contrapositive

SHAME ON MIKULSKI Republicans accused Democrats of sexism when they opposed the nominations of Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown to Federal courts.

It was a baseless charge and--because it was employed cynically--an insult to women and men working to combat genuine sexism in our society.

Now, with conservatives up in arms over the Miers nomination, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) is using the same deplorable tactic on Republicans:

I'm shocked at the sexism and double standard coming out of the far right [on the Miers nomination].

The debate about Miers has been about her qualifications and her ideology. Gender simply hasn't entered into it. Shame on Mikulski for pretending otherwise.