The Girls of 2008

You might think last night's Republican debate is the big political story.

But there are a couple of things bouncing around the blogosphere that have a bit more sex appeal than 10 middle-aged white guys on a stage. They involve (deep breath here) the candidates' wives, especially Fred Thompson's wife. So let's do a little bit of counterprogramming before we dive into the debate chatter.

(No, it's not a naked appeal for more traffic. It's my journalistic duty to bring you what's hot online.)

It's well-known in political circles that Jeri Thompson is a good-looking woman. But Palmetto Scoop has flagged footage of an exchange on MSNBC--between host Joe Scarborough and analyst Craig Crawford--that goes like this:

SCARBOROUGH: Have you seen Fred Thompson's wife?

CRAWFORD: Oh, yeah.

SCARBOROUGH: You think she thinks she works the pole?

CRAWFORD: That's what a Hollywood career will do for you, I guess.

SCARBOROUGH: What do you mean?

CRAWFORD: You get wives like that.

SCARBOROUGH: I mean, look at that guy. God bless him, I love his voice. But I mean, you know. He ain't Robert Redford in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Conservatives are crying foul. Captain Ed is steamed: