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This has been the stereotype primary to beat the band. If it isn't one concern (gender: Clinton), then it's another (race: Obama) or even another (elderism: McCain). And with stereotypes come stereotypical descriptions and Hillary Clinton has drawn the short straw for getting the most stereotypical brushstrokes by the media. Part of it is understandable because her campaign has been so erratic (and she is running desperate) but part of it no doubt is sexism, sometimes subtle and sometimes not. In my daily link, Linda Hirshman in Slate considers the latest media avenue -- Hillary as hysteric. It's no wonder that the rest of the world finds our election system mostly insane.

Mission (un)Accomplished
Here's what Clinton and Obama had to say to mark this infamous anniversary of George Bush's ego run publicly amok:
First, Clinton: "The fifth anniversary of President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech comes the same week as a chief architect of the Bush administration’s war in Iraq conceded "We were clueless on counterinsurgency." That statement confirms what we have all known: the planning and strategy was flawed. Our troops deserved and deserve better. All Americans honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States in Iraq. We are grateful for the tremendous burden they have carried. Our troops have done their job.
The path forward is to use American diplomacy and our allies to allow U.S. forces to come home, and turn responsibility back to Iraq and its people. That is the plan I have laid out to the American people as a Senator and as a candidate, and that is the plan that I will carry out as President.”
Understandably, there was no mention of her vote to authorize the war.
Then, Obama: "Five years after George Bush declared 'mission accomplished' and John McCain told the American people that 'the end is very much in sight' in Iraq, we have lost thousands of lives, spent half a trillion dollars, and we're no safer. It's time to turn the page on Washington's false promises and failed judgments on foreign policy, so that we can finally ease the enormous burdens on our troops and their families, and end a war that should've never been authorized. I am the only candidate in this race who opposed the war in Iraq when Washington was falling in line with George Bush, and as President I will end this war."

I'm looking (so far in vain) for a statement from John McCain. This probably isn't at the top of his favorite anniversary list.