"That is offensive to Sen. Clinton. I plan to win on the merit of my experience and ideas."

These people spend their lives before the public. They SHOULD be ready to deal with uncomfortable and difficult situations. Why are they so cowardly and weasely? Rebuking that woman would not have lost him supporters and it would have drawn a line in the sand to what is not appropriate beavior at his appearances.

But pander we must.

Why isn't the mainstream media out asking all the GOP candidates to condemn this remark? Oh wait. Different rules for Republicans. My bad.

This is all so stupid. Both sides. Must be a slow news day.

is that McCain's mom was (potentially) speaking for the McCain campaign, whereas some random person with a question wasn't. McCain didn't take the question seriously, and neither should we.

...now the journos will accuse McCain of playing the gender card, i.e. using his "masculine" character to his advantage by riding the camaraderie of the crowd, and using his adversary's femaleness to her disadvantage? Yep, I'm waiting...

... waiting....

... waiting...

...yeah, right. I forgot the Second Rule of Covering Hillary: Derogatory statements about Clinton are always true.

(First Rule of Campaigning with Hillary: Direct quotes from Hillary are superfluous. Third Rule: Routine / universal campaign practices become immoral if practiced by Hillary).

I'm waiting for a questioner at a Clinton or Obama or Edwards event to ask "How do we beat the asshole?"

The beauty of the question is that it would be applicable no matter which Republican frontrunner got the nomination.

Are we sure the supporter was referring to Hillary Clinton? There are plenty of "little bitches" running for the Republican nomination.

But really, McCain could have handled it better, but this was a particularly awkward situation for a man like McCain. The question was asked by an older woman. In his eyes (this is a man who's very close to his own 95 year-old mother), to scold this woman at all would have been, ungentlemanly and disrespectful. I think had a younger man asked the question, McCain's response would have been different.

As for comparisons with his mother's comment: McCain already knows his mother's thoughts on Mormons. Her comment was likely not especially shocking for him. The supporter in the crowd was unexpected.

And for the laughter from the crowd, come on: everyone knows it's funny when little old ladies swear.

Rule #1: Always use a framing hammer.

The guy that yelled that she could have been talking about his ex-wife was pretty funny, I thought republicans had their humor gene removed.

Any "little old lady" that uses the word "bitch" shouldn't be let off the hook because of their age. But younger men should have had a scolding?

Uh, no. Any "little old lady" with a "potty mouth" in public should have also been scolded.

The coarse language I use re: the Republicans is only used amoung close friends or in my home. I would never have used "bitch" or "asshole" in public.

"Little old lady" should have been taken to task by Senator McCain. (That would be "bitch slapped" to the younger folks.)

. . .of what's to come.

Any "little old lady" that uses the word "bitch" shouldn't be let off the hook because of their age. But younger men should have had a scolding?

Uh, no. Any "little old lady" with a "potty mouth" in public should have also been scolded.

The coarse language I use re: the Republicans is only used amoung close friends or in my home. I would never have used "bitch" or "asshole" in public.

"Little old lady" should have been taken to task by Senator McCain. (That would be "bitch slapped" to the younger folks.)

Oh, and she is a former First Lady.

And how did we get to such a place? Oh, wait, that's right -- shameless, vulgar and stupid basically sums up the Republican "leaders" and their corporate media mouthpieces.

I don't care if that's the way shameless, vulgar and stupid people do speak and I don't care if millions hear that sort of thing all the time from the criminal Vice President on down to every last FOX screaming head, it's still unacceptable.

And I would like to add that the "female supporter" who came up with this guaranteed news grabber most certainly was not a party plant, and McCain's response most certainly was not well-rehearsed, and the jock-ular "ex-wife" guy most certainly was just a funny little spontaneity.

How did journalists get so DUMB as to fall for all this canned, manipulated tripe? Colbert, mon frere, where are you? He would have seen in one second flat the calculated theatre of this: Put the Hillary putdown in the mouth of a woman so a man can't be accused of calling her it; have McCain agree in his silent, wink-wink indulgent-dad kind of way; then put a cherry on type with a party joke called out by the drunk at the bar.

And I would like to add that the "female supporter" who came up with this guaranteed news grabber most certainly was not a party plant, and McCain's response most certainly was not well-rehearsed, and the jock-ular "ex-wife" guy most certainly was just a funny little spontaneity.

How did journalists get so DUMB as to fall for all this canned, manipulated tripe? Colbert, mon frere, where are you? He would have seen in one second flat the calculated theatre of this: Put the Hillary putdown in the mouth of a woman so a man can't be accused of calling her it; have McCain agree in his silent, wink-wink indulgent-dad kind of way; then put a cherry on type with a party joke called out by the drunk at the bar.

The above will be the new meaning of the "B-word" under Hillary Clinton if she becomes President. If that happens, McCain et al will have exactly 2 choices: 1) get used to it

or 2) get over it.

Is he doing that "Democrat Party" thing now?

It was some dweeb in the audience. McCain expressed respect for Sen. Clinton. Exes frequently detest their exes. This one's a big yawner.

If the shoe were on the other foot and someone called McCain a "son of a bitch" and Hillary said something like, "Oh, I thought you were referring to Richard Mellon Scaife. I respect Sen. McCain," I wouldn't think anything of it (except to enjoy a crack at Scaife's expense).