Here's Gloria Steinem on presidential candidate and Vietnam War vet Senator John Kerry, from Time Magazine, on March 28, 2004:

As a man who knows what war is like, he has tended to be more restrained in his willingness to wage it.

Here's Steinem on the candidate in 2008 who is a Vietnam War vet and senator:

Steinem raised McCain’s Vietnam imprisonment as she sought to highlight an alleged gender-based media bias against Clinton.

“Suppose John McCain had been Joan McCain and Joan McCain had got captured, shot down and been a POW for eight years. [The media would ask], ‘What did you do wrong to get captured? What terrible things did you do while you were there as a captive for eight years?’” Steinem said, to laughter from the audience.

McCain was, in fact, a prisoner of war for around five and a half years, during which time he was tortured repeatedly. Referring to his time in captivity, Steinem said with bewilderment, “I mean, hello? This is supposed to be a qualification to be president? I don’t think so.”

Steinem’s broader argument was that the media and the political world are too admiring of militarism in all its guises.

“I am so grateful that she [Clinton] hasn’t been trained to kill anybody. And she probably didn’t even play war games as a kid. It’s a great relief from Bush in his jump suit and from Kerry saluting.”

Patterico's Pontifications notes:

Steinem also sullied JFK, stating “from George Washington to Jack Kennedy and PT-109 we have behaved as if killing people is a qualification for ruling people.”

It sounds like Steinem managed to offend just about everybody. What’s that old saying? ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman …’ Well, you know.

Speaking of which, 56 years ago, Lillian Hellman rather disingenuously told HCUAA, "I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashions." But as we're seeing, those who played the "Chickenhawk" and Starship Trooper-esque "Absolute Moral Authority" cards earlier in the decade have absolutely no problem hitting the CNTRL-ALT-DEL buttons on their consciences when the need suits them.

Much more recently, Howard Dean claimed, "I will use whatever position I have in order to root out hypocrisy." He might want to start by getting his own house in order before going on the road.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has very wisely distanced herself from Steinem's remarks, much as Senator Kerry had to four years ago when some of his more visible fans got too carried away with themselves.

Update:

"McCain POW Record Is Fair Game, but Don't You Dare Say 'Hussein'"