You can call me "john" - Ryan John

I don’t usually believe women who accuse prominent male figures of sexual harassment. I tend to think it’s an exploited tactic, aimed at gaining the coveted 15 minutes, or an even more sought-out generous, out-of-court settlement. But after I heard the recorded interview, I believe the Portland, Oregon hotel massage therapist who goes by the name Miss Hagerty. The story as she painted it, although it came off scripted and rehearsed, seemed entirely possible as I could imagine it. This is the essential problem with political figures. All we know is Al Gore the Vice President, Al Gore the anti-global-warming pioneer, Al Gore, the guy who technically beat Bush in 2000. Like most national political figures, however, the man remains a mystery on any personal level. Yeah, there was that time he tried to act cool and smooch his wife at the DNC. But if you watch it again, you'll see it’s quite cringe-worthy.

“I would have seriously been questioning the situation because a hug before a session with an unknown male client is a bit odd and unprofessional according to typical LMT business standards,” Hagerty told reporters. I have to wonder, though (and this is going to be very important throughout the case), what were typical LMT business standards?

I think this was a botched sexual encounter. This supposedly happened back in 2006 and police were just investigating the accusation in January 2009. The Portland police chief is reopening the investigation after Miss Hagerty opened up about the incident to the National Enquirer, the same publication that exposed the affair of John Edwards.  There are more stones unturned according to the police and they plan on resuscitating the case. If nothing else, Hagerty can probably pursue a lawsuit against the police department.

The situation is certainly believable if someone who is accustomed to having things go his way encounters an obstacle and he finds himself unexpectedly begging for sexual relief when he thought it was going to be easy. I mean, he had just had a grueling week of travel and speeches. My guess is that Gore is as charismatic and personable as we see him on TV. So imagine a man with only a little bit of manufactured charm, tries to awkwardly facilitate a sexual encounter.

There is no doubt in my mind, prior to having his advances rejected, that Al Gore imagined a happier ending. Perhaps if he made the woman feel a little more comfortable in what she sometimes did for VIPs, he would have got what he wanted and her dignity would have remained somewhat intact. But, now the masseuse has to deal with a figure like Al Gore and the awkwardness of a guy she could normally just refuse service free of any negative consequence. It was his demanding tone combined with her feeling pressured and few other options that made her go to police. At least Gore and Tipper were able to part ways before this incident went public. As to why the alleged victim didn’t immediately contact the police, she said:

I did not immediately call the police as I deeply fear being made into a public spectacle and my work reputation being destroyed. I was not sure what to tell them and was concerned my story would not be believed since there was no DNA evidence from a completed act for rape. I did not even know what to call what happened to me. I did not know if the police would even want to take a report on this.