Something particularly embarrassing, at least to me, happened on the Sunday yak shows yesterday.  In between accusations that the Democrats are simply creating political theater with their investigation of Alberto Gonzales (despite clear evidence of perjury and mass resignations and vacancies at the Justice Department), and talk about how the Democrats are to blame for continuing the war (despite GOP filibusters and presidential vetoes), on Meet the Press, the conversation turned to Hillary Clinton’s mammaries.

The source of the raging controversy was this article in the Washington Post that examined the former First Lady’s stunning decision to wear a blouse that showed some cleavage on the senate floor.  John Harwood of CNBC and The Wall Street Journal defended the piece vociferously  (Clip here, transcript here) saying Hillary’s sartorial choice was clearly a calculated move.  “For her to argue that she was not aware of what she was communicating by her dress is like Barry Bonds saying he thought he was rubbing down with flaxseed oil, OK?”  To hear him describe it, you’d think Hillary had chaired a committee hearing without panties.

Thank heavens Andrea Mitchell was there to set us straight, saying the issue was “so marginal.  This was like microscopic evidence of... inappropriate attire.”  But then Andrea offers the bon mot, “Sometimes a blouse is just a blouse, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein.”

Oy.  Let’s parse this one, because Mrs. Greenspan (she’s married to Alan Greenspan, so we can trust her to be fair) laughed gaily, very proud of her allusion.  But it’s wrong.  Stupid wrong.  Gertrude Stein did write, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.”  But it seems clear that Mitchell was really referring to the line usually attributed to Sigmund Freud, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”  That is the quotation used most often to rebut instances of too much “reading in,” or, to put it more bluntly, sex on the brain, as at the Washington Post.

A minor, unsourced Freudian slip?  Perhaps.  But I see it as just one more example of the punditocracy’s sloppy arrogance.  Even when showing off their erudition and wit, they prove how idiotic they are.

Why do we listen to them?  Do we have to?

- Jon

P.S.  Someone at NBC must have caught Andrea’s embarrassing mistake, because even though “Gertrude Stein” was clearly audible on the show (and in the clip), the name is removed from the transcript.