No, I don't have to pardon you

Josh Marshall keeps on:

"President Bush isn't even man enough to answer a straight question about these Swift Boat ads. (You'll have to pardon my antiquated and gendered language. But I'm not sure English has any more presentable way to convey the same meaning.)"

That's because everyman knows a woman...

• lacks the spine
• lacks the character
• lacks the integrity
• lacks the backbone
• lacks the grit
• lacks the guts
• lacks the soul
• lacks the heart
• lacks the depth of character
• lacks the strength of character
• lacks enough character
• has too little character
• lacks the honor
• has too little honor
• lacks the dignity
• lacks the fortitude
• lacks the honesty
• cares too little for truth
• lacks the decency
• has too little decency
• lacks the human decency
• lacks the rectitude
• lacks the courage
• lacks the ethics
• lacks the ethical strength
• lacks the moral strength
• lacks enough sense of self
• lacks enough pride
• has too little self-respect
• isn't adult enough
• lacks the maturity

...to answer a straight question.

And more:

"(Talk about being someone's ... well, you get the idea.)"

Unfortunately. Can you get my disgust?

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?

My tiny nonexistent sword

Time for a break, I thought, and allowed myself to check newsfeeds.

Not such a good idea. From Digby at Hullabaloo:

"And, like the good Republicans they are, they then sniffle like little girls about how unfair it is that they are getting the same treatment they so enthusiastically mete out to to others."

Ouch.

I love reminders that, no matter how much I might seem to have in common with someone, I'll always be one of the wimpy swordless ones.