You probably already saw Thursday morning’s Politico story, “Ex-GOP sleuth eyes House seat, Benghazi,” that I highlighted in this morning’s news clips and which has been getting some buzz today on the “intertubes.” If not, though, there are definitely some choice quotes about Comstock worth repeating. First and foremost was Paul Begala – “chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign,” author of five books, former co-host of Crossfire, Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, etc. – who unleashed on Comstock for her role in the persecution/prosecution of the Clintons in the late 1990s. The quote that’s got the far-right wingnuts frothing at the mouth is the following.
“If she wins, she will no doubt practice the same politics of personal destruction she and her ilk practiced in the Clinton days,” said Paul Begala, a former political adviser to Bill Clinton who has assumed the role of Comstock attack dog. The Republican, he said, has a “really almost sick, sort of stalker-like obsession with President Clinton.“
Of course, there’s no doubt whatsoever to anyone who has followed Comstock’s infamous career or knows the first thing about her that she “will no doubt practice the same politics of personal destruction she and her ilk practiced in the Clinton days.” Is that even a serious question? The fact is, it’s just in her nature (reminds me of the dark joke about the Middle East, in which the scorpion stings the camel to death as it hitches a ride on the camels’ back across the Jordan River, condemning both of them to death. When the camel asks why the scorpion did it, the scorpion responds – depending on the version of the joke I’ve heard – either “it’s my nature” or “what did you expect, it’s the Middle East!”).
Anyway, to me what’s most telling is the vehement, clearly panicky reaction to Begala’s quote by the far right (the guy who wrote the article I just linked to writes for, among others, Faux “News” and the utterly unhinged, far-right-wing Daily Caller – ’nuff said). Believe it or not, these folks who claim to absolutely DESPISE “political correctness” suddenly have gone all “politically correct” on us, alleging that Paul Begala’s quote about Comstock’s “almost sick…stalker-like obsession with President Clinton” is…wait for it…misogynistic (e.g., “Begala would never say that about a man, but apparently thinks he can get away with using such loaded terms because Comstock’s a woman”). That’s rich on so many levels, it’s hard to know where to start, coming from the party which claims to despise “political correctness,” the party which has been waging a relentless war on women’s reproductive freedom and health care, and also the party which has viciously attacked Michele Obama, Hillary Clinton, in the most personal and misogynistic of ways. Take Comstock endorser Mark Levin, the right-wing hate radio host, who has said the following in his illustrious career:
*”It’s not the National Organization of Liberal Women. It’s the National Organization of Ugly Women.”
*Attacked Nancy Pelosi’s appearance, saying “You could bounce a dime off her cheeks” and also “One more face lift and … those eyes are going to pop right out.”
*Attacked two female Supreme Court justices: “Sotomayor is ‘Ruth Bader Ginsburg plus about 50 pounds.'”
*Also told a female caller, “I don’t know why your husband doesn’t put a gun to his temple. Get the hell out of here.”
*Called Rachel Maddow “Rachel Mad-Cow.” More?
*Last but not least, called Hillary Clinton “Her Thighness.”
Sensing a pattern here? Yet where was the right-wing outrage when Levin said those things, or when so many other Republicans – mostly men – have attacked Hillary Clinton, Michele Obama, etc. in the most misogynistic, vile of ways? That’s right, they were silent. But now that Paul Begala uses a colorful metaphor to describe Barbara Comstock’s utter obsession with taking down the Clintons in the 1990s? Oh my god, the horror! Seriously, though, can anyone dispute Begala on the merits of Comstock’s behavior over so many years? And can anyone seriously think she’d somehow change her stripes if she (god forbid) went to Congress? To the contrary, Comstock’s far more likely to be give Darrell Issa – another Tea Party Republican who engages in obsessive, stalkerish behavior, this time towards the nation’s first African American president – a run for his money. Which, of course, is the absolute last thing we need in Congress.
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