Last week, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) made some news by disclosing in a new book that older male Senate colleagues have commented on her weight in the halls of Congress, with one cautioning her not to "get porky" and another saying, "I like my girls chubby." See, said Jon Stewart on Tuesday night's Daily Show, even when it comes to rank sexism, "the Senate is gridlocked!"
Jokes aside, Stewart's point is a serious one: The Senate is stocked with old men who grope and make sexist comments to their female colleagues. And judging by the lack of surprise from women who've spent time covering Congress, there are probably more than a few of these guys. "Now, I'm not saying these comments would be appropriate in any context," Stewart said, "but there's a certain irony to being judged on one's physical appearance by a group of men who, if you squint, look, on a good day, like a bowl of dried fruit." He then made a slightly ruder comparison.
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