3/6/2013-Slip of the Forked Tongue

By Bob Englehart

4:21 PM EST, March 5, 2013


The snowball is rolling downhill for New London's favorite Democratic state representative Ernest Hewett. First, the lawmaker made a lewd remark to a 17-year-old female  who was testifying at an appropriations committee hearing. She said that working at the Connecticut Science Center allowed her to overcome her bashfulness and even her fear of snakes. Hewett, wag that he is, said, "If you're bashful, I got a snake sitting under my desk here." Later, when confronted, he wondered aloud if he was going to be persecuted for sexual innuendo. Toward a 17-year-old girl? Hell yes.

Well, freedom of speech being what it is, invites freedom of response and here's where the snowball comes in. First, the Dems stripped the forked-tongued punster of his deputy speaker title last week. Then state Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. launched an online petition demanding Hewett resign. Fifteen hundred signers agree. 

The former chairwoman of the Internship Committee State Rep. Mae Flexer told The Day of New London that Hewett has a history of "bad behavior" and that he has not been assigned any female interns. That kind of history is disturbing to me and makes me think it's all part of the good ol' boys-being-boys network at the Capitol.

Hewett has apologized to the girl and his Democratic superiors are requiring all upperclassmen of the caucus to take a refresher course in Sexual Harassment 101, although it sounds to me like he's an expert on the subject and doesn't need further instruction.