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Defending Pelosi

Sympathetic media commentators are rushing to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s defense against Republican men, accusing them of sexism toward Washington’s most powerful woman.

The liberal-leaning Media Matters compiled a video of male conservative pundits making fun of the speaker’s rumored use of Botox. Rush Limbaugh took it a step further, saying the best way to limit unwanted pregnancy would be to post Mrs. Pelosi’s image in cheap motel rooms.

“How do these people handle a strong-willed woman like Pelosi?” MSNBC’s Ed Schultz lectured in his Monday show. “Well, they revert to calling her offensive names like ‘hag’; they make demeaning comments like ‘Botox withdrawal’; they talk about fashion and they couple it with waterboarding.”

Then, he played the Media Matters’ video.

Mr. Schultz, however, did think it was fair game to question 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s mothering ability in light of her teenage daughter’s pregnancy.

In a September CNN appearance he said, “The facts are this. What kind of mother is she? Is she prepared to be the vice president? Is she going to be totally focused on the issues?” He also made the analogy: “Most professional gardeners have a really nice yard. … Most professional gardeners cut their own lawn. … It seems to me they have trouble in their backyard.”

Regardless of his thoughts on Mrs. Palin, Mr. Schultz isn’t the only one upset about criticism of Mrs. Pelosi. Bonnie Erbe, host of PBS’ women-centric “To the Contrary” wrote about the Media Matters montage on her blog for U.S. News & World Report, though she couldn’t quite avoid the insult-game herself.

“The genesis of such hatred?” she asked. “None of these guys could ever get a date with a woman as accomplished or attractive as Madame Speaker.”

A libertarian feud

A pair of South Carolina Republican heavyweights are having a public dispute about the role libertarians should play in their party.

Sen. Lindsey Graham distanced himself from libertarian ideas at a South Carolina party convention by saying, “I am not a libertarian. If you are, you’re welcome to vote for me and build this party, but we’re not going to build this party around libertarian ideas.”

Gov. Mark Sanford disagrees. In fact, he embraces libertarianism.

“There was almost a pejorative comment a moment ago,” Mr. Sanford told a former Ron Paul supporter who immediately approached him for comment about Mr. Graham’s remarks.

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