For instances, The New York Times today is running a front-page story about Hillary Clinton, called 'Gender Issue Lives On as Clinton's Hope Dims.' It's a compelling look at the way Clinton and her supporters have correctly identified sexism as a tool used against her AND how Clinton and her supporters have blamed sexism almost entirely for her imminent defeat against Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary.

Clinton's has not been able to run solely as the first female presidential candidate because, after all, she is the well-known wife of a former U.S. president. Hillary has never been spared scrutiny and double-standard -- especially since her marriage and the Clintons' ruthless politicking have left them fair game for relentless analysis. Hillary has been a lightning rod -- from her 'Stand By Your Man' Tammy Wynette defense of her cheatin' husband to cookie-baking recipes for White House cook books to the frenzy of analysis given to her Tearing Up at the Coffee Shop prior to the New Hampshire primary. There's a great piece on RealClearPolitics today by Marie Cocco about how Clinton's candidacy brough sexism out of hiding.

Personally, I can't wait to see how Barack Obama's comments about the GOP better "lay off my wife" are parsed. Betcha he gets kudos for having male-type gender attributes and issuing this testosterone-laden warning. It was cheeky and bold and, well, there you go. Let's see how his machismo stacks up against Clinton's ... machismo.

We aren't so far along that we've excised gender politics from the way men and women are viewed and treated. And as a former female sports columnist who never exactly understood why some press box colleagues deliberately downloaded pornography in front of me, I can say for certain these issues are tricky and deeply enmeshed in the way men and women work with each other. 

Bonnie Beers' retirement party was held this past weekend. Today, she will be honored with a resolution by the Seattle City Council. But after 30 years on the force, Beers has left her ground-breaking job with continuing words of caution about where things stand. In an interview with King 5 news last week, Beer said:

"Sadly, I do not see the department progressing as it should be. The department is filled with capable and knowledgeable firefighters and officers. As leaders, you must listen and change and value firefighters."