John Dickerson gets it (same piece–I’m digging it–as previous post):

Isn’t the pounding Miers is taking proof that her accusers are treating her like one of the boys? Questioning her scant record isn’t code for worries about her toughness or brainpower. Arguing that she’s a crony isn’t the same as saying she should have taken up a more traditionally feminine career or distinguished herself as a wife and mother. Wondering whether she’s really the best nonjudge lawyer in the land isn’t a dodge at all, given how little looking the White House seems to have done for any such alternative of any gender.
Would critics be raising similar questions if Miers were a man? In fact, many Republicans were far harsher on Dan Quayle in his day, calling him a lightweight mimbo for a job that requires considerably less mental wattage.
To cover Miers’ weaknesses, the White House has tried to turn her into a Super Sister. “I know how many times she’s broken the glass ceiling, herself,” Laura Bush said yesterday. “She’s a role model for young women around the country.” This bothers conservative career women even more than the lazy sexism charge.