New details emerge: How Massa tried to, er, “snorkel” his Navy shipmates
posted at 5:00 pm on March 10, 2010 by Allahpundit
Normally I’d say “shocking new details,” but c’mon.
Does climbing into a guy’s bunk and tickling his junk while he fends you off count as a “tickle-fight”?
According to Peter Clarke, a Navy shipmate, Massa was notorious for making unwanted advances toward subordinates. He tells the story of his friend Stuart Borsch, with whom Massa shared a hotel room while on leave during the first Gulf War. “Stuart’s at the edge of the bed,” Clarke says Borsch told him at the time, “and [Massa] starts massaging him. Massa said, ‘You’ll have to get one of my special massages.’ He called them ‘Massa Massages.’” Ron Moss, a Navy shipmate and Borsch’s roommate, confirmed that Borsch told him this story at the time.
Borsch, now a history professor at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, didn’t addresss that specific incident, but did confirm to me in an email that he was groped by Massa: “In 1990, aboard the U.S.S. Jouett, I was awakened when a senior officer, Lt. Commander Massa, seemed to be groping me. (I was a lieutenant at the time.) I believe he may have been drinking. I shouted at him and he left. I mentioned the incident to several other officers. I did not officially report it.”
Clarke says that Massa’s roommate, Tom Maxfield was also assaulted. “Tom lived on upper bunk,” Clarke say. “When you’re on ship, you’re almost exhausted 24-7. So a lot of times you sleep with your uniform on. Tom and Massa shared a stateroom together. Massa climbed up on the top of his bunk, which is hard to do–you never crawl up on somebody else’s bunk. He wakes up to Massa undoing his pants trying to snorkel him.” Ron Moss also confirmed hearing this story from Maxfield. Maxfield did [not] return calls and messages left for him–I’ll update if he does.
Why waste a post on this when, thanks to yesterday’s fiasco, this guy’s credibility is already destroyed? Three reasons. One: The snorkeling euphemism deserves a link, damn it. Two: I linked that Bob Lonsberry piece reciting the allegations against Massa during his naval career several times and figured you guys might want to compare and contrast. Lonsberry’s account is strikingly similar to what the Atlantic heard — except that the Atlantic notably now has people willing to go on the record. And three: To no one’s surprise, because of Massa’s resignation, the less-than-worthless House ethics committee has ended its investigation into his alleged misconduct. Barring a sexual harassment lawsuit by one of his victims, the only justice this guy’s going to get is from reporters. The Atlantic is the beginning but probably not the end.
Blowback
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I wonder if he had the his semen (seamen) buddies call him Massa Massa while he tickled them?!
TheAudacityofNOPE on March 10, 2010 at 6:28 PM
Conservatives should not be taking in Massa and defending him, but they should be in the middle of a full-scale attack on the fact that the White House is blatently destroying a member of their Party for voting against them. Conservatives should be talking about nothing right now, other than the mob tactics being employed by the current President.
What a wasted opportunity.
Keep in mind, also, that according to these ‘accusations’, all of this took place during a period when being gay would be grounds for automatic discharge from the Navy. But hey! I’m sure all those macho Navy men just laughed it off and ignored being physically molested in their sleep.
Sure thing.
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Rahm Emanuel is laughing his ass off at all of you right now.
“Mr. President, it worked perfectly. Those pathetically naive conservatives soaked it all up like mice in a maze.”
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 6:36 PM
This has to be the funniest thread in recent memory
TheAudacityofNOPE on March 10, 2010 at 6:37 PM
So if this goof was so notorious…how did he get anyone to go anywhere with him?
And when do we get the “I knocked him on his a-s” story?
Didn’t any of these guys turn around and blast him (with a punch, I mean)?
Nyuk, nyuk.
LtE126 on March 10, 2010 at 6:37 PM
“Snorkel”…from Urban Dictonary
This advanced sexual maneuver begins with two men in a bathtub filled with warm water, preferably around 85 degrees fahrenheit. One of the men dons a mask, snorkel, and swim fins, and manually stimulates the other man’s penis with both hands until it ejaculates underwater. He then dips the open end of his snorkel deep below the surface, and sucks up the clouds of liquid before they have time to dissolve, swallowing them whole.
“Oh, and Carlos left a message for you. Something about going snorkeling later.”
LtE126 on March 10, 2010 at 6:40 PM
Exactly. I can tell you that of all those I’ve known from my military days, I can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t have either punched this dude, or reported him. I’ve never seen a story I believe less, but here we are on this thread, watching everyone soak it all up. Sad.
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 6:41 PM
Since he’s a ‘Mo…he wouldn’t be interested in a “Alabama Hot Pocket”…would he?
LtE126 on March 10, 2010 at 6:48 PM
If he limited his advances to subordinates, it might explain why no one was eager to report and/or punch the guy.
JohnTant on March 10, 2010 at 6:48 PM
I can’t let this die. It’s just to absurd.
