Pelosi's detractors were right about one thing: She IS a lightning rod. And thank God, she is

I trust our Speaker.

trolling him to his core.

Trump knew if he had gone forward with the meeting, Pelosi and Schumer would have confirmed that fact. So he threw a fit. But they surmised it anyway. Schumer was on Lawrence O'Donnell saying that tonight.

But you're right, Nancy Pelosi is quite the resilient lightning rod.

Then she rubbed in the salt with the "temper tantrum for us all to see" and verbal smack down to Kellyanne when she ran in to try and salvage some PR for Trump.

She owned the day and they're left playing cleanup. As it should be.

...he didn't want to give them any kind of apparent victory, even if it was the "yes, the sky is blue" type concession.

"I pray for the president of the United States and I pray for the United States of America."

Hopefully, they are not all 100% involved in the collusion that no doubt took place and have some allegiance to our Constitution.

On Pelosi, I know you are right. She serves as a lightening rod willingly and purposefully. She’s no dummy. And tRump’s no match.

and "I'm not talking about her", in particular. Really good presser by Nancy.

the republicans in the senate will be begging the Speaker to impeach the crazy idiot.

even in the darkest night, the truth is visible for all to see.

...so let the woman lead! I am fed up with these men trying to mansplain their reasons to slam Nancy Pelosi and her wise refusal to throw Brer Trump into the Senate Briar Patch!

Fortunately I am a different kind of man! I was raised by one tough mother and a bunch of tough Nuns! Believe me, what Trump needs today is Tough-Love! Send this mess of his to the Senate and watch them exonerate him? Hell no! (Sorry Sister Aloysius ) See him smirk and gloat his way to re-election? His numbers would rise exponentially as his old fans, new fans and fence sitters all shout 'Make him King'! Any talk of impeachment is treasonous at this point in our history! When the tyrants use our rules against us we need to avoid using those same rules!

Nancy has earned the respect of every man, including the most sexist of them all (Trump). She is no victim!

But the "she doesn't know what she's doing/she's naive/what is she, stupid?" attacks on her definitely are.

And being mansplained to doesn't make one a victim. It just makes the mansplainer look foolish.

But certainly, they could be said about a man who is holding back a flood of impeachment talk as well.

In general, I am anxious that the accusation of sexism not be overused. It needs to be clear and stinging when it is put forth, such as when an array of men are seated to discuss women's issues (just as an example).

Unwarranted or overuse of sexism as an explanation of events or behaviors tends to cheapen this very real problem that permeates all aspects of our lives. And yes, overuse suggests an embrace of victimhood, which I despise.

Please consider how your response sounds to people who are on the receiving end of racism, sexism and other persistent discrimination, only to be instructed by others that our bringing it up will only make it difficult to address REAL discrimination when it ACTUALLY occurs (because we ourselves don't know how to recognize it but they do and will let up know when it's appropriate to say anything about it).

I urge you to rethink this.

(I don't know whether you're male or female, but either gender can mansplain - and some women are just as adept at it as men).

If someone complains that they have been discriminated against on the basis of sex, it is not up to us to say they haven't because it may not seem clear enough or extreme enough. I was referring to third parties (like us) blaming sexism, when reading about actions and events, not a recipient or the accuser.

I m a 64-year-old woman who has been angry about sexism my whole life. I was hurt when I was told my childhood desire to join the volunteer fire department could never happen, but I could be in the Ladies Auxiliary instead. I smoldered when my father told me I would not be able to find a husband because I was no longer a virgin. I didn't marry my husband until after seven years of cohabitation (and two babies!) because I didn't want to be dismissed as somebody's wife, rather than dealt with as an independent person. And 'living together' was rather shocking in my day. I fumed over not being able to have credit in my name, and having subcontracters ask to talk to my husband when I was organizing construction of our house. And don't even get me started on sexual invasions and assaults!

It goes on and on and never ends. But my point is that we all deal with things differently. My personality is such that I value strength probably far more that I should. And I abhor victimhood. The way I deal with all this is pretty much 'f**k you, you are not going to crush me.' And that is the lens through which I see someone say that Nancy - who I am just idolizing at the moment - is a victim of sexism and it just makes me see red.