Let me confess out front that I knew Ann Richards before she even ran for office and I supported her in every race she ran, local and statewide.
I also knew Sarah Weddington before she was elected to the State Legislature.
That's to put my biases out front.
Over those years, I saw attacks on both Weddington and Richards that simply could not have happened to males similarly situated.
Now, we live in an atmosphere where "liar" is about as mild as epithets get. Barack Obama's statement that "you can keep your insurance" makes him a liar even though the grandfather clause he was touting is in fact in the law. Failure to anticipate insurance company machinations becomes a lie.
But here I suggest that even in this atmosphere, it's worse for women.