Politics: candidate wives play nice... sorta

Theresa Heinz Kerry said something stupid:

Well, you know, I don't know Laura Bush. But she seems to be calm, and she has a sparkle in her eye, which is good, but I don't know that she's ever had a real job — I mean, since she's been grown up. So her experience and her validation comes from important things, but different things.

Problem is, Laura worked as a school teacher for ten years before she married George. No real job? OUCH! So Theresa apologized, as she definitely should have:

There couldn't be a more important job than teaching our children. As someone who has been both a full-time mom and full-time in work force, I know we all have valuable experiences that shape who we are. I appreciate and honor Mrs. Bush's service to the country as first lady and am sincerely sorry I had not remembered her important work in the past.

And Laura, being very gracious, sincere, and lots of pleasant things, accepts the apology, saying no apology was even needed:

She apologized but she didn't even really need to apologize. I know how tough it is [to be campaigning for your husband] and actually I know those trick questions.

But here's my problem with the whole thing. Bush attack-bitch Karen Hughes rips into Heinz-Kerry for the comment:

[Heinz-Kerry's comments are] indicative of an unfortunate mind-set that seeks to divide women based on who works at home and who works outside the home... [which makes the whole thing even] worse because she left out the very important real job of a mother.

WTF? My mother stayed at home with me most of my life before going back to school, and she now teaches kindergarten. And while I absolutely respect my mother for her life decisions, and am MEGA-proud of her going back to school as a non-traditional student, I'm pretty sure her years at home with me didn't necessarily prepare her to be First Lady, not because her job of raising me wasn't important, but because, well, she was at home. And the country, well, isn't at home.

So Laura, you handled this thing brilliantly, and come out looking all the better for it. Theresa, we expect you to say crazy things, but being able to apologize without qualification is good too.

Karen Hughes, you are a bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch.

The same bitch who recently compared pro-choice Americans to terrorists.