So Senator Sherrod Brown has accused the President of sexism when he referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren by her first name.
“I think referring to her as first-name, when he might not have done that for a male senator, perhaps?” Brown told reporters. “I’ve said enough.”
The Senator claimed that the President might not have referred to a male Senator by the first name as he did Senator Elizabeth Warren...is this really true? Well...as BuzzFeed reported, here is President Obama referring to Sherrod Brown at least three times while Sherrod Brown himself was present:
March 6, 2009 in a speech at a police academy graduation in Columbus, Ohio:
“I came out here with the—a number of members of the Ohio congressional delegation, but I want to make a special note of my former colleague when I was in the Senate, who is just as passionate about working people as anybody in the country, Sherrod Brown. Give Sherrod a big round of applause.”
And:
September 17, 2012 in a speech to a union convention in Columbus, Ohio:
“And it’s pretty — it’s timely to be able to see you because I was in Cincinnati today — came up to Columbus this afternoon, and in both places we announced the work that we’ve done, in conjunction with Sherrod, to make sure that we’re filing a new WTO case challenging China’s illegal trade and subsidies in autos and auto parts.”
November 14, 2013 in a speech at a mining company in Cleveland, Ohio:
“And your Senator Sherrod Brown helped us to create that first manufacturing hub in Youngstown. And he’s now leading a bipartisan effort with Senator Blunt of Missouri to move more of these manufacturing innovation hubs all across the country. And Congress should pass Sherrod’s bill. We should be doing everything we can to guarantee the next revolution in manufacturing happens right here in Cuyahoga, happens right here in Ohio, happens right here in America.”It get's even worse:
President Barack Obama referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren by her first name, when he appointed her to oversee the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
First, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren, the "rigger" of policies in order to hurt the middle class Barack Obama, stepped into the Rose Garden, and said this about the need to help the middle class:
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody.
Before we begin I just want to mention a report that was released by the Census Bureau yesterday about what happened to wages during the last decade. It revealed that between 2001 and 2009, the incomes of middle-class families fell by almost 5 percent.
I want to repeat that. Between 2001 and 2009, the incomes of middle-class families fell by 5 percent.
In the words of today’s Wall Street Journal, this “lost decade” was the worst for families in half a century -- a decade that obviously ended in a devastating recession that made things even worse.
We know that a strong middle class leads a strong economy. And that's why, as we dig our way out of this recession, we've set our sights on policies that grow the middle class and provide a ladder for those who are struggling to join it. And that's why I am urging the leaders of the other party to stop holding middle-class tax cuts hostage and extend this relief to families immediately. They need it. They need our help. And that's why we're here today.
The President, who would then offend Senator Elizabeth Warren by having the temerity to refer to her by her first name, offered a gracious introduction of the Senator to the world and, in so doing, referred to her by her first name, while she stood beside him and smiled, proudly, throughout the event:
And that's partly why even when I was still in the U.S. Senate, I took such a great interest in the work of the woman standing next to me. I have known Elizabeth Warren since law school. She’s a native of Oklahoma. She’s a janitor’s daughter who has become one of the country’s fiercest advocates for the middle class. She has seen financial struggles and foreclosures affect her own family.
Long before this crisis hit, she had written eloquently, passionately, forcefully, about the growing financial pressures on working families and the need to put in place stronger consumer protections. And three years ago she came up with an idea for a new independent agency that would have one simple overriding mission: standing up for consumers and middle-class families.
Thanks to Elizabeth’s efforts, as well as the dedication and persistence of the person to my right, Secretary of Treasury Geithner, as well as leaders in Congress like Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, that agency will soon become a reality.
Never again will folks be confused or misled by the pages ofbarely understandable fine print that you find in agreements for credit cards or mortgages or student loans. The bureau is going to crack down on the abusive practices of unscrupulous mortgage lenders. It will reinforce the new credit card law that we passed, banning unfair rate hikes and ensure that folks aren’t unwittingly caught by overdraft fees when they sign up for a checking account. It will give students who take out college loans clear information and make sure that lenders don’t game the system. And it will ensure that every American receives a free credit score if they are denied a loan or insurance because of that score.
Now, getting this agency off the ground will be an enormously important task, a task that can’t wait. And that task is something that I’ve asked Elizabeth to take on. Secretary Geithner and I both agree that Elizabeth is the best person to stand this agency up. She was the architect behind the idea for a consumer watchdog, so it only makes sense that she’d be the -- she should be the architect working with Secretary of Treasury Geithner in standing up the agency.
She will also play a pivotal role in helping me determine who the best choice is for director of the bureau. And given the importance of these economic issues, I also want Elizabeth to have a role as a White House advisor as well as advisor to Secretary Geithner on consumer issues.
Elizabeth understands what I strongly believe -- that a strong, growing economy begins with a strong and thriving middle class. And that means every American has to get a fair shake in their financial dealings.
So we are extremely proud of you, Elizabeth. Good luck.
MS. WARREN: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
Thank you, everybody.
The President's offense to Senator Elizabeth Warren did not even stop there! He referred to her by her first name two years later when she asked him to
campaign for her, in order to receive part of his coalition's vote, so that she might secure her current Senate seat. She also applauded and smiled, when he referred to her by her first name:
"Elizabeth Warren will be a strong, tireless and determined advocate for the people of Massachusetts, building on her remarkable record of working to help middle class families get ahead," said Obama. "Her life's work has been helping ordinary Americans get the fair shot they need and deserve. Elizabeth's passionate advocacy on behalf of consumers led to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency is now protecting people from being taken advantage of by powerful companies. I know I can count on Elizabeth to stand with me to create jobs and opportunity for the people of Massachusetts and keep our country moving forward."
Snip
"I am honored to have President Obama's endorsement and eager to work with him to help the people of Massachusetts and to level the playing field to help middle class families get ahead," Warren said.
Warren is trying to appeal to those voting for Obama in deep-blue Massachusetts, mentioning repeatedly that she supports his reelection and his policies, while Brown does not. "For President Obama to get the things he wants to get done to move this country forward he needs a Democratic Senate," she recently told HuffPost.
Mr. President, they have called you a "liar" they have suggested that you are fighting for the interest of corporations against the interest of the nation you were overwhelmingly elected twice to serve, and now, they not only swear that it was you who attacked them, they are also offended that you are using their first names....
Mr. President, you are much wiser and smarter than I am, and so I am hardly qualified to give you advice.... But, if I were you, I would never again let it appear as though I am familiar with any of these people....