CNN today reported a statement from White House Deputy Press Spokesman Tony Fratto that President Bush thinks of Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi as "an equal leader in government." He added that "I think it's impressive that no one has any questions of whether they can work together regardless of gender."
Unfortunately, CNN only provided one part of the transcript of this exchange with reporters. I called up a friend at the White House and acquired the rest of it for your reading enjoyment.
After this remark, Fratto added, "Thirty years ago, you all would have been asking me if the Secret Service would be keeping up on the Speaker's menstrual cycle."
But, he noted "Now, we've made leaps and bounds in our society, and it's no longer the White House's primary concern if women in the presence of the president are in an emotional state that corresponds to the moon's movement across our sky."
A research dossier available at the National Archives shows that menstruation has not been attended to by official White House staff since at least the seventh year of Ronald Reagan's presidency.
"The President hasn't asked Dr. Condoleezza Rice how long it's been since she bled in at least two years," Fratto noted for good measure.