So, with this going on throughout Massa’s military career, we’re to believe that this didn’t come out when he was running for Congress?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 6:49 PM
Or a “Boston Pancake”…
LtE126 on March 10, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Doesn’t this really fall under the ‘Don’t Tell’ part.
Dem’s should really be held to their own standard.
nolapol on March 10, 2010 at 6:51 PM
But Peter Clarke never felt the need to mention this to anyone while Massa was running for Congress, or while he was serving in Congress. Only now. Only after Massa votes against Obama’s agenda. And somehow, they managed to dig up Peter Clarke before anyone else in the public even knew this was breaking.
WOW! Imagine the odds!
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 6:52 PM
Tells you something about what gets into Congress, and how.
Gives the definitive meaning to the saying: “It’s not what you know, but who you bl**”.
Yoop on March 10, 2010 at 6:54 PM
No. That’s not what it tells you. It tells anyone with common sense, that none of this happened. Period.
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 6:58 PM
Seems fairly reasonable to me. Many victims of sexual assault don’t come forward, whether it’s due to embarassment or a cynical belief that nothing will be done about their complaints. Male-on-male is particularly hard for many victims to deal with.
I’m not inclined to call Clarke, Borsch, Moss, Maxfield, or Dickert liars who are investing their reputation for Rahm Emanuel. It’s certainly less credible than the idea that a group of victims sexually assaulted by a male superor officer would wnnt to put an embarassing situation behind them.
JohnTant on March 10, 2010 at 7:02 PM
Balderdash. It shows that Massa is a closeted homosexual (not that there is anything wrong with the closeted part of that). It also shows that there is more to this story than an offhand comment at a wedding reception and a tickle fight with staffers.
My only question is if Massa snorkled his mentor Wesley Clark and if he was turned on by an angry naked Rahm Emanuel.
Why are you defending Massa?
highhopes on March 10, 2010 at 7:14 PM
Typical squids.
It certainly gives a the term “hot rack” a new meaning.
F15Mech on March 10, 2010 at 7:19 PM
I resent your comment. There is nothing typical about a creepy LCDR groping his fellow officers. You might have thought you were being funny, you were not.
highhopes on March 10, 2010 at 7:24 PM
Don’t ask, don’t tell just took a step backwards.
Daemonocracy on March 10, 2010 at 7:27 PM
I’m not “defending Massa.” I’m attacking Emanuel and Obama for using mob tactics to influence voting, and I’m attacking fellow conservatives who are too naive to see what’s going on. That’s what this story should be about. I don’t believe this story is true, but even if it is, it wouldn’t have come out if Massa had voted for Cap and Trade and Healthcare, and that’s quite obvious. What if it’s true? That’s still not the story. The story is ‘why is this coming out now, when every other incident of corruption by a Democrat is completely ignored and even rewarded?’
And no, it does not show anything about Massa’s sexual preference, because none of these claims would even hold up in court if this were an actual trial. If a woman claimed a man touched her improperly 18 years ago, but had never reported it, it would go nowhere. Instead, you all simply take this as fact and run with it, which is exactly what Obama and Emanuel want you to do.
Congrats!
What’s interesting is that, if Massa were a Republican, I’d almost guarantee that every one of you would be saying the claims are completely bogus.
My prediction, if anyone cares enough to check, is that every one of the individuals who are making these claims will turn out to have some connection to Emanuel, some interest in Obama’s agenda, or be in some other position to benefit from all of this.
Time will tell. There isn’t a chance in Hell that this went on repeatedly on a Navy ship without getting reported. You wouldn’t even get away with this on a high school football team without getting your a$$ kicked.
Not a chance.
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 7:34 PM
To the contrary. It goes to prove that a homosexual Naval Academy grad can have a full career in the military. The Navy didn’t ask and Massa didn’t tell though it is clear that a few people knew.
I’m guessing though that those looking to repeal DADT won’t like the fact that a real life example, not mythical linguists that nobody can seem to find, assaulted his shipmates when given half a chance.
highhopes on March 10, 2010 at 7:35 PM
Having served on Navy ships, I disagree. Especially since this all happened among the Wardroom.
My first ship’s operations officer was observed by a good portion of the crew in “relations” with a trannie. The fact made it up the chain-of-command in reverse with the CO and XO the last two people to know. Only months later did we discover that there was a similar incident before this guy got to the ship except in the previous case it was a Lance Corporal.
highhopes on March 10, 2010 at 7:42 PM
Come again?
SouthernGent on March 10, 2010 at 7:43 PM
To this day, my brothers and friends still kid me about this stuff in the navy. I never never saw anything untoward or even heard of it. Rum, buggery and the lash was a long time ago.
1921 C DRUM on March 10, 2010 at 7:47 PM
Are you listening to yourself? Because I am typing I can’t hear you…I can read what you type.
Massa’s indiscretions wer going to be outed, it wasn’t a secret so do the Democrats cover it up, and let the Republicans make hay out of it closer to the November elections…just like the Democrats did to them with Foley?
