Shades of 2008: Sexism At The Nation

Over at Historian we learn that Katha Pollitt is shocked to discover sexism alive and well at The Nation, sexism at one of the left's oldest and most revered institutions. Being a lifelong liberal, I have long respected and revered The Nation.

Thanks Robert Dreyfuss for reminding me that misogyny is everywhere. Now can you please go write for some right-wing publication? Or better yet, retire!

Katha Pollitt writes:

In a post entitled “Obama’s Women Advisers Pushed War Against Libya” (originally titled “Obama’s Women” tout court) he’s shocked-shocked-shocked that UN Ambassador Susan Rice, human-rights adviser Samantha Power and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were keen on intervening militarily in Libya. The piece is dotted with arch and sexist language—the advisers are a “troika,” a “trio” who “rode roughshod over the realists in the administration” (all men) and “pushed Obama to war.” Now it’s up to the henpecked President to “reign (sic) in his warrior women.” Interestingly, the same trope—ballbreaking women ganging up on a weak president—is all over the rightwing blogosphere.

Misogyny—it’s the last acceptable prejudice of the left.

Historian reminds us that The Nation's Katha Pollitt failed to stand and fight the horrid tsunami of misogyny from the left in what many of us remember as the worst and most intense year of misogyny in our lifetimes. Pollitt is the very same 'progressive' woman who infamously wrote that she was glad Hillary lost to Obama, "else every single day would be a festival of misogyny."

Cause if women would just stop running for office and competing for 'men's jobs' there wouldn't be any gosh darn sexism! I used to think Katha Pollitt was an admirable feminist writer, now I think she's part of the problem. Welcome to the festival of misogyny, Katha. It's called walking around with your eyes open.

[See Big Tent Dem's: A Problem With Women at The Nation.]

UPDATE: Katha Pollitt sets the record straight n the comments at Historian, provides links to her articles condemning the misogyny of 2008. Sorry, I should have reviewed the past before ranting. Still a touchy subject.

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