Overblown?
Donkey Stomp believes that Mrs. Bush’s comments alleging that Miers critics are sexist have been taken out of context. In addition, Donkey Stomp argues that The Today Show pulled a “media trick” on us dumbfounded conservatives who oppose Miers and our reaction to Mrs. Bush’s charge is overblown.
I can’t disagree more. Here’s the pertinent snippet of Mrs Bush’s comments:
Lauer: Some are suggesting there’s a little possible sexism in the criticism of Judge [sic] Miers.
Laura Bush: That’s possible. I think –
Lauer: How would you feel about that?
Laura Bush: That’s possible. I think she is so accomplished that… I know, I think that people are not looking at her accomplishments and not realizing that she was the first elected woman to be the head of the Texas Bar Association, for instance, and all the other things. She was the first, uh, woman managing partner of a major law firm. She was the first woman hired by a major law firm, her law firm.
It is true the Bush wasn’t the intitiator of the sexist jargon. Also, she said it was “possible” and not “yes” or “for sure” or “absolutely.” However, Mrs. Bush defined what qualifies as a sexist argument after admitting the possibility. A sexist critic of Miers’s nomination, according to Mrs. Bush, is one who disagrees that Miers’ accomplishments as a woman lawyer–head of the Texas Bar Association, managinging partner as a law firm, and first woman hired at that same firm–aren’t quite on par with a lawyer who deserves to sit on the Supreme Court. The notion that being a glass-ceiling breaker is not the same as being qualified for the Supreme Court and that such criticism sticks and rings true irked Mrs. Bush enough to cry “Sexist!” in an attempt to dispel the obvious–that Miers background lacks anything conservatives can hang there hat on and say “Yeah, she’ll be like Scalia and Thomas.”
Mrs. Bush is the one that stooped to the sexism charge. The conservative base who voted for Bush (and now oppose Miers) is bearing the brunt of her ridiculous “possibility.”