re: Throwing Peggy under the bus
From Universetoday.com
However, not all sources indicate the sole blame falling on a lack of communication between capsule and mission control. In a controversial statement to reporters, Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov placed some of the blame on an old naval superstition that the female-dominated crew were bad luck and the first female commander (Peggy Whitson) was responsible for the change of plan.
"You know in Russia, there are certain bad omens about this sort of thing, but thank God that everything worked out successfully. Of course in the future, we will work somehow to ensure that the number of women will not surpass [the number of men]." - Anatoly Perminov
Naturally, this kind of statement will have caused a bit of a stir. A reporter pushed for elaboration and Perminov continued, "This isn't discrimination. I'm just saying that when a majority is female, sometimes certain kinds of unsanctioned behaviour or something else occurs, that's what I'm talking about."
Amazing, you would think an investigation would be in order before mouthing off like that.