Confronted with multiple accusations of sexual harassment, Delaware County Dem Mike Zabel says he’s not giving up his state rep job. The most he will agree to is leaving his position on the House Judiciary Committee. He also says he’s getting “treatment” for what he calls “my illness.”
“My illness has caused some behavior that I regret, and I agree that additional intervention is necessary for me to fully recover,” Zabel wrote.
Since when is grotesque male pervery a medical condition? And if it is, why wasn’t Bill Clinton locked away in a clinic years ago?
This seems to be the new modus operandi for Pennsylvania Democrats. Even when it is clear that they either cannot or do not deserve to serve out their elected terms, they cling to the positions like a koala clings to a eucalyptus branch. And that is shameful.
His supporters have pointed to the fact that members of the GOP caucus have also refused to resign when accused of wrongdoing, but the “I know you are but what am I” philosophy isn’t exactly what we should expect from public servants.
I recall a situation not too long ago when former Philadelphia state Rep. Brian Sims was snared in his own harassment scandal and refused to go away. Sims was caught on tape doxing and stalking young female pro-lifers outside a Planned Parenthood Clinic. In response to calls for his resignation, he issued a half-hearted apology and stayed on.
Fortunately, the voters helped him resign when they picked his challenger in the last election.
Another representative who was accused of wrongdoing, Nick Miccarelli (also of Delaware County) did not resign but refused to run for an additional term in office. Zabel must think he has a way to minimize the damage to his career and reputation by simply “getting treatment” for an undisclosed “ailment.”
Zabel’s behavior brings to mind U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, who is currently receiving treatment for depression, and who knows what other maladies that have yet to be disclosed by a Democrat Party that is as opaque as a blizzard.
As we all remember, Fetterman suffered a life-threatening stroke during the Senate campaign and his staff covered up the severity of his condition. His family and his supporters essentially lied by omission to the voters. It is possible that if Pennsylvanians knew how severely compromised Fetterman was at the time — instead of finding out about it during the one debate, held a week before Election Day — he might have lost the election. But even if the voters would rather have a diminished Fetterman than a fully-functioning Dr. Oz, they still had a right to the truth about his health.
Now, Fetterman’s in the hospital and we have no idea when he will be back on the job. And he is not resigning.
And when you question what the Democrats have done, they accuse you of attacking sick people.
The common thread in the Zabel and Fetterman cases is both men were needed to secure a majority in their respective caucuses. To make matters worse, as I mentioned on 6abc’s “Inside Story” over the weekend, the Democrats under House Majority Leader Joanne McClinton used Zabel’s vote to pass a package of ethics rules that govern the process for….wait for it…dealing with claims of sexual harassment.
In other words, they allowed an accused sexual harasser to help craft the standards by which he might very likely be judged.
You simply cannot make these things up. Welcome to the other side of the Democratic Looking Glass.
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