Thom Tillis

Thom Tillis

In a rare interview with the StarNews, Tillis retorted that Hamilton's comments were likely "born out of emotions" but that this "sort of behavior" makes her the "single greatest threat" to a compromise on film incentives in the state House.

After a North Carolina state representative said that Republican Senate candidate and state House Speaker Thom Tillis had "double crossed" the effort to pass a budget amendment on film incentives, Tillis fired back Ah, yes. When a woman says you are guilty of double crossing, in the sense that you worked against something you claim to support, that is emotional. But when you say that she is the "single greatest threat" to something and is just being emotional, that is ... nothing but noble, disinterested reason? Why, Tillis might as well be a robot, the way he's responding!

And no, Tillis doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. When you're comprehensively awful on women's issues, from reproductive rights to equal pay, and your response to criticism of your legislative tactics is to accuse your female critic of being all emotional and badly behaved and threatening, there is no amount of benefit of the doubt too small for you.