Conservatives Confront Bush Aides (Anger Over Nomination of Miers Boils Over During Private Meetings)

At one point in the first of the two off-the-record sessions, according to several people in the room, White House adviser Ed Gillespie suggested that some of the unease about Miers "has a whiff of sexism and a whiff of elitism." Irate participants erupted and demanded that he take it back. Gillespie later said he did not mean to accuse anyone in the room but "was talking more broadly" about criticism of Miers.

Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard used this same talking point last night on Brit Hume's show against Miers' critics. These inside-the-beltway types don't have a clue...