It was only a matter of time, but the mainstream media picked up on the DNC’s gay drama.
Washington Post today ran a piece on Donald Hitchcock’s discrimination suit against the Democratic National Committee, particularly with regard to Howard Dean’s testimony.
The article largely catches readers up with the suit, but also offers a view of the conflict between Dean, who’s Chairman of the DNC, and Hitchcock’s lawyer, Lynne Bernabei:
…Dean’s infamous short temper was on full display toward the end of the second day of his deposition during a testy exchange with Lynne Bernabei, the plaintiff’s attorney who deposed him.
Bernabei grilled Dean about why, as governor of Vermont, he didn’t hold a public ceremony when he signed the state’s civil union bill into law. “You don’t get to put words in my mouth,” Dean fumed. “If you want the truth and whole truth and nothing but the truth…You have to let me answer your question.”
“You can say anything you want. You are a politician, Mr. Dean,” Bernabei said. (He’s also a doctor, Ms. Bernabei.)
“You are not behaving in a manner which is professionally competent or qualifying,” Dean said, adding, “You are an embarrassment to this profession, counselor.”
“Well, it is not your profession. Thank you,” Bernabei snapped.
“It is my daughter’s profession,” Dean shot back. “I am going to show her this tape so she never behaves like this.”
Who knew Dean had such an inner bitch? We love it!
How about we take this to the next level?
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Rev Wrong
I gather that what Mr. Hitchcock wants out of this, is a talk show or to be on Oprah.
From what I have read, he was just a shitty employee. This sets back gay employees with a real problem……not just someone with a connection to a gay newspaper.
Isn’t the Blade the former home of Jeff Gannon and
Chris Crain? If so, who would ever believe anything they say.
rocketboy
I think Rev. Wrong needs to go back to school and learn about defamation. That is exactly Mr. Hitchcock’s point in suing to counter the false accusations made about his employment. People please.
Keep up the fight, and stand up for what is right.
HellsKitchen
Isn’t odd that the Washington Blade was not mentioned in the article when the DNC sent bullies over to rough up the editor?
H'Mo
Here’s the text that shocked me…Since when did a lawyer take their case to the street…except in desperation!! BTW Lynne, if you post to a listserve – YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THE DEBATE!! You are not only foolish, but naive. I hope Kevin posts this ranting!!…
My name is Lynne Bernabei. I have been a civil rights attorney for thirty years and represent Mr. Donald Hitchcock. I am not a member of this listserve and therefore, do not want to get into an online debate regarding the discrimination, retaliation, and defamation charges pending against the DNC, Mr. Howard Dean and Mr. Andy Tobias brought by Mr. Hitchcock.
I would like to state for the record that the new false statements about Mr Hitchcock’s employment performance that Mr. Tobias has recently concocted on this listserve directly conflict with sworn testimony from every DNC official involved, including Mr. Hitchcock’s direct supervisors while he was employed at the DNC.
The Director of the American Majority Project, one of Mr. Hitchcock’s direct supervisors, actually argued against Mr. Hitchcock’s firing when told about the decision.
Howard Dean, who authorized the firing, was under oath for over six hours and never mentioned either false claim that Mr. Tobias has made. In fact, he claimed that Mr. Tobias never complained about Mr. Hitchcock at any time, and that Mr. Dean did not rely on anything Mr. Tobias said in terminating Mr. Hitchcock.
The reason that The Washington Blade may not have completely trusted the recently concocted false statement about Mr. Hitchcock’s firing may be related to Mr. Tobias admitting under oath that he made previous claims against Mr. Hitchcock to The Washington Blade that had no basis in fact.
Further, you may remember that on this very listserve and in the LGBT press, the only excuse Mr. Tobias could create at the time of the firing was that Mr. Hitchcock did not have “access to senior staff.†Now that you have gotten an introduction to some of the senior staff you may understand better what he meant and may understand why he changed his story
As for his other claim, concerning alleged misspellings, there is no evidence that the single alleged document that Mr. Tobias referenced as having spelling errors was produced by Mr. Hitchcock, and not just forwarded from DNC files. Again, this claim by Mr. Tobias conflicts with sworn testimony from every DNC official involved, including Mr. Hitchcock’s direct supervisors while he was employed at the DNC.
Mr. Tobias, a Harvard educated professional writer, journalist and author of at least 10 books, has dozens upon dozens of typos, misspellings and grammatical errors in his subpoenaed documents, as does Mr. Brian Bond, who is Mr. Hitchcock’s replacement.
Mr. Bond has even posted responses in his official DNC capacity (including three of his last four posts) on this influential listserve that contained typos, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.
The evidence clearly shows that the DNC has failed to produce even one document that shows that Mr. Hitchcock was anything but a good employee for the DNC. Mr. Hitchcock was never written up, reprimanded, given a poor performance review or given any other indication that there was an issue with his job performance.
Even though Mr. Dean and other DNC representatives alluded to Mr. Hitchcock’s “personnel file†publicly and in the press, Mr. Dean has stated under oath he never saw one document, to this day, that documented Mr. Hitchcock’s alleged poor performance. We now know that no such file or documents exist.
Lynne Bernabei
Bernabei & Wachtel
[email protected]
Mary Lou Dobbs
Here is the 4 11.
We don’t care!
We have bigger fish to fry. Michigan/Florida votes, Iraq War, Health Insurance, Elderly Care
Caring for our friends with AIDS, economy, incredible mortgages and etc.
I am glad you are passionate for your client and I am sure there are two sids to the story.
However, outside your little circle of friends..
Nobody cares. Trust me…NObody cares about this case at this time. It is self indulgent
non entity.
My guess is you are a Republican.
rocketboy
I like Hitchcock’s lawyer’s response.
I have read much more rants from the DNC National Treasurer desparetly trying to make excuses for the ongoing crap at the DNC . Let’s not forget about DNC Leah Daughtry’s lawyers threatening and raging at the Blade Staff.
Fire with fire, I say.
Brian Miller
I love how the partisan useful idiots keep jumping in to claim that:
1) Gay rights are insignificant issues that are irrelevant at this time;
2) Anybody who takes a stand for gay rights within the Democratic Party must be a Republican.
With this sort of logic, Democrats will likely manage to lose the election AGAIN — after losing twice to George W. Bush (of all people).
seitan-on-a-stick
Doctor Howard Dean who I favored in the 2004 race on paper but just hearing personal accounts from others how mean-spirited and controlling he is. He is solely to blame for not resoundingly dealing with homophobia in the DNC. This is a tempest in a teapot as far as larger issues we face are concerned. The media will turn it into a Tempest just at the right time which will fare worse on Barack Obama than Hillary Clinton.
Mary Lou Dobbs
Obama should wave his magic verbal love wand and it should all be okay.
Let us all forget the war and starvaton and focus on this little fucker getting his feelings hurt.
Can’t you blame it on Hillary and just move one?
H'MO
Dear Seitan-On-Your-Brain…well, that just about sums up my response to everything you have to say!
Brian Miller
Let us all forget the war and starvaton
Yes, because those are definitely gay issues.
Queer folk should drop their insistence on respect for queer issues. We’re just little shits and there are bigger fish to fry than equal citizenship. Why, right now, lower Elbonia is suffering a recession!