That's Her Place

Some Republicans seem to think that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has no right to speak up. Yesterday, Ms. Pelosi had the temerity to say that she thinks Gen. Stanley McChrystal should voice his concerns about Afghanistan the way the military has trained its soldiers for centuries: through the chain of command as opposed to using the press. The National Republican Congressional Committee slapped her down.

If Nancy Pelosi's failed economic policies are any indicator of the effect she may have on Afghanistan, taxpayers can only hope McChrystal is able to put her in her place.

I commend the NRCC: that's a great deal of misogyny in such a small amount of space.

Ms. Pelosi's "place" is in the chain of command of the government of the United States, and part of her job, as the Speaker of the House, is to participate in the oversight of the military, not just listen to what the generals have to say and rubber-stamp it. Aside from the insulting and denigrating tone of the statement -- at least they left out "barefoot and pregnant" -- the GOP seems to forget that it wasn't that long ago that they felt it was their duty to question the wisdom of generals. Just ask Gen. Eric Shinseki, who ran into the buzz-saw of the GOP machine when he questioned the preparations for the war in Iraq.

HT to Steve Benen.