Examples of female politicians questioning their male rivals’ manhood are about a dime a dozen at this point. Christine O’Donnell told her primary opponent Mike Castle to get his “man-pants” on. Sharron Angle told Harry Reid to “man up” and gut Social Security. Democrat Robin Carnahan told her Missouri Senate rival Roy Blunt to repeal his own health care…”and man up.” Sarah Palin said Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has “the cojones” that to tackle immigration reform that Barack Obama could use — just one of many times she emasculated some of her enemies: “impotent, limp, and gutless reporters” and Republicans who won’t “man up” and support the Tea Party.
Now one of the men on the receiving end of this phallic fusillade is turning the tables.
“Sharron Angle continues to make statewide and national news for insulting an entire community of Nevadans, and she should man up and apologize to the Hispanic students she’s offended - both for telling them they look ‘Asian’ and for lying to them by saying her ads featuring nefarious images of Latino men were about Canada,” said Harry Reid’s campaign spokesman Kelly Steele in a statement this afternoon.
Of course, male pols haven’t exactly been stellar on this score this cycle.
During the Colorado primary, Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck said voters should support him over rival Jane Norton because “I do not wear high heels.”
And one of Jerry Brown’s aides was caught on tape calling California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman a “whore.”
Examples abound, making this the classiest election cycle since…well, the last one.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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