, Filner was welcomed back into California politics with open arms. After all, he had “done good work” by founding the Progressive Caucus with Pelosi and “helped” female veterans during his time as chairman.

But Pelosi isn’t the only one who has favored power over accountability when it comes to sexual misconduct. Twice-failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is guilty too.

In the 1990s and through today, Hillary  Clinton enabled President Bill Clinton’s rampant sexual harassment and assault for the sake of riding his coattails into the Senate, Department of State and — she thought — the White House.

During an interview just last week, Hillary Clinton again discounted victims of her husband’s abuse, saying they’ve “misremembered” what happened.

“I think it’s unfortunate that, uh, people are either misremembering or misinterpreting history,” she told radio host Rita Cosby.

A sharp turn from the campaign trail, when she said, “Every survivor of sexual assault deserves to be heard, believed, and supported.”  

Bill Clinton set the low bar, Hillary Clinton tolerated it, attacked his victims and here we are today.

There are plenty of powerful men in Washington and the town’s most powerful women didn’t dare hold them accountable for bad behavior. After all, that would have meant letting go of power for the Democratic Party.  

Pavlich is the editor for Townhall.com and a Fox News contributor.