It was very clever, on a number of levels, for Hillary Clinton to respond to George Stephanopoulos’s question about Operation Chaos, and the putative help Rush Limbaugh (known to Democrats as the anti-Christ) has provided to the Hillary campaign by saying, quite flirtatiously, “He’s always had a crush on me.” For one thing, it’s kind of charming, given the dismissive tirade she could have legitimately launched about Rush’s various criticisms of her and her husband these past two decades. For another, it takes a kind of feminine confidence — of the sort Hillary is definitely not known for — to say that. It’s nice to see that coming from her. Indeed, after a lifetime of coming in second to Bill’s bimbos, it is good to see her acting on the fact that she has the power, even the sexual power, in that bizarre couple now.

(By the way, while I am interested to see the emergence of her feminine sexuality, her staff and supporters seem more focused on whether and to what degree the lady possesses testicles. It’s not just mad-dog Carville who’s fixated. The far more temperate Indiana governor, Evan Bayh, had to be restrained from discussing her “testicular fortitude” at a rally this week. There is an interesting discussion to be had about the degree to which the exercise of traditional masculine power manages to confer more intense female sexuality on a female leader as well. Margaret Thatcher certainly benefited from this phenomenon. And while we are on the subject, I don’t recall anyone, ever, discussing whether or not Bill had adequate cojones — let alone superior to Bush 41, or war hero Dole. For him sexuality was a weakness.)

But back to the question: Does Rush have a crush on Hillary? Hard to imagine, after all those years of scathing and purposeful criticisms of the former First Lady. His explanations for Operation Chaos make perfect sense without that far-fetched possibility. And no one uses the verb “cackling” about the laughter of someone they are hot for. Still, if you read this part of his transcript from yesterday there is something going on:

RUSH: Do you hear how happy she sounds? She sounds schoolgirl happy. Mrs. Clinton sounds schoolgirl happy. She’s laughing and cackling it all up out there. You remember, my friends, she’s saying it’s so much fun out there now, I have a crush on her, she’s having more fun than she’s had in a long time, she’s winning these primaries, or coming close. Obama hasn’t won diddly-squat since February 22nd. But do you remember before Operation Chaos, she was crying about how hard the campaign was? Remember she got this planted question up in New Hampshire? How do you do it? How do you do your hair? And she started crying, here came the tear. “It’s hard. It’s very hard,” she said. And we at Operation Chaos came to her rescue, her emotional rescue, Rolling Stones. We’ve got the audio. If we wanted to go back to the archives we’ve got the audio of Mrs. Clinton talking about how hard it was with the tear and now she’s talking about how much fun it is. So it’s clear, ladies and gentlemen, that there has been a sizable emotional and attitudinal shift in her campaign, brought about by Operation Chaos. I would go so far as to say, ladies and gentlemen, I and all of us at Operation Chaos are doing the job for her that her husband can’t do or won’t do.

Let’s study that last line. Hillary is giggling and “schoolgirl happy,” because Rush has a crush on her. He devised Operation Chaos to help her win. So far, so innocent — since we know why he was really doing it. But let’s study that last line: Hillary used to be sad, but now she is blushing and beaming because, Rush claimed “I (am)…doing the job for her that her husband can’t or won’t do.”

Rush is, as the saying goes, “putting a smile on Hillary’s face” by delivering votes that the politically impotent Bill can’t get. And, Rush is kidding around by alluding to the established surmise that Hillary has been frustrated by the job Bill won’t do at home.

You know, it is going to be really hard being America’s first First Man, should that day come. But it sure couldn’t happen to a more appropriate guy than Bill Clinton.