Senator Hirono wants men to 'just shut up' and 'do the right thing for a change'

It's been a particularly brutal week for women on Capitol Hill, and Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii is sick of it.

Asked about the allegations against Kavanaugh on Tuesday, Hirono expressed deep frustrations with the entire Senate Judiciary process, accusing the White House of victimizing Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh's accuser.

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"I think we all know when something is unfair. When something smells. We all know this. Let's face it: This is so patently unfair to her. What really bothers me and gets me so angry is that the White House is victimizing this person [...] Why should we participate in a victimization who has the courage to come forward? And she is under absolutely no obligation to participate in a smearing of her and her family."

She then answered another question:

"Of course it helps that there are women on that committee. But, you know what, I expect the men in this country and the men in this committee [...] Really, guess who's perpetuating all of these kind of actions? It's the men in this country. I just want to say to the men in this country: just shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change."

Hirono cautiously added: "Okay, you can see I'm a little upset by this, the unfairness of it."

Hirono's response is getting a lot of traction -- and it's bound to bring out strong reactions on both sides.