William Donald Schaefer: the man, the pol, the legend. Or something like that. Anyway, he's been in some kind of elected office somewhere in Maryland since Mencken's day, and he's in the soup again:
ANNAPOLIS // Comptroller William Donald Schaefer was unapologetic Wednesday after making suggestive comments to a young female aide to the governor during a meeting of the state Board of Public Works.
The incident sent some jaws dropping and drew laughter from others in the crowd of more than 100 state officials, lobbyists, journalists and business leaders attending the session.
Responding to Schaefer's request for tea, the woman, an executive assistant in Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s front office, set down a thermal mug in front of the comptroller. Schaefer, 84, watched her walk away, then beckoned for her to return. When she obliged, he told her, "Walk again," staring after her as she left a ceremonial conference room at the State House.
Schaefer defended the comment in a profanity-laced rant at reporters after the meeting.
"That's so goddamn dumb, I can't believe it," Schaefer said when asked about the appropriateness of his remark. "She's a pretty little girl."
So: How should this be handled?
Schaefer's one of those people most charitably described as "colorful", and I bet that if he tries to hide at all it's going to be behind his age.
Sorry, I don't buy it. You don't get to be rude just because you're old.
I don't think this is something that should be laughed off. But at the same time I don't think the contemporary lawsuit and sensitivity training is the right choice either.
To my way of thinking, if Schaefer wants to act as he thinks he remembers men acting "back in the day," then let him face up to the "back in the day" consequences. I'm picturing something involving a father, a fiance or older brother, and a shotgun. But the guy's 84, and then there's those pesky battery laws.
A pity that more of the men in the room didn't rise to the occasion and give the old goat the withering look he deserved.
Truly this calls for the wisdom of Solomon.