Gubernatorial Candidate Carl Paladino Calls Senator "Little Girl"

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-11-01 16:34:00 UTC
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Is it sexist to call a senator a "little girl"? Republican Carl Paladino, New York gubernatorial candidate, doesn't think so. In fact, he has "no regrets" about calling N.Y. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand "Chuck Schumer's little girl."

When pressed on the issue on T.V., Paladino denied that his remarks were sexist and then simply walked out on the interview to avoid further questioning. Paladino insisted that he was simply referring to Gillibrand's lack of a mind of her own when casting votes, although, as Irin points out at Jezebel, he could have chosen a number of other non-sexist adjectives in that case: "Pawn. Puppet. Pushover." But he went with "Schumer's little girl." Degrading much?

Paladino has already received plenty of Change.org coverage for his various offensive acts: Forwarding emails with the phrase "Run n___ers, run" and depicting the Obamas as "pimp and whore." Calling LGBTQ people "disgusting." Saying we should imprison poor people to teach them "hygiene."

Paladino is big on abstinence-only education and what conservatives like to call "family values," but had an affair while married that resulted in a child. (Well, he is against contraceptive access, so I guess there's some consistency there.) His insistence that his private life was off-limits to the press didn't stop him from alleging sans evidence that his Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo, had also engaged in an affair, an unfounded smear he later found himself forced to retract. And despite opposing abortion being legal even in cases of rape or insist, he has had no problem being landlord to Planned Parenthood and filing for special tax exemptions over the clinic. It's not hypocrisy when there's a lot of money involved, right?

If Paladino wins his race for governor, I might have to consider moving out of the state, so I hope all New Yorkers will cast their ballot against him. You can also demand he apologize for calling a female senator a male colleague's "little girl." He might have thought that by walking out on his interview the issue would just go away, but sexist politicians should know their language has ongoing consequences, and they can't get away with derogatory remarks just before they come up for election.

Photo credit: Tracy_N_Brandon

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.

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