The martyrdom of Cecile Richards continues. On MSNBC on Tuesday night, the Planned Parenthood executive complained about Republicans’ “sexist” comments:
In Richards’ defense, she is only parroting the line of congressional Democrats. Representative Carolyn Maloney (D., N.Y.) called Republicans’ line of questioning about Richards’ $600,000 salary “sexist” and “discriminatory.” Representative Gerry Connolly (D., Va.) complained about Republican “misogyny.” And Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D., N.J.) called the questioning “offensive.”
As Mona Charen explains, Tuesday’s House Oversight Committee hearing was not a shining display of courtroom acumen. The speechifying and evident lack of preparedness produced much heat and little light, and it made it far easier for Democrats’ to pull the “war on women” card. But Richards was not singled out for rough handling because of her sex. Just ask Eric Holder. Furthermore, anyone who has watched a House committee hearing knows that legislators are every bit as likely to thunder at each other as at their witnesses; ask Darrell Issa or Joe Barton.
But more to the point: Surely Richards and her supporters, with a little reflection, could at least recognize that many Republicans oppose abortion because they think it’s murder – and that that might prompt some less-than-courteous questioning. Or is that asking too much?