Women - that's all we heard about in the 2012 election. Who they voted for and why, married and unmarried, the role of government in their lives, equal pay, government subsidized birth control and on and on. The media told us they were late deciders but no one told us why. Were they not paying attention? Could they not make up their minds?

Liberals seem to want to empower women. That's what they tell us 24/7. However, liberals also want to carve out special privileges for liberal women beyond those of conservative women, not to mention men. But here is the problem. Either women can wield power just as men ( the right answer) or they are victims worthy of pity. It can't be both. The public at large has been letting liberals get away with both.

Two cases in point. President Obama, in his press conference, defended UN Ambassador Susan Rice from criticism on the Benghazi incident, telling Republican politicians to not go after her but instead "come after me." It was as if he were saying, "These old white guys are picking on the girl and I won't stand for it."  Would he have said the same if his UN Ambassador was not a younger woman? Many thought not. If incompetence is the issue, drag out the "don't pick on the girl" argument and walk away.

Secondly, House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi in her press conference became outraged and was supported by a chorus of boos when a House reporter asked if House Democrats, who are led by a trio of 70-ish people including Pelosi, were going to bring in some "younger leadership." Amidst cries of "discrimination," this was deemed a question not worthy of a response. The reporter did not ask a question about women, but Pelosi wasn't listening and proceeded to wax lyrical on women leaders in Congress. She simply reverted to a knee-jerk response on women's empowerment.  The truth is: the question was a perfectly legitimate political question and was worthy of an answer. Instead, the question was sneered at as another "attack on women."

The reason liberals play up the woman issue so much is that they have been allowed by a compliant media and public to have it both ways. They can both tout the achievements of women and whine about unfairness when they don't get their way. Even when the question has nothing to do with women and everything to do with leadership.

Jay Haug is a free-lance writer living in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. You may contact him at cjcwguy@gmail.com