Meghan McCain Responds To Laura Ingraham's "Plus-Size" Insult [UPDATES]

For whatever reason, Laura Ingraham's gone from substantively criticizing Meghan McCain for using the Daily Beast as her dating LiveJournal at a time of larger concerns to cattily bodysnarking her, for no good reason. It's unbecoming!

Via ThinkProgress, here are the words that came a-teetering out of Ingraham's cakehole, whilst reacting to McCain's Rachel Maddow interview, Mystery Science Theatre 3000-style:

INGRAHAM (mocking): Ok, Meghan. Do you think that anyone would be talking to you if you weren't kind of cute and you weren't the daughter of John McCain? Or do you just think that they would just think that you were just another Valley Girl gone awry?

MADDOW: You picked a fight with somebody who's definitely going to fight back.

MCCAIN: Yeah. Well, if it was, you know, if it was too hot in the kitchen, I'd get out. I know what I'm doing and I know that I'm creating, she probably will respond, she already has, but I'm sure she'll respond harder, but this dialogue should take place. It should. I think that you know, often times and I think it's relevant because I am a Republican. I still consider myself a Republican and that's why it's relevant because I'm someone within the party.

INGRAHAM (mocking): How long before she totally abandons the Daily Beast and makes it official at the Huffington Post?

MCCAIN: And I think there's an extreme on both parties and I hate extreme. I don't understand. I have friends that are the most radically conservative and radically liberal people possibly ever and we all get along. We can find a middle ground.

INGRAHAM (mocking): Ok, I was really hoping that I was going to get that role in the Real World, but then I realized that, well, they don't like plus-sized models. They only like the women who look a certain way. And on this 50th anniversary of Barbie, I really have something to say.

Speaking of "really having something to say," I'm struck by how little Laura Ingraham has to say about this, other than these juvenile mewlings. As one commenter on Jezebel astutely notes: "If the GOP were The Hills, Laura Ingraham would totally be Spencer."

Meanwhile, McCain has responded to Ingraham with a "whatevs" message on Twitter: "Laura Ingraham please stop talking about my body..." which she followed up by saying, "To all my girls out there. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your body! I love my curves and you should love yours too!"

Okay. Am I prepared to suggest that Meghan McCain's Daily Beast overshares about how her father has cursed her to a life of creepy, Cindy-worshiping suitors marks her as one of America's next top conservative thinkers? No I am not. And I am similarly disinclined to start handing her medals of valor for being willing to fight Ann Coulter, an easy-peasy target who's been slipping down the slope into Hasbeenistan for some time now. But I totally have Meghan's back on this pointless spite that Laura Ingraham is attempting to serve her. So, NUANCE: I am meeting you halfway, I guess!

[UPDATES:]

Meghan McCain adds, via Twitter: "out of the cold in my hotel room. lovin my christina hendricks body and spreading positivity to my fellow curvy girls out there!" And Taylor Marsh, here at HuffPo, writes: "When you can't attack an argument someone is making, attack the person. If it's a woman, go for the scales. Trouble is, Meghan has made peace with the weight issue -- as most women have to at some point -- leaving Ms. Ingraham talking to herself." Well put!

[MORE UPDATES:]
Okay, now Meghan is Twittering, "Song of the Day: "Milkshake" by Kelis :-) in honor of girls who work it!" Look, Megs, you've got a good thing going right now, but let's not OVERPLAY OUR HAND, okay?

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Comments

[winterthur]

12:30 AM on 03/23/2009

Is anyone really listening to Meghan McCain? Is the U$ pre$$ that de$perate for a $tory that they would drag out Meghan McCain?

[scituate tgr]

12:51 PM on 03/20/2009

Don said: "In a middle school or high school classroom, one encounters the same tactics. It is the adults who recognize the priorities who must keep the focus where they want it, where it is most productive."

Guess that explains why Barack used the "Special Olympics" to categorize his bowling skills on a late-night comedy show.

[RRundbaken]

08:11 PM on 03/18/2009

Ms. McCain, all I can say is, first you are plenty attractive as opposed to that scarecrow Ingraham and second I am sorry you call yourself a Republican. After what I have seen from Republicans over the past 12 years all I can say is that I am sick of them. Go all the way back to that absolutely mindless and useless Clinton impeachment when it turned out that all those hypocritical Republican bible thumpers with their scolding and lecturing all had affairs. Move up to the Bush years and what will no doubt be recorded by history as the worst presidency this nation has seen. To those awful conventions with that mean vitriol and that ghastly sight of Republican (all white of course) conventioneers wearing Purple Heart band-aids to mock John Kerry up through the assault on the Constitution and as far as I am concerned they have no ideas or leadership My father earned a Purple Heart in WWII and to see such mocking of a guy like Kerry, whether you agree with him or not, was disgusting. The man volunteered to serve, earned the highest commendations, faced the dangers of a battlefield and they mock him? Then you end up with the last election and, sorry to say, how your father absolutely caved to the Bush machine, hired them all and they sunk his candidacy. Sarah Palin? Can anyone even imagine a Vice President Palin? Sorry hon, you are on the wrong side of everything.

