Damn straight, Hillary

Despite this completely appropriate response in which Hillary asserts her authority, and points out that she is an autonomous woman not reliant upon her ex-president husband, the Associated Press has published this gem: "US Official Struggles to Explain Clinton's Outburst."

Um...excuse me? How the fuck does her totally awesome response constitute an outburst? Anyway, I like how Melissa of Shakesville says it:

Nowhere in these reports will you read that Clinton's terse response was the appropriate diplomatic response to the question as posed to her.

The question, as asked, was a deeply misogynist one. It disrespected Clinton as the United States Secretary of State, and it disrespected her as a person, specifically because she's a woman. What does your husband think? You are merely the wife of an important man.

Of course, this may be an error in translation (at this point we're not sure if the translator goofed up, or the student asking the question did); nonetheless I don't think that Hillary Clinton's response was out of line or unwarranted.

What really bothers me is how this completely overshadows the purpose of Clinton's visit to the Congo in the first place, which was to raise awareness and seek to reduce the occurrence of rape against women. As Melissa states:

With that backdrop as a setting, Clinton's response to the question as asked was not only entirely appropriate, but excellent diplomacy on behalf on Congolese women.

Keep doin' what you're doin', Hillary--I adore you, and your unapologetic insistence at being treated like a human being.

-------------------------------------------------------------


I'd also like to include this video, via Shakesville (where the hell else?):



Of which, Melissa states:

Not only was Bush not described by the mainstream media after this incident as having "blown up" or "snapped"—his newest malapropism was, at worst, turned into a punchline, just another joke from a harmless clown (Oh, that kooky Bush! What a jokester!), but generally cited as more evidence of what a jus'-folks sorta brush-clearin' and straight-shootin' guy you'd like to have beer with. Just like all the rest of his bullying was by a fawning media.

Bush routinely affected an equivalently belligerent demeanor when questioned during press conferences. Never was he given the media treatment Clinton's received over the past few days. Not even close.

The double standard is gobsmacking, if totally unsurprising.