On to the Character Assassination!

Happily we've passed from the substantive discussion of Maureen Dowd's views on the past and future of feminism to the point were we make personal attacks. And this where I come in. The essay in the Times magazine that started this whole thought train was just her flogging her new book, as was an interview I saw her give to Tim Russert on CNBC. In that interview she maintained her stance that, anecdotally at least, men like to have sex with women subordinate or servile positions in the social stratosphere. She says that means men would rather marry powerless hill staffers than they would high-powered Op-Ed columnists. Unfortunately, it really sounds like she's complaining about not getting laid.

The previous paragraph irks me for two reasons. First, I really hate that this sounds like I'm coming from the "Oh, she just needs to get laid" school of feminist dismissal. Because those aren't my politics. Second, and most importantly, I've had a crush on Maureen Dowd since my sophomore year of college. I mean, she's even hotter than Teresa Heinz Kerry. It was to the point early in our relationship Anna made me pledge that if I ever got a job at the Times, I was not to act on my desires. So there you go.