Just another word for woman

From Talking Points Memo:

"Let's call it the Republicans' Bitch-Slap theory of electoral politics."

Ouch again.

Why is it okay to use this kind of imagery?

I was following along in the article, going yeah! yeah! yeah!, and then suddenly I felt like I was being slapped. I get the point: Marshall is comparing the Republicans to pimps. But he's intelligent enough to find an image other than yet another reference to bitches and (female) whores. He grabbed the easy phrase, and he probably didn't even realize how offensive the phrase is.

[Update] Marshall admits:

"I'm not indifferent to the coarse connotations of the phrase. But I believe that in such trying times as these precision of meaning trumps political correctness or delicacy of phrasing."

I would think in these trying times it might be good not to alienate possible allies. [shrug] What do I know?