Do they still have the number for Herr Oberweiss?

Via Glenn Brown:

Inquiry accused Senate prospect of 'lewd' behavior

A potential Republican candidate for the Senate seat from Illinois -- where the party's nominee withdrew over sex club allegations -- engaged in "lewd and abusive behavior'' while she served as a top official in the White House drug policy office, an internal inquiry found last year.

In front of her staff, Andrea Grubb Barthwell made repeated comments about the sexual orientation of a staff member and used a kaleidoscope to make sexually offensive gestures, according to the findings of a March 19, 2003, "hostile workplace memorandum'' prepared by drug policy office staff. The Associated Press obtained the memorandum.

In an interview Wednesday with the AP, Barthwell said the memorandum overstates what happened, but she said she was wrong for participating in ``inappropriate banter'' at a staff birthday party.

"As the senior person there it was my job to stop it before it got started and I didn't. I in fact joined in,'' she said.

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The lewd and abusive behavior finding stemmed from a Dec. 19, 2002, staff gathering. Barthwell made comments about a staff member's sexual orientation after the staff member misspoke in an earlier conversation, the memorandum said.

"Dr. Barthwell made reference to this staff member sitting on men's laps. A kaleidoscope pointed upward was placed on a chair by Dr. Barthwell as the staff member was about to sit down,'' it said.

"Dr. Barthwell suggested that the staff member would want to cut the cake available for the gathering because the knife was 'long and hard' and he might 'enjoy handling it.' When the cake was cut, Dr. Barthwell referred to the pieces as 'most' or 'beefy' and she said to the staff member, 'I know you like it big and meaty.'''