Yeah, Eden's right. I almost wrote a post defending Valenti yesterday. But why fucking bother? The non-"conservative assholes" have her back; why should I?

"Why do feminists give Bill Clinton a pass?"

The same reason gays do -- charisma.

Ann Althouse is way too serious, which does make her argumanet silly. But I don't have much sympathy for Jessica. She got made fun of for being hypocritical, stupid, and mean, and not for being a woman.
You don't talk about treating women with respect while salivating for Bill Clinton.

I suggest you read the thread where it started. No one said anything derogatory about her until she popped into the comments and began whining. Althouse responded that she looked "posed" – big fucking deal. Have you ever read these shrews blogs? They are nothing but ad hominem personal attacks against anybody who doesn't share their party line. It was absolutely appropriate for people to make intern jokes. The photo begged for people to make intern jokes.

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/09/bill-clinton-lunching-with-bloggers.html#comments

Actually, Althouse said nothing about Valenti's breasts (or Valenti herself) in her original post. It was the latter's bizarrely outraged comment that kicked the thing off.

Reading comprehension: it's a good thing.

Someone is correct. I posted as such earlier but my comment is being held (I said a naughty word). Here's the thread where it started:

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/09/bill-clinton-lunching-with-bloggers.html#comments

I hear Althouse said on her podcast yesterday that Jessica was only invited because Bill wanted to hit on her (haven't heard it myself but will listen to it soon). Still think Althouse is ok?

Ugh. I feel like I should sue somebody to get back the time I just spent on this. Talk about a tempest in a teapot. Good grief.

I hear Althouse said on her podcast yesterday that Jessica was only invited because Bill wanted to hit on her (haven't heard it myself but will listen to it soon). Still think Althouse is ok?

Yes. Why would any intelligent person form a negative impression of Althouse based on double hearsay? And if Althouse did say it, what if it's true? It's not like he hasn't pulled crap like that before.

Perusing Valenti's site, I have to postulate (from my undisclosed blogging location somewhere in Bizarro World) that the way for me to be taken seriously as a political blogger is to post many pictures of myself wearing tight jeans and a codpiece the size of a cantaloupe.

Okay, that's a picture I need to get out of my head....

i think she'd taste lovely with a side of fresh-picked mushrooms.

Althouse made the opening crack about Jessica. Her comment on the photo was, indusputably, How typical. President Horndog ended up standing behind Ms. Tits. She was marginally less crude, but pretending that she meant anything else is disingenuous.

Althouse's comments below about Jessica "posing" affirms that she thinks Jessica was brandishing herself to Clinton.

When I looked at that picture I had the same reaction as Althouse. Everything in Valenti's body language says "Look at me! I'm in a picture with Bill Clinton, and I'm SEXY!" That's what jumped out at me when I looked at the picture, not "Hmmm, a group of bloggers and Bill Clinton."

Also, it's not completely out of line to suspect Valenti was invited for her looks. Her posts are infantile, and her blog gets (or at least got, before this tussle) far less trafic than the other invitees. Less than other not-invited bloggers, in fact. I doubt Clinton arranged the whole thing so he could grope her, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of his handlers decided to include her so the pictures would get more circulation.

And the intern jokes really aren't about Valenti at all. They're about Bill Clinton. I hope those jokes follow him for the rest of his life. I don't think it's too much punishment for the man who created legal precedent for the idea it's okay for the president to commit felonies while in office as long as they don't directly involve his duties as cheif executive.

Karol, say what you will about Althouse being "completely out of line," this zinger at her site about the "Feministing" masthead had me in stitches:

I actually click over to Jessica's blog, and what the hell? The banner displays silhouettes of women with big breasts (the kind that Thelma and Louise get pissed off at when they're seen on truck mudflaps."

Of course, the real question is why any woman claiming to be a "feminist" would be caught dead in the same room with Bill Clinton. Oh, I forgot, he's a Democrat.

This is one of the reasons I don't blog anymore. Once my thoughts were fully written out, it was satisfying. To make the effort to become a big-time blogger seems to be a walk right into petty, back-and-forth blogging-frays. I'm too old for that sh*t.

Still, news flash, Ms. Althouse, women gots boobs. And it seems someone else in that photo is actually showing the clee-vage. Jessica's top is modest by comparison.

Although she is "ok", I think she's wearing a padded bra, just a little to perky to be free hangers. She's cute but Clinton likes his interns a little sloppy and butter face, so I doubt the suspicions are correct.

I should start using this line, "I'm a liberal, show me your puppy's".

Of course, the real question is why any woman claiming to be a "feminist" would be caught dead in the same room with Bill Clinton.

When extramarital sex becomes an exclusively male phenomenon, this comment will make more sense. Until then, don't you think that Clinton's public policy roughly represented the NOW agenda?

Charles, what about the sexual harrasment stuff or doing his intern? Feminists are for that now?

Charles,

You've got to be kidding me. Where I work if the department head boinked an intern they'd fire him the moment they found out. Feminists have been going on and on about "power differentials" for decades.

Then there was Kathleen Willy. If consentual sex with your low-level employees is okay, what about non-consentual sexual assault? I might have missed it - did NOW have a pro-assault press conference?

Oh, and after decades of stern warnings about "blaming the victem", how is it that Paula Jones was relegated to "trailer trash"?

With very few exceptions national feminist leaders lost every shred of credibility during the Clinton years. The leaders of national "women's" groups revealed themselves to be garden variety, self-serving Washington power brokers. I don't see why any woman would associate herself with Bill Clinton, let alone a self-professed "feminist".

Bill likes ugly women. Monica, Paula, Hillary. That chick is too good looking to be on Clinton's to-do list.

We all must agree on this one.