Lemondrop

How lovely -- the word "teabagger" has been nominated as a Word of the Year finalist in the New American Oxford Dictionary. The term "teabagging" was already in the online Urban Dictionary defined as follows: "To have a man insert his scrotum into another person's mouth in the fashion of a teabag into a mug with an up/down (in/out) motion."

So how did a term defining a sexual act rise to be a top contender for new word of the year? Thank liberals for that one -- particularly those on the MSNBC cable channel and on left-wing blogs.

Many liberals love using this word to refer to Americans who attended tea parties that broke out all over the country this year in response to the Obama agenda. When I say they love it that is not an understatement.

If I've learned nothing else from reality television, it's that the old saying "truth is stranger than fiction" really is true. Last week it wasn't just true, it was on full out parade on the cable news channels. The United Nations show was in town and its parade of clowns was in rare form, making even the "Bridezillas" look sane by comparison.

Chavez Smells Multiple Personality Disorder
During a 57-minute speech, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the U.N. no longer smelled of sulfur (as when Bush was president) and now smelled of hope. He also spoke about his BFF Fidel Castro and the "two Obamas." No, that wouldn't be Michelle and Barack, but the President Obama who makes promises and the President Obama who doesn't always keep them.

OK, so even a crazy guy gets something right every once in a while.

If finding respite from the criticism of her detractors was Sarah Palin's goal when she resigned the governorship of Alaska on July 26th, she failed miserably.

At Salon.com this week, Juan Cole wrote an entire column comparing Palin to Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Not only are Palin's political ideology and aspirations still being scrutinized, but her personal life is as well (the rumor of an impending Palin divorce, although it has been officially denied, remains a hot topic of discussion).

Regardless of whether or not she ultimately decides to run for the office, as long as Palin is polling well against other Republicans she will be treated as a presidential hopeful. I understand that. What is not so easy to understand is the intense hatred for Palin and the nature of some of the criticism aimed at her -- especially that coming from self-described feminists.

A Narrow Feminism
The dictionary definition of the word "feminism" as a "doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men," has not always matched the widespread understanding of the word by the general public.

Over the past few decades, feminism has come to be associated with a more narrow liberal agenda with groups like the National Organization for Women (NOW) claiming to speak on behalf of women in America. Issues such as abortion rights and ending sex discrimination in the workplace have been at the forefront of the movement.

Click here for more on Palin and the feminist agenda after the jump.