Packwood's reversal -- the second since the Senate Ethics Committee began investigating the accusations of sexual assault and misconduct lodged by more than two dozen women -- should come as no surprise, Dempsey said.
She says Packwood's announcement shows two things. "It shows Congress can no longer take sexual harassment lightly because the American people won't take it, and it shows the profound effect public pressure can and should have on our elected officials," Dempsey said. "The women and men of this country are disgusted with backroom politics, and the pressure has worked.
"Sen. Packwood is shooting himself in the foot," she said. "When the ethics committee voted against public hearings, Packwood said he wholeheartedly supported and respected the committee's investigative process. Obviously he was only willing to respect it when he was comfortable things were going his way.
"And his criticisms of Sen. Barbara Boxer also obviously stem from the possibility that several senators say they would now vote for open hearings based on new allegations against Packwood, especially a complaint involving a 17 year old. Barbara Boxer did very good work, and he's afraid of the real consequences, such as being removed as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee or being expelled from Congress."