Former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D) has recently taken to Twitter to express her concerns over what she calls the targeted "political harassment & intimidation" against women by "right wing actors." In a series of three statements (Tweets), Rep. Mucarsel-Powell doesn't divulge any specific instances of intimidation and harassment against her, just that the culprits are "right wing" with ties to "extreme white wing platforms," and are being supported by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Rep.Mucarsel-Powell accuses Florida State employees of committing attacks but fails to mention who the staffers are or the media outlets she accuses, them of working with. In addition, Mucarsel-Powell goes as far as to say that the creation of a Gov. Ron DeSantis-proposed "civilian army" as being the probable tip of the spear for the ongoing "War on Women" in Florida politics.
To Mucarasel-Powell, these alleged right-wing-only attacks against Democratic women is a concerted effort by the DeSantis administration to propagate its "state sponsored" terrorism against women.
"For some time I’ve been a target of political harassment & intimidation coordinated by extreme right wing actors. I’m not alone. Many women in politics here and abroad are experiencing this. Political violence against women is used to intimidate & silence our voices," stated Mucarsel-Powell. This takes many forms including online intimidation, insults, threats & trolling. These tactics are meant to stop women from full & equal participation as we gain more power in politics. It’s particularly dangerous when it’s state sponsored."
In FL, State employees coordinate attacks w/extreme right wing platforms to shut down the opposition. How far will they go? They’re creating a civilian army & criminalizing peaceful protests.
Society must stand together & denounce this if we want more women in places of power.
— Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (@DebbieforFL) December 20, 2021
Mucarsel-Powell added, "In FL, State employees coordinate attacks w/extreme right wing platforms to shut down the opposition. How far will they go? They’re creating a civilian army & criminalizing peaceful protests. Society must stand together & denounce this if we want more women in places of power."
Back in the early 2001's Democrats used their "It's Bush's fault" at every turn to lay blame on any and all ills that the nation faced on former President George W. Bush.
Now, if it's not "Trump's fault," Democrats believe it's all DeSantis's doing.
2022 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Nikki Fried, tweeted in support of Mucarsel-Powell's statements, but to her credit, did not put the blame solely on one group of individuals, rather made a blanket statement about the overall problem that does exist in politics.
" DebbieforFL couldn’t be more correct. The targeted flooding of women candidates comments, inboxes, and emails with toxic vitriol is specifically designed to keep women out of politics. I won’t give in and I’ll fight to make sure every woman can make her voice heard safely," stated Commissioner Fried.
The harassment against women in politics is a problem globally, and as Mucarsel-Powell only accuses Republicans of attacking Democratic women, one of the comments made on her 'War on Women' tweet asks the former lawmaker if she would "call out the nasty attacks male Democrats have aimed towards" Gov. DeSantis's press secretary Christina Pushaw.
The daily vulgar and sexist attacks against Pushaw are countless.
Pushaw, who is arguably the toughest press secretary Florida media outlets have ever encountered, has been a political punching back for sexists around the country, who either dislike her tongue-lashing of reporters or unabated support of Gov. DeSantis and his policies, or all three.
This disdain/hatred and "political violence" against Pushaw took center stage earlier this year when Pensacola News Journal cartoonist Andy Marlette drew a disgusting cartoon depiction of Pushaw.
Marlette stated in his cartoon that Pushaw had (3) "cosmetic enhancements to conceal inner ugliness" and accused her of "using Twitter to take a taxpayer funded paycheck."
This kind of attack against Pushaw and every other woman in politics is exactly what Mucarsel-Powell and Fried are referring to, right?
