My husband is not Secretary of State. I am.
--Hillary Clinton
This is Hillary's now famous snap at a student who asked during a press conference in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, what "Mr. Clinton" thought of a Chinese loan offer to the country. According to State Department officials, the student said afterward that he had meant to ask what "Mr. Obama" thought of the potential deal.
Knowing the male African culture, I'm skeptical of the response of the student and the State Department.
As the father of three successful professional daughters and highly protective of them during their early years, I'm always amused when a smart female takes over the setting from males.
The episode reminds me of a parent-teacher encounter my wife and I had with my youngest daughter's math teacher in the 8th grade. Kris, as usual, was leading the pack of boys. The teacher, a man, commented that Kris does very well in math, "especially for a girl." Before I could open my mouth, my wife kicked me under the table, so I shut up. Afterward, she chided me that my mouth would probably have been more harmful than helpful.
Today, I'd probably have reamed the guy, just before I throttled him and choked him to death. Welcome to the new world.
Enjoy Hillary's rejoinder.