Gynophobia: A morbid fear of women
George Bush had an opportunity to meet with Cindy Sheehan today, or even answer her questions. Simple questions really, arising from Bush's comments last week that soldiers in Iraq & Afghanistan died for a "noble cause" in the "war on terror", once again linking Iraq and 9/11. Cindy's two questions that are baffling the War President: What is noble about the cause, now that we know there were never WMD in Iraq? If the cause is noble, why aren't the twins in Iraq? Of course, he didn't do either.
Today it was about "sending the wrong message" to terrorists, despite the fact that they are increasing in number as a result of the Iraq war. He avoided Cindy's questions, just like he's avoided Cindy herself.
That's nothing new though, I can't think of a President who has exhibited more difficulty in dealing with women than George Bush has. When he can't avoid women altogether, he chooses mockery and denigration instead. Who can forget the Letterman appearance where he used Maria Pope's sweater to clean his glasses? Secretary Rice is relegated to "Condi", Laura is a "lump", the twins have the "whining" pool, he even flipped off Karen Hughes.
Last November, Bush refused an invitation to speak to a joint session of the Canadian Parliament. Since Canada had just politely received Vincente Fox of Mexico, it is unlikely there would have been anything but a mannerly reception. The only real threat to that possibility was Carolyn Parrish, a strong critic of Bush who called him a warlike man after the 2004 election. This vocal member of the House of Commons has also been a strong critic of the war, labeling the nations supporting Bush's war the "coalition of the idiots".
He's been confronted about his habit of avoiding female reporters, as well, on more than one continent even. In his June 1 press conference, he asked a question of only 1 woman. He followed up during a stop in Denmark, by blundering a question to "Reuters man, Toby"; who happens to be a woman.
In 2003, Helen Thomas was relegated to the third row of a Presidential press conference for daring to utter 3 little words a few day earlier, specifically that George Bush was the "worst President ever". Yes, Ms. Thomas, then 82 years old, and 3 little words were enough to send the "decisive" and "courageous" President Bush into a complete meltdown. For 57 years, Ms. Thomas had been a staple at White House press conferences, closing them with her traditional "Thank you, Mr. President.". It was the first press conference since JFK that hadn't included one of her questions.
Then there was Irish reporter, Carole Coleman, who dared to actually do her job and ask probing questions in a ten minute interview last June. Bush's response was not just to avoid Ms.Coleman in the future, but to file a formal complaint with the Irish Embassy in Washington. The complaint, that she interrupted Bush, couldn't have been received as anything more than "she was mean to me."
His ultimate disrespect for women may well be in his treatment of Carla Faye Tucker. Not enough to simply reject her appeal for clemency; it was reported in Talk magazine that in a subsequent interview, he pursed his lips in mimicry of Tucker, and said in a simpering voice, "Please, please don't kill me." It is telling that of all the clemency requests he received, he chose to mock the one from the first woman to be executed in Texas in 100 years.
It is obvious that meeting with Cindy was discussed at length and various options considered, otherwise Stephen Hadley wouldn't have been dispatched on the first day of her vigil. What hasn't been asked is who made the decision for Stephen to go, and why him? Was it "compassionate conservatism", an attempt to heed Cindy's call to have "the courtesy and the integrity and the compassion" to talk to her. Or was it just another case of gynophobia for the Coward of Crawford.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/11/201436/095
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