[casey70]

10:13 PM on 03/17/2009

I think Ms. McCain needs to switch up parties; or a least become an Independent.

You go Megan! Ingram and Coultergist are just jealous old hags.

[Propagandhi]

11:33 AM on 03/17/2009

Elaine: - What is so appealing to men about a catfight --
Kramer: Yeah-yay catfight!!

[DonKrieger]

11:21 AM on 03/17/2009

Dear Meghan and Everyone,

The offensive comments objectifying people based on weight or, for that matter, on anything, are wrong and deserve pushback.

But here they are sidetracking the more important discussion of policy and opinion in which you were engaged. Laura Ingraham has succeeded in this sense. She has silenced your more important conversation.

In a middle school or high school classroom, one encounters the same tactics. It is the adults who recognize the priorities who must keep the focus where they want it, where it is most productive.

Please consider this and thank you for your efforts.

Don
Pittsburgh, PA
http://publicservice.evendon.com

[therrin123]

11:14 AM on 03/17/2009

We are beginning to witness the complete unravelling of the Republican Party as we know it. Get your popcorn ready.

[LindaLeigh]

08:31 PM on 03/16/2009

I just took the time to read Meghan's blog on The Daily Beast and I really like the way she thinks. She could be very good for the Republican Party, which in my opinion, needs to be more progressive. Maybe she could bring in young people who are more open minded than most older conservatives. I just saw a small glimpse of hope for the Republican Party's future. Truely enlightening.

[KayCo]

06:49 PM on 03/16/2009

I like Meghan McCain and I admire her self acceptance and her willingness to have different friends w/ different viewpoints. I find her down to earth and real and that is refreshing.

Ms. Ingraham on the other hand is a vicious mean spirited person, who when she has nothing worthwhile to say, attacks another female based on physical appearance. I think Ms McCain looks healthy and I think there should be more "real" women in the media.

I honestly wish we would move past all this judging women so harshly on their appearance.

[DivergentMary]

02:26 PM on 03/16/2009

Laura Ingraham has always made me shudder, much in the way that Ann Coulter does. Attack dogs, both of them . . .

[Tina Tester]

01:51 PM on 03/16/2009

interesting

[antifluff]

01:25 PM on 03/16/2009

Personally, I hope CM is not the "new" spokes person for the repubs, her political views are left of center. She is given attention by the lefties because she says what they say in a politically acceptable manner. She does not say that the party in power is bur ying the country in debt and our young will have to be s0ld to pay the debts. She seems to talk up ideals more than discuss what actually works. I don't care what she looks like or how much she weighs; if she is not for "conservative" ideals, she is not helping the party. Why would anyone vote for a repub liberal when they could have a full-fledged dem liberal?

[Furby]

02:11 PM on 03/16/2009

She don't know much about history, don't know much about geography, don't know much about economy, don't know much about theology, but she does love her curves. I say let the girl rise like a perfect souffle, she has all the right credentials for Republican spokesperson

[kapalabhati]

11:53 AM on 03/16/2009

Taylor Marsh, shame on you. You're correct about Ingraham's ad hominem attack style, But Ms. McCain's weight issue? What weight issue? Ms. McCain is a lovely, healthy young woman who has a realistic body image. Ms. McCain, can't you see that your fellow Republicans have no better ammo than these asinine attacks? Please move away from the dark side; come join us.

[karma namdak]

11:27 AM on 03/16/2009

You know what, I like Meghan. I think she's smart, pretty and surprisingly honest about herself. What's cool is that I don't agree with her politics for the most part, but I believe she's sincere and respects differing viewpoints.

[Furby]

06:43 PM on 03/16/2009

Too kind of you. It's easy to be surprisingly honest when you don't have any kind of a handle on current affairs.

[Lance Sloan]

11:17 AM on 03/16/2009

Laura Ingraham has a good grasp of the "argumentum ad hominem" concept, apparently. As is usually the case, it will make the person who uses it look foolish. It's like she's taken a page from the Limbaugh playbook, but she's using it against a fellow conservative.