Three senators held a press conference about Benghazi and UN Ambassador Susan Rice, but the media and President Barack Obama ignored New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte to claim the criticism of Rice was sexist.
Senators Ayotte, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham want to form a temporary Senate Select Committee to investigate the terrorist attack in Benghazi. As a young, pretty, articulate, and politically accomplished woman, Ayotte’s participation in this push for an investigation doesn’t fit the left’s narrative.
The media is determined to push the idea that the GOP is waging a war on women. If they included Senator Ayotte in their coverage of the pressure being applied to Ambassador Rice, it would blow their argument out of the water. Senators McCain and Graham can be used to further the media image of the GOP as old, white, out-of-touch males who don’t like women; Senator Ayotte does not.
President Obama blasted Senators McCain and Graham over their attacks on Ambassador Rice, but he didn’t mention Senator Ayotte.
“If Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me,” he told the media.
The media was more than happy to pick up where he left off. Politico‘s writeup mentions Ayotte once–eight paragraphs in, and only in passing. The New York Times mainly talks about Senators McCain and Graham and only mentioned Senator Ayotte towards the bottom. A casual reader would easily miss the mention.
Aaron Blake at The Washington Post titles his piece “How Obama vs. McCain/Graham poisons the bipartisan well.” Senator Ayotte is left out of the article. Catalina Camia at USA Today mentions Senator Ayotte by name but omits her from the lede and doesn’t quote any of her remarks from the press conference.
Who are the real sexists here — the three Senators who expect a woman to be held accountable for her actions in the wake of Benghazi, the same as anyone else, or the President and journalists who refuse to acknowledge the voice of a woman Senator?
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.