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A US REPUBLICAN lawmaker who was criticised for creating a misogynistic online forum has resigned, citing concerns for the safety of his loved ones and himself.
The resignation of Rep. Robert Fisher came shortly after his Republican colleagues voted to recommend the full House take no action against him and after Democrats said they would ask the attorney general to investigate him.
Fisher had come under fire after a recent article on The Daily Beast revealed him as the creator of a Reddit forum called The Red Pill, which bills itself as a discussion of sexual strategies for men and includes a post in which users debate whether “every woman wants to be attractive enough to be raped.”
He resigned less than an hour after a Republican-led committee voted 8-6 along party lines to recommend that the full House take no action against him.
“Unfortunately, the falsehoods, lies and comments of an overzealous blogger and some of my colleagues have created a situation where I must genuinely consider the safety and wellbeing of my girlfriend, my family, and myself,” he said in an email.
I’m happy that the House committee stood firm for free speech today, it is with a heavy heart that I will be unable to complete my term.
The panel simultaneously recommended no action against Democratic Rep. Sherry Frost, who wrote on Twitter that men telling her to calm down makes her homicidal and that white Christian men represent a terrorist problem.
Fisher, 31, said that in his early 20s he went through a “nightmare situation” where “false rape accusations became a very real concern.”
He told the committee he doesn’t hate women or condone rape, and he believes it’s a waste of lawmakers’ time to dig into his past comments.
But in a recent piece he wrote for his local newspaper, Fisher defended and doubled down on some of his statements.
In one past comment, he said videotaping sexual encounters with women may be the only way for men to defend themselves against fake rape allegations.
The committee’s vote elicited shouts of “Shame!” from women in the audience.
Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, members of the women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, Action Together New Hampshire, Granite State Progress and Rep. Debra Altschiller held a news conference arguing that Fisher should be expelled.
Some dressed as characters from the book and television series, The Handmaid’s Tale, which imagines a dystopian republic in which women have lost their rights and even their identities.
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Bloody idiot.
Why? For expressing reservations about a man who overlooked 3.5 billon euro? The article is short on detail so far, but it seems reasonable enough to me.
He is supposed to be an independent civil servant. ie should not be trying to influence the decision of committees. This could possibly open the door for Cardiff after everything.
O’Shea is a chartered accountant and a barrister not a civil servant. Got no problem with him offering an opinion on the person who is suggested as his replacement. Possibly because I agree with him.
independent public servant then.
This carry on will probably hand the job to Cardiff now. He looks like the victim now ffs
Too much self interest and not enough public interest.
So our Independent Auditor in Europe explains to the Europeans that our Government have nominated someone unsuitable for the role, echoing what the whole country here has been saying for the past 3 weeks, and now he’s seen as undermining the government??
How about we look at the Governments nomination, which is the the actual issue here, and not the attempts of the credible people working for us to keep our reputation intact?
Come on…do you really think he is trying to keep our reputation in tact? He says himself he wrote the mails because he was annoyed at not getting rappointed….self interest.
Who is this guy anyway! Who nominated him, what did he do before? I think Cardiff should not be appointed given his role in the financial crisis and his part in the bank guarantee not mention the €3.5 billion fiasco but what’s O’Shea’s beef with him, playing party politics? Gavan?
Hi Ed – as updated in the piece now, O’Shea said he sent the email because he was frustrated at not having been nominated for reappointment by the Irish government.
It would appear that there is little honour among thieves or civil servants.
http://politicaleconomygroup.blogspot.com/2011/10/noble-highwayman.html
What on earth was O’Shea up to? Did he act alone? Extraordinary behaviour and totally inappropriate for an outgoing auditor.
You read this and think ‘ finally someone grows a pair’ and does the right thing. Then you read on, and the guy says he acted in haste and regrets! WTF!
and he is p.o. he didnt get to retain his position, nothin like a bit of self interest to get you motivated to stab someone in the back who is equally not suitable for the job.Someone said it already..cardiff is definitely going to get the job now, he looks like the victim ffs!!!!
I don’t know what is worse, the outgoing office holder giving his opinion on his purported successor – and nothing in that e mail seems to be inaccurate by the way – or an mep trying to subvert the decision of the committee by seeming to know what the parliament will be officially told is their decision even though it wasn’t.
oh and its probably a sheer co-incidence that it was Joe costelloe, same party as said mep, who produced this e mail by way of ambush today.
they REALLY want this guy elected don’t they?
The guy is clearly an unstable snake
Can I ask please, what is the salary going with this position? How much airfare, lodging, relocation, per diem gob stuffing expenses go with it? Bit rich to have some from the FF gene pool lament the financial state of the banks. Pot, kettle and brass neck come to mind.
Why do we need a new appointment.is there a time limit on how long a person can have the job?
Think you can do 2 terms. Each term is for 7 years.
You get two six-year terms; Geoghegan-Quinn was appointed in March 2000 and was reappointed from March 2006. Because she left for the Commission in 2010, leaving two years left to serve, O’Shea was appointed only to fill those two years. The vacancy now arises because Geoghegan-Quinn’s original second term was due to expire at the end of February.
Well if people think that Cardiff is bad, they should look up Maire Geoghan Quinn’s appointment and her record in the Dept. of Justice. That she was let through just says what a joke the standards of the EU commission are.
Great to see him kicked out on his hole and great to see Mr. bitter at not getting a 2nd term so i’ll write bitchy email getting a hop as well.
One can’t count and the other can’t write properly!
can anyone explain what kind of weight Kevin Cardiff has around the ruling class here, to say eoin O’shea has become so apologetic, and the government are so behind him despite the fact he should clearly be fired, and banned from any future public position, and i’ve yet to here any questioning of the clear lack of respect he showed Mary Lou McDonald while being questioned on his failures within the department of finance,,this guy seems untouchable
Yep! gerard. He’s a senior civil servant.
This is a classic case of sour grapes.
The most telling aspect of this whole episode is the level of backbiting that goes on in the upper echelons of the civil service – seems like a snake pit crawling with talentless wasters who thrive and compete on political connections.
Interesting to note that DeRossa – the so called champion of the ‘working man’ late of The Workers Party and Democratic Left and now Labours man in Europe is the champion of the ruling elite in their efforts to get their incompetent fat butts onto snug seats while being aided and abetted by Gilmore back home.
Does anyone think we’re being distracted here???
We’d be better off with pitchforks at the gates of Leinster House alright.
which guy is worse? At least Cardiff sticks to his story.
Which story – that the banks are solvent? We’re not bringing in the IMF?
I think O Shea has stuck to his story, and its a more relevant one…
“And the animals did turn and eat each other”.
No we won’t. I’m the ref and I won’t allow it. Lol
have your say