Due to traveling, I’m catching up on the blogosphere. I did read about the exchange between Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) on Thursday but didn’t get to write about it.

Immediately, Twitter and conservative blogs erupted in outrage. Senator Specter was openly rude to Bachmann and did not show the courtesy that should be extended to a colleague.

Let’s think about this. Specter spoke down to Bachmann and admonished her to “act like a lady.” This was clearly disrespectful and demeaning towards women. As my friend Tabitha noted:

Do we get to call misogyny on this one? Because really. His statement feels like it should continue with “and get back in the kitchen.”

Was there an outcry in the blogosphere from feminists? A female elected official was publicly insulted by a man. Shouldn’t they release statements and defend Bachmann? I decided to do a little investigating. If this had happened to  Barbara Boxer or Nancy Pelosi, would we have heard more noise?

I decided to go through the list of feminist blogs that I have over at Fourth Wave Woman. Did they call out Senator Specter?

Amanda Marcotte: nope

Emily’s List: nada

Feministe: nada

Feministing: nada

Feminist Law Professors: nada

Feminist Majority: nothing

Gender Across Borders: nada

Menstrual Poetry: nope

NOW: nothing

RH Reality Check: nothing

The Sexist: nothing. You’d think Amanda Hess would at least cover it, since the Washington City Paper is located in the District. Guess it’s not a big deal when a conservative woman is maligned in the geographic area that your employer covers since your tagline is “Sex and gender in the District.” She did find time to write about the latest hookups on Real World DC, but apparently missed actual sexism that occurs among our elected officials.

Jezebel actually mentioned the exchange, but buried under a news item about Elizabeth Edwards and didn’t condemn Specter.

Now Emily’s List did take the time to write about Michele Bachmann twice last week: her the State of the Union event and the news that Sarah Palin would campaign for her.

Broadsheet’s Tracy Clark-Flory did call out Specter but did it hestitatingly in order to not incur the wrath of Democrats:

It’s hard to get too worked up about such a juvenile exchange, but it’s worth pausing for a moment to make note of his choice of the word “lady.” Only Specter knows what he truly meant by it — but, as a public service announcement for all the men out there, let me just say: Many women interpret “act like a lady” to mean “know your place, little girl.” This comes from spending a lifetime being instructed in various ways to sit back politely, speak up only when called upon and defer to the male ego.

(The comments have an interesting debate over the matter.)

There are several issues at stake here.

1. Bachmann is on the top 10 list of feminist enemies.

Following Sarah Palin (enemy numero uno), Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter, Bachmann gets a lot of hate from those lefty gals. It doesn’t matter what happens to these women. Remember, Republicans and pro-lifers are the top enemies, not the the fight for equality and respect for all women.

2. Specter is now a Democrat and now gets the protection of Democrats.

Feminists long ago sold out to the larger interests of the Democratic party to actually get some political clout, they have to follow the commands of the Democratic Party. No matter what the offense, Democrats can’t be criticized in public by other Democrats. All infractions must be ignored. Usually this is evidenced when male Democrats have affairs, but Specter is another example. Since he finally has a D after his name, he can’t be called out.

Now, since a conservative woman was insulted by a Democratic man, this situation gets double protection from the feminists. But that doesn’t make it any less hypocritical.

Had this situation been reversed and a Republican man said this to a Democratic woman or a Democratic man said this to a female Democrat, I have a feeling that the reaction would have been different. However, as example after example shows, it’s ok to discriminate against women as long as they’re conservative and pro-life. Feminist writers are usually the main perpetrators of  misogyny towards conservative women.

Nearly all of these blogs took time to post Cosmopolitan pictures of Scott Brown from 20 years ago, but they couldn’t take the time to condemn the disrespectful actions of a sitting senator. Shameful.

It’s a good sign when you scare the European establishment.

I’ve been mocked and derided for writing about the emerging force of women on the right. Well, the Guardian has a story today on Rep. Michele Bachmann. Hmm…maybe I’m not so far off. The Guardian includes the typical drivel about conservatives (nutjobs, far right extremists, possibly dangerous, angry, blah, blah, blah), but the article has some interesting points.

“Politics on the right used to be a parlour game played by old, white men,” said Bowler. Palin changed that and Bachmann has followed. They have replaced the dulcet tones of grey-haired Washington senators with Midwestern vowels and Alaskan twangs. They have risen swiftly through careers forged a long way from Washington, wearing their outsider label as a badge of pride. They have given conservatism the look of a middle-American suburban soccer mom with first-hand experience of raising a family in tough times.

I would argue that Bachmann was first (elected in 2006), but Palin was thrust into the spectacle of American media  and became a well-known figure far faster than Bachmann. However, I agree with the sentiment in the quote. Bachmann and Palin fairly represent the women engaged in Tea Parties. These aren’t your rich, affluent Federation of Republican Women types but grassroots activists.

As the article notes, there are comparisons between them. I’ve met both, and they’re both very nice, genuine women. I think they have differing roles and would agree that Bachmann’s political career probably has a longer lifespan. That’s not to say that Palin doesn’t have a bright future, but I hope she stays more movement focused.

I can only echo Michelle Malkin’s sentiments:

Yes, we’re “extreme.”

No apologies here for being extremely outraged at Washington’s ongoing generational theft, extremely mortified at our imperiled national security, extremely aggravated at the globe-trotting groveler-in-chief, and extremely disgusted with business-as-usual cronyism, pay-for-play thuggery in the Obama White House.

This is no time for mealy-mouthed moderation.

The only thing kowtowing will get you is rug burn.

Other women that should scare the Guardian are Virginia Foxx, Jean Schmidt and Tennessee’s own Marsha Blackburn.