"Leave Hillary Alone!!!"

The line between "passionate" and "kooky" can be very thin at times.  Case in point, Marcia A. Pappas, President of NOW, New York State.  While I don't consider myself a member of the liberal fringe - Dennis Kucinich endorsement notwithstanding - I've always been very supportive of women issues.  I was raised by a single mother, after all.

However, Ms. Pappas seems to have had her Chris Crocker moment last January 11 - how this didn't really make waves I'll never know - when NOW NYS issued a press release titled "Psychological Gang Bang of Hillary is Proof We Need a Woman President"

Check the link.  It's not a typo.  And what does she compare Hillary's campaign problems to?

[T]here was that movie where Jodie Foster portrayed the true story of woman who was ganged raped in a bar while others looked on and encouraged the realization.  Still others pretended the rape didn't happen. In short, gang raping of women is commonplace in our culture both physically and metaphorically.

Emphasis added.  Now Clinton is not just being "gang banged" she's being "gang raped."  Well, since we know who the "rapee" is, we might as well ask who the alleged "rapers" are:

This past week, we witnessed just such a phenomenon involving men who are afraid of a powerful woman. Hillary Clinton, in her quest for her Presidential nomination, has in fact endured infantile taunting and wildly inappropriate commentary.  Indeed we have witnessed almost comical attacks by John Edwards who in turn sided with Barak [sic] Obama as both snickered at Clinton's "breakdown," which consisted of a very short dewy-eyed moment. Now John Kerry, who should certainly know better after his own "swiftboating," has joined the playground gang.

Emphasis added.  So the "gang rapers" are Edwards, Obama, and Kerry.  What did Edwards say?

Edwards, speaking at a press availability in Laconia, New Hampshire, offered little sympathy and pounced on the opportunity to bring into question Clinton's ability to endure the stresses of the presidency. Edwards responded, "I think what we need in a commander-in-chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are tough business, but being president of the United States is also tough business."

What did Obama say?

During a campaign stop at Jake's Coffee in New London, New Hampshire, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was also asked to comment about Clinton's teary moment.

"I didn't see what happened," he said, but added, "I know this process is a grind. So that's not something I care to comment on."

I add that Jesse Jackson, Jr., Obama's campaign co-chair did call into question the "truthiness" of the tears and where were Hillary's tears for our dead in Iraq, the Katrina victims, etc.

What did Kerry say?  Beats me.  I couldn't find anything really offensive.  Other than, perhaps, this?

John Kerry, the Democratic candidate in the 2004 presidential election, made an extraordinary intervention on behalf of Barack Obama yesterday, accusing his opponents of stooping to "Swiftboat" smear tactics to destroy the senator's presidential ambitions.

Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, endorsed Obama last month, despite his long friendship with Bill Clinton. It was an important endorsement, giving heart to other members of Congress who had been dithering about supporting Obama for fear of antagonizing the Clinton machine. But it is a big jump for Kerry to go from endorsement to criticism of the former president and his spouse, even if indirectly. He described as "disgusting lies" allegations on the internet about Obama's religion and record of public service.

And that's what Ms. Pappas calls "the gang-rape of Hillary Clinton."  It's particularly offensive to compare political attacks with a crime as scarring as gang-rape.  It's irresponsible and it is reprehensible.

But, what about Ted Kennedy?  Does he get away with endorsing Obama?  Think again.

Women have just experienced the ultimate betrayal. Senator Kennedy’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic presidential primary campaign has really hit women hard.

We are repaid with his abandonment!  He’s picked the new guy over us.  He’s joined the list of progressive white men who can’t or won’t handle the prospect of a woman president who is Hillary Clinton (they will of course say they support a woman president, just not “this” one).  “They” are Howard Dean and Jim Dean (Yup! That’s Howard’s brother) who run DFA (that’s the group and list from the Dean campaign that we women helped start and grow).  "They" are Alternet, Progressive Democrats of America, democrats.com, Kucinich lovers and all the other groups that take women's money, say they’ll do feminist and women’s rights issues one of these days, and conveniently forget to mention women and children when they talk about poverty or human needs or America’s future.

Are we in agreement?  This whole thing just shattered my "Kooky-meter."

And BTW, I haven't heard Hillary say anything about it either way, which is disgusting.