Gotta Love Teresa Heinz

As everyone in the blogosphere knows by now, Teresa Heinz Kerry called for more civility in political discourse mere moments before telling a reporter to "shove it."  As I remarked on Ace's blog, this shouldn't be a story.  It should be something that we all chuckle about for five minutes, Teresa should feel embarrassed for about five minutes, and then we should all forget about it.

But we won't, and I'll tell you why.

She won't let it go.

Drudge has a partial transcript of a Katie Couric interview, in which Couric asks whether Teresa regrets her statement.

"No, I don't. And-- I think that I-- say what I believe. I'm plain spoken. I really want him to back off. You know, back off. And he-- and reporters generally don't do this. They don't trap you and they don't misrepresent you when they talk to you. That's exactly what he did"...

No, Teresa, he did not misrepresent you.  He quoted you.  If you continue to insist that you did not use the word "un-American," but everone with a computer can see video of you using the word "un-American,"  we must conclude that you are an idiot for forgetting so fast, or an idiot for thinking we can't/won't watch the tape, or so bull-headed as to refuse to admit to something embarrassing even when it is completely undeniable.

BTW, as far as what reporters generally don't do, ask President Bush how much slack the press is willing to give him. 

Kerry stood up for his wife, as reported here.  Of course, it's a good thing to stand up for one's wife, especially when that wife is worth a zillion dollars, and when you've made all of your money by marrying such wives.  Kerry's not stupid - he knows where his allowance is coming from.  In the linked article, he stated:

"My wife speaks her mind appropriately."

Well yes and no.  On the one hand, I actually admire the fact that Teresa is willing to say what she actually thinks, rather than nuancing her speeches beyond comprehensibility.  Everyone prefers a straight-talker over someone who can speak for hours without communicating a single idea.  We could do with more of that in politics. 

On the other hand, John, your wife just called for civility in politics, and immediately afterward tells someone to "shove it."  In other words, it seems the civility she seeks is a one-way street.  Assuredly she's not asking for Democrats to quit being so darned uncivil towards one another, even if she's the one who doesn't trust Ted Kennedy, and who thinks Democrats are putrid. 

No, what she's calling for, and I agree with her, is for civility that crosses party lines.  And she refuses to give any of that civility which she recognizes we need.  So basically, Kerry could not be more wrong when he says his wife "speaks her mind appropriately."  She is speaking her mind in hypocrisy, and she won't let it go - the reason this non-story will stay around.  She could easily have said, "I'm sorry, I'll try harder next time to practice some of that civility I'm calling for."  And that would have been that, as far as I'm concerned. 

Asked about Heinz Kerry's comments, her spokeswoman Marla Romash said: "It was a moment of extreme frustration aimed at a right wing rag that has consistently and almost purposefully misrepresented the facts when reporting on Mrs. Heinz Kerry."

Welcome to the club, Teresa.  Again, go ask the President what he thinks about media hostility.

But my conclusion is not that she needs to shut up.  Rather, I hope she keeps talking. 

"I'm too old to be embarrassed," she told reporters during a conversation on her husband's campaign plane..."

Perhaps, dear, but you're never too old to embarrass your husband.