I've been avoiding talking about Carrie Prejean and her latest scandal because, honestly, I feel bad for her about it and don't think she deserves to be humiliated in this manner by an unscrupulous ex-boyfriend or anyone else.
But she has a new book out and she's making the rounds promoting it and inevitably the topic is bound to come out, as it did in this interview with Meridith Vieira on "The Today Show." But what I am most interested in begins around the four minute mark, when Prejean goes into right-wing victim mode, claiming that conservative women are under attack, comparing herself to Sarah Palin, and complaining that nobody would ever say nasty things about women like Sonia Sotomayor or Michelle Obama:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Prejean: Well, I think it's important for people to understand. I think that Americans heard only bits and pieces of what really happened and I think that there is a liberal bias in the media. And it's unfortunate that conservative women are attacked, they are attacked for their beliefs and it's unacceptable and it shouldn't happen. And so many Americans are frustrated, so many Americans believe that their beliefs are under attack and that they should silent and free speech doesn't exist. Since when does free speech not exist? Since when is someone able to go on national TV and call someone the most awful names you could ever call a woman and get away with it?
...
Vieira: You say in the book you've been "Palinized" ... what do you mean by that?
Prejean: You know that attacks Sarah Pailn is under, don't you?
Vieira: But you think if you're a conservative woman ...
Prejean: Do you think Sarah Palin's been attacked?
Vieira: I think Sarah Palin has certainly been criticized, absolutely, by a lot of people, as have many politicians.
Prejean: And there is a double standard out there. There is an extreme double standard that conservative women are under attack for whatever it is. I mean, if Sean Hannity went out there and said some of the things that Keith Olbermann has said about me, you know if he said anything about Sonia Sotomayor or Michelle Obama, he would be off the air. Why is there this double standard? And that's the reason why I wrote this book.
She's right: nobody on the Right would have ever attacked Sotomayor or said anything offensive or crazy about her.
