Whitman says Brown voicemail ‘appalling and unforgivable’

Maybe Meg Whitman's been reading the latest research that shows women candidates lose big if they let sexist comments stand unchallenged.

After the L.A. Times broke the news that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown or his aide used the word "whore" to refer to Whitman in a private recorded conversation, the high-rolling candidate is fighting back.

"The use of the term 'whore' is an insult to both Meg Whitman and to the women of California," her aide Sarah Pompei said in a statement. "This is an appalling and unforgivable smear against Meg Whitman. At the very least Mr. Brown tacitly approved this despicable slur and he himself may have used the term at least once on this recording."

Brown left a voicemail message with a Los Angeles police union official when seeking the union's endorsement, then proceeded to bash Whitman to his aide for promising the union not to cut police pensions in order to get the endorsement. It appears he thought he had hung up the phone before he began talking about Whitman.

"Do we want to put an ad out? … That I have been warned if I crack down on pensions, I will be — that they'll go to Whitman, and that's where they'll go because they know Whitman will give 'em, will cut them a deal, but I won't," Brown said.

A voice then says: "What about saying she's a whore?" It's unclear if it's Brown or his aide who is speaking.

Whitman, who is trailing Brown in the polls, has outspent Brown 14 to 1 and broken the record for personal spending on a campaign. Just this week, Whitman added another $2.5 million to her campaign, bringing her record personal spending total to $121.5 million.

Brown's campaign manager apologized and said "at times our language was salty."

(Photo of Whitman: AP)