Playing the gender card

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Asked by host Matt Lauer if sexism might be playing a role in the Miers controversy, [Laura Bush] said, "It's possible. I think that's possible. . . . I think people are not looking at her accomplishments."

What a crock of sh*t. I have looked at her accomplishments. My preliminary objection to this nomination is that she has relatively unremarkable legal credentials when we are talking about a Supreme Court seat and I'm not willing to pretend otherwise in the likely vain hope that she will steer a moderate course if confirmed. And conservative critics (whose objections are both qualifications-based and based on ideological concerns) have repeatedly said "why not Priscella Owens?", "why not Janice Rogers Brown?", and "why not Edith Jones?" (If any of these women had been nominated, perhaps Mrs. Bush would tell us that sexism played a role in objections from Democrats.)

The bottom line is this: If the president had nominated an unremarkable male crony, there is not a shred of doubt in my mind that the uproar would be at least as loud.