You think little picture not big picture. The Health Insurance Reform Bill is a Battle. Rahm wants to win the War….at least staunch the bleeding, they are not going into the mid term elections very strong at all. Why would he want to give the Republicans ammo…I can see the news cycle now, the Democrats knew about Massa but did nothing – suggestion cover up. Massa isn’t the only Democrat with ethics problems better to clean house now, then in September and October.
It isn’t smart to underestimate Rahm Emanuel…but go ahead.
Dr Evil on March 10, 2010 at 8:03 PM
This Bill is not hanging by Massa’s vote, he is just one vote….Nancy has her work cut out for her -she needs many many votes.
They were cleaning house because they know the Republicans are looking to get even for how they -The Democrats slimed the whole party with Foley.
Dr Evil on March 10, 2010 at 8:08 PM
Oh romance on the high seas, how romantic LOL!
Dr Evil on March 10, 2010 at 8:09 PM
Surface pukes. Pansies when it comes to Shellbacks. Want some real hazing? Try earning the Bluenose.
“Ooooooo! We had to sit in some stinky stuff and kiss an ugly guy wearing a wig!”
No sympathy.
(me, I’m a former boomer sailor)
BobMbx on March 10, 2010 at 8:13 PM
Ah…the typical AF guy…..shows up late…and complains about the Navy.
BobMbx on March 10, 2010 at 8:15 PM
No $hit. That’s why they’re sending a message to the rest of them. Vote the way we want, or else.
Not that hard to figure out. It’s really not.
But, you go right ahead and think they’re “cleaning house.” Be sure to let me know when all the others are “cleaned out” in the coming days. I’ll wait.
Gregor on March 10, 2010 at 8:21 PM
hhhhmmmmm, are you saying what I think you’re saying?
HA!!
Colorado Anne on March 10, 2010 at 9:02 PM
“The Looooooooove Boat…Soon Will Be Making Another Run…”
uncivilized on March 10, 2010 at 9:03 PM
A prime example why gays should be kept out of the military.
la.rt.wngr on March 10, 2010 at 9:06 PM
So does this mean Massa is a conservative Hero again because clearly this means all gays are gropers….
Squid Shark on March 10, 2010 at 9:31 PM
Shipmate, I am a Surface Puke and both a Shellback and a Bluenose. You have not lived until you have had to sit base-butted on an ice cube and then run around in your skivvies on the flight deck getting sprayed by a hose saying you are a
“pretty pretty polar bear”
Squid Shark on March 10, 2010 at 9:34 PM
Oh please I was joking and poking fun at another service. I thought that is still allowed?
Needless to say I see that I got a couple of squids panties in a bunch so I guess it is not allowed anymore.
Talk about a damper on this “wing-wipers” poke…
F’n squids they don’t know how to have fun.
F15Mech on March 10, 2010 at 10:22 PM
Just wondering…
Did you happen to compare my post times with your post times on this thread?
And you say I am late.
F15Mech on March 10, 2010 at 10:27 PM
Did Massa and Foley ever…er, reach
aroundacross the aisle in the spirit of bipartisanship?hillbillyjim on March 10, 2010 at 10:35 PM
If this story is indeed true, why the heck didn’t Massa get vetted before the primary, in the primary or during the campaign?
This story might be true, but the timing of it sure seems to benefit the White House.
jpmn on March 10, 2010 at 11:32 PM
There’s nothing that rings false about this story. The wardroom is not a place from which officers run off to report each other for every uncomfortable incident. Among a bunch of guys, particularly officers, any given one typically figures he can take care of himself in situations like this.
It doesn’t sound like Massa intruded his proclivities on professional matters like work assignments or evaluations. None of the accusers mentions Massa being his senior in the chain of command. (Being senior to someone doesn’t mean you’re in his chain of command; i.e., the people who decide his work assignments and write his fitness reports.) This doesn’t excuse Massa, but it does mean fellow officers could shake him off, warn him, and give him a wide berth without necessarily making a given incident into a command issue.
In general, that’s the path they would prefer. For one thing, complaining about him to the CO could have gotten his career ended. Believe it or not, most officers and enlisted sailors take that seriously, and consider long and hard before ratcheting complaints up to such a level. If Massa backed off after one attempt, most guys would let it go.
If he’d had any reputation for messing with the enlisted men, that would have been another issue. Every sailor works for a chief and an officer whose job includes making sure — unlikely though it may be — that he’s not subjected to improper advances from seniors. I don’t think Massa would have lasted for 24 years if he’d been in that business.
Massa doesn’t seem to have had command at sea, which as a ring-knocking (Academy grad) SWO he would have aspired to and had reason to expect. We can’t know why the Navy chose not to give him command over 150+ crew and a multi-million dollar+ warship, but my guess would be that his seniors in the surface warfare community — the ones who would select him for the command pipeline — had enough questions about him to push the thumb down.
J.E. Dyer on March 11, 2010 at 12:21 PM
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