Tucker Carlson has found himself in some hot water with fellow conservatives after tweeting on Monday, "Palin's popularity falling in Iowa, but maintains lead to become supreme commander of Milfistan." The next morning it turned out the tweet had been deleted, followed by an apology.
Then on Tuesday, pre-apology, Conservatives4Palin writer Stacy Drake let Carlson have it, taking him to task for failing to own his "sexist" comment, and stressing the unacceptability of male columnists continuing to objectify women in politics. Michelle Malkin jumped in, tweeting: "I am not down with @karlrove @tuckercarlson misogynist mockery of @sarahpalinusa. Sick of it." Conservative blogger Erick Erickson did have Carlson's back though, tweeting "Maybe my sense of humor needs to be recalibrated, but when I heard @TuckerCarlson's MILFistan comment, I laughed then got out my passport."
By yesterday, the right's internecine war of the sexes was on. Whitney Pitcher wrote a post on Conservatives4Palin titled "MILF-Misogynists (and Elites) I'd like to Fulminate," throwing the gender gauntlet down hard:
"Perhaps an additional reason that Governor Palin does not win the respect of the Elite and Establishment is that you cannot be praised for your 'perfectly creased pants' if you often wear a skirt, right David Brooks? (Ouch.) The continued line of attack from the Establishment and Elite men in the GOP have come as a result of Governor Palin's genetic makeup."
Between the Tea Party and squabbles like this, Newt Gingrich is gonna have his work cut out.