In the news...

Yesterday was a field day for political and sports news and both had gender angles.

As I was watching Sergio Garcia win the rain-delayed golf tournament, the coverage broke off for a news update the Augusta National had invited two women to be members, Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore.  'Bout time.  Here are some reactions, from Sally Jenkins and Christine Brennan.  I think it is a big deal and I will find it easier to watch the Masters tournament. (As I won't have the little irate voice inside my head saying -- you suck, you little small-minded, board members with visions of self-grandiosity that are way over inflated.  Get a clue, get over yourselves and admit women as members.)

The political stories were as bad as the Augusta National story was good.  In Missouri, a House Republican who is challenging Claire McCaskill for the Senate seat made comments the suggested that women who were "legitimately raped" didn't get pregnant.  That grabbed the headlines, but what is more scary is that last year he introduced legislation that tried to make the distinction between "forcible" rape and some "other" rape as it relates to abortion and other health care issues.  What rape isn't about force?  Who is this man?  The kicker for broader national discussion is that the man just put on the Republican ticket as the VP nominee last week was a co-sponsor of the bill. 

Of course, he has now said that he misspoke.  Right.  That would explain his legislation last year, as pointed out by Eugene Robinson this morning in his Op Ed piece in the Washington Post.  He is now running an ad titled "forgiveness" saying that he used the wrong words.  What would have been the right words?  And (continuing with the golf theme of this morning) par for the course, the ad has a black and white still shot of his wife, standing by her man.  Makes me want to vomit.

The other crazy, self-inflicted wound story was about the 30 Republican House members who went on a funded trip to Israel last year, right after the failed budget negotiations.  One evening as they were down by the Sea of Galilee, they decided to go swimming.  One dude, Rep. Yoder went in buck naked.  Who makes up these crazy stories?  Oh wait, this is real.  According to the report in Politico, they were told that alcohol may have been involved.  Let's hope these lawmakers, many of whom I bet you consider themselves Christian, have since learned the religious significance of that particular body of water.

Who are these people that we have elected to office?  What happened to their brains when they got to Washington?  Go figure.