I did not hear David Shuster make the comment that the Clinton campaign is "pimping out" the Clintons' daughter, but I have read the text. In defense of Shuster, it should be pointed out that the remark was a criticism of the Clintons rather than of the young woman. Shuster is no Imus.

The Clintons ARE using Chelsea, of course. They are using her on the campaign trail, in a perfectly calculated way, knowing perfectly well exactly the comment her use might draw, to 'soften Hillary's image'. Most candidates use their families, up to a point, but some do it more egregiously than others, and Bill Clinton, whose behavior has done more than anything else in the universe to bring his daughter unwelcome attention, has no grounds for attacking Shuster.

On a more cheerful note: I saw Shuster often, covering the Libby trial at Prettyman Courthouse last spring, and he was consistently a gent. He strikes me as a consistently nice guy as well as one of the better political reporters on MSNBC. In fact, he even acted like a gent at moments when it took some political courage, or moral courage, to do so. I'll fill in anyone who calls, on the Austenian detail--if anyone really wants to make a call on a Friday evening that makes him/her look even more like a nerd! nerd! than I do for posting this.

Cheers.