Pelosi, an ardent feminist, played a significant role in pushing for more information in a scandal that ultimately led to the resignation of Republican Rep. Mark Foley. For those who don't remember, Pelosi swept into the Speaker's office after making calls for an investigation into messages that Foley was sending to Capitol Hill pages. "Toward midnight, Ms. Pelosi took the floor. 'As a mother and grandmother and the leader of the House Democrats,' she began, demanding an investigation into what House leaders knew about the Foley messages," the New York Times's Kate Zernike wrote on Nov. 9, 2006. "Republicans booed, a rarity even in the raucous House chamber. She pressed on, however, smiling her unbudging smile."
When it comes to a member of her own party and her inner circle, however, she appears not to care about behavior that's potentially offensive to women. Her office hasn't responded to TheDC's requests for comment on whether or not the same standards for investigating congressional members' sex scandals holds true for Democrat men, like Weiner, as it does for Republican men.
Now that it's known Weiner had private communications with porn star and stripper Ginger Lee and this imbroglio doesn't appear to be an isolated incident, women's rights activists are saying Weiner's behavior is sexist.
Amy Siskind, president of The New Agenda, a feminist organization, told TheDC that #Weinergate appears to be yet another example of "men abusing their power to exploit women."
"It seems a family can't sit down and watch the evening news without an endless stream of men abusing their power to exploit women," Siskind said in an email. "It's become 'boys gone wild season' for men in positions of power and it's a disgrace."
Siskind said Weiner eventually needs to explain himself and tell the American people what happened with #Weinergate.
"With all the attention this incident has received, at this point the inescapable result is that Rep Weiner needs to explain what has occurred in order to clarify what is acceptable behavior towards young women," Siskind said. "Abuse of power knows no political party."
Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition told TheDC she thinks Weiner's "attempt to minimize the seriousness raised more questions and it is now time for the House Ethics Committee to get answers to these questions."
"I think Weiner needs to be honest and transparent as he often pretends to be," Lafferty said in a phone interview. "And his buddies Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Wasserman Schultz should join with others in calling for the House Ethics Committee to investigate. When John Boehner hears about stuff like this, he calls the guys in and they have to leave. Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Wasserman Schultz should do the same."
Lafferty added that "where there's smoke, there's fire."
"How many other women are going to come forward?," Lafferty asked. "Is he the new Tiger Woods?"
Foley declined to respond to TheDC's request for comment on #Weinergate.
