| Here we go again. During the 2020 presidential campaign, a flurry of stories came out describing Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) as an abusive boss. Now, the political-workplace scrutinizers have trained their sights on the chambers of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) — with reports describing a "demoralizing" office environment — and Vice President Harris, with sources (many anonymous) detailing an atmosphere of chaos, dysfunction and blame. Only insiders can know whether these accounts are fair or true. But what one can discern from the outside, as Karen Tumulty writes, is a double standard at play. "When a woman is in charge, or wants to be," Tumulty says, "a different and contradictory set of expectations" surfaces, "something political scientists describe as 'role incongruity.'" Lyndon B. Johnson threw drinks at his staff. Rahm Emanuel's ragey behavior was seen as evidence of his fitness to run Chicago. Women, meanwhile, are "expected to conform to gender norms as warm nurturers" — to be "easy to work with." "No one should excuse mistreatment of employees," Tumulty writes. And sure, plenty of women have been terrible bosses. But when it comes to the Bad Boss genre of political reporting, Tumulty argues, only one thing is likely to help correct the double standard: "Seeing more women in charge."  (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) Women are expected to conform to gender norms as warm nurturers, even as they break the mold. By Karen Tumulty ● Read more » | | | | As a Black law professor at an institution that profited from the sale of enslaved people, I understand why Hannah-Jones chose to go to Howard. By Paul Butler ● Read more » | | | | Wall Street's wishful thinking on China has just come to a crashing end. By Josh Rogin ● Read more » | | | | Beneath the lies and self-pity, Trump might have a point. By Fred Hiatt ● Read more » | | | | Republican attacks on a military academy professor are absurd. By Greg Sargent ● Read more » | | | The Games will make it impossible to forget how much we've lost — and have yet to lose. By Eugene Robinson ● Read more » | | | | They should protest China instead. By Marc Thiessen ● Read more » | | | | Every lost war can only be the fault of the domestic left. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | | Congress has the power, and should use it, to dull the Supreme Court's neutering of the Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. By Edward Foley ● Read more » | | | That's a sign that Vance's populist message is getting through. By Henry Olsen ● Read more » | | | | He repents of his error — the error was criticizing Donald Trump, in any way. By Alexandra Petri ● Read more » | | | |
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