Republicans Want To Put Speaker Pelosi "In Her Place"

Today, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) issued a controversial press release, slamming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for supposedly "backpedaling on Afghanistan amidst increasing criticism from the radical left." The release goes on to declare:

If Nancy Pelosi's failed economic policies are any indicator of the effect she may have on Afghanistan, taxpayers can only hope McChrystal is able to put her in her place.

"Put her in her place"?

How is such condescending sexism still acceptable politics? As Amanda Terkel asks, "What place does the NRCC think that this accomplished woman -- the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history -- deserves to be in?"

Justifiably outraged, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D-FL) fired back:

"I think the place for a woman is at the top of the House of Representatives," said Wasserman Schultz.

"It's evidence they long for the days when a woman's place was in the kitchen. Now a woman is third in line for the presidency... But it's not surprising, coming from a party that's 80 percent male and 100 percent white," she added, referring to the composition of the House GOP conference.

Still, try to imagine how all those white men would have reacted if the DNC suggested that Sarah Palin needed to be "put in her place" during last year's presidential election. 

On a more substantive note, Steve Benen points out that Republicans didn't listen to four-star Gen. Eric Shinseki when he warned before the Iraq War that the Bush plan would be inadequate.  "And no one thought to put them in their place, either," Benen adds.