They're not gone, after all. Sayeth John:
The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith, and I take them at their word. We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.
Probably wise, in a sense-- the sense that doesn't appeal to any mainstream voters, but a sense nonetheless. The Nutroots hatred for betraying one of their own would have been brutal and everlasting. When Edwards picked these women, he threw in his lot with that crowd, and that crowd don't take kindly to traitors.
Allah has a full round-up, including the revelations that they never meant to "malign anyone's faith," and that Marcotte is a "satirist." Ahh, now I get it. Hilarious. My favorite part-- Goldstein, via Allah:
Of course it was her intent. Just as it was McEwan’s intent. And worst of all, Edwards knows it. That he has pretended to take the two at their word, in an ostentatious gesture of “trust,” is precisley the kind of staged treacle that makes people doubt the sincerity of politicians; and that both Marcotte and McEwan have assured their own personal Patriarch that they’ll behave, now that he’s promoted them to the grownups’ table, is, to put it bluntly, one of the most pathetic public surrenderings of personal integrity I’ve ever seen.
They are womyn, hear them roar meekly promise to act like good little girls. Grrrrl power, baby.
The Fox News story on the non-firing is here:
Marcotte also did not comment publicly until the campaign's statement was released. McEwan defended herself Tuesday in a two-sentence posting on her blog, Shakespeare's Sister, that noted her vote for 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
"I'm not going to say a lot about this right now, but suffice it to say that the fact I cast a vote, without hesitation, for a Catholic during the last presidential election might suggest I'm not anti-Catholic," her post read. "My degree from Loyola University might also suggest the same."
McEwen also posted the statement that the Edwards campaign distributed on Shakespeare's Sister on Thursday. Her portion said that she doesn't expect Edwards to agree with everything she's posted, but they share "an unwavering support of religious freedom and a deep respect for diverse beliefs.
"It has never been my intention to disparage people's individual faith, and I'm sorry if my words were taken in that way," McEwen's statement said.
Marcotte's statement said her writings on religion on her blog, Pandagon, are generally satirical criticisms of public policies and politics.
"My intention is never to offend anyone for his or her personal beliefs, and I am sorry if anyone was personally offended by writings meant only as criticisms of public politics," Marcotte said. "Freedom of religion and freedom of expression are central rights, and the sum of my personal writings is a testament to this fact."
Do they really expect people to believe they weren't meaning to malign anyone's faith? I'm struck by the fact that these girls get a little bit more fabric for their rear-ends than they deserve by virtue of the fact that most of the offensive things they wrote were so offensive they can't easily be reprinted in the MSM. The result is that if you say nasty enough stuff, and it starts a controversy, you're partially protected. Folks who read only Fox News and the NYT will never know exactly the kinds of things what Marcotte wrote, but y'all will. Apologies in advance, but I think people need to see what the kind of stuff both women wrote, so that this argument can't fly:
Q: What if Mary had taken Plan B after the Lord filled her with his hot, white, sticky Holy Spirit?
A: You’d have to justify your misogyny with another ancient mythology.
Catholic/evangelical vote, here they come!
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