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If you look up Barack Obama's 27-year-old speechwriter, Jon Favreau, on Wikipedia, you'll learn that n December of 2008, "a picture of Favreau performing a suggestive gesture (grabbing a breast) to a cardboard cut-out of Hillary Clinton surfaced on Facebook" and that allegedly Clinton's "spokesman referred to the photo as 'an example of just good-natured fun between former rival camps.'"  

I was drawn to Wikipedia after hearing Obama's inspirational inauguration speech--I wanted to learn more about its author.  I wish I were more surprised that a 27-year-old guy would find it funny at a party to sexually molest a U.S. senator's effigy, but I was actually more surprised by Clinton's response.  You can see the photo here: it certainly doesn't look like "an example of good-natured fun."  It looks offensive.  And as bad as the "good-natured fun" brush off is, CNN reports an even more bizarre reaction from the Clinton camp: "'Sen. Clinton is pleased to learn of Jon's obvious interest in the State Department, and is currently reviewing his application,' Clinton aide Philippe Reines told the Washington Post." 

His interest in the State Department?  As he puts his hand over Sen. Clinton's chest and his buddy thruts a beer bottle toward her face and pretends to kiss her cheek?  Again, it goes without saying that Favreau's behavior underscores the type of sexism that haunted Clinton's entire campaign. 

What's more interesting, I think, is an analysis of why Clinton pretended the behavior was funny.  I think, though, that the answer is probably obvious: painted as the B-word for the entire election, she didn't have much of a choice.  If she hadn't treated the incident lightly, she would be accused of not knowing how to take a joke.  What does that say about how women are viewed in our society?  We have to brush it off when someone pretends to sexually maul our likeness?  It's clearly still okay for women to be reduced to sexual objects just for some old-fashioned, "good-natured fun."  I for one don't think it's funny, and I think it's horribly degrading to all women that Clinton pretended it was.