Steele also told GQ, "I loved to party—still do—and have a good time." So, you know, this guy will say anything to anybody.

The pertinent portion of the interview follows [via Wonkette].

How much of your pro-life stance, for you, is informed not just by your Catholic faith but by the fact that you were adopted?
Oh, a lot. Absolutely. I see the power of life in that—I mean, and the power of choice! The thing to keep in mind about it… Uh, you know, I think as a country we get off on these misguided conversations that throw around terms that really misrepresent truth.

Explain that.
The choice issue cuts two ways. You can choose life, or you can choose abortion. You know, my mother chose life. So, you know, I think the power of the argument of choice boils down to stating a case for one or the other.

Are you saying you think women have the right to choose abortion?
Yeah. I mean, again, I think that’s an individual choice.

You do?
Yeah. Absolutely.

Are you saying you don’t want to overturn Roe v. Wade?
I think Roe v. Wade—as a legal matter, Roe v. Wade was a wrongly decided matter.

Okay, but if you overturn Roe v. Wade, how do women have the choice you just said they should have?
The states should make that choice. That’s what the choice is. The individual choice rests in the states. Let them decide.

Do pro-choicers have a place in the Republican Party?
Absolutely!

Good morning, Washington. A soft, frolicky blanket of snow—destined to descend into an icy weather system of ice and disappointment—falls over our fair city this morning. What other treasures will this day bring?

* This morning, Bill Kristol, the man Wonkette deftly reminds us ushered Sarah Palin into the civilized world, is out at the New York Times, in at the Washington Post.

* This morning, Evil Slutopia defends the sex industry against those who wish to defile its reputation.

* This morning, Slate's Brian Raferty—perhaps knowing that I recently endured a public rendition of Weird Al's "Amish Paradise"—unloads the phenomenon of "karaoke rage."

* This morning, dudes on Craigslist are now using the snow to try to get laid! From "Drunken Bike Ride in the Snow," by Robert Frost:

Is it going to snow today? . . . I’d love for it to snow, but I don’t want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed as they have been so many times before here in DC. But if it does snow, I’d love to find a hottie to spend the snowy evening bar hopping via bicycle in the Dupont/Logan/U Street neighborhoods. We can get drunk enough that the bike riding in the snow is exciting and dangerous. Maybe we’ll crash together and then lay on the snowy ground and make out. All in the spirit of celebrating the inauguration, of course. Anyone up for it?

No.

Photo by pmarkham.

* Reproductive Health Reality Check details the Democratic response to Bush's "conscience rule" for medical providers. Party leaders have said they want to reverse it. What they haven't said is how.

* Wonkette discovers the FOX News Twitter feed hacked by a hillllaaaarious 12-year-old. The tweet? "Breaking: Bill O Riley is gay"

* Gender Goggles collects blogs from male feminist allies.

* According to W, life as aGossip Girl extra is . . . vaguely depressing:

I was inspecting the buffet options when I noticed someone wave at me. I quickly realized the guy summoning me was sitting next to none other than Nate and Chuck! Immediately all the blood in my body rushed to my face and my hands started trembling uncontrollably. The man introduced himself and said they had just been discussing how "rad" my headphones were. To be honest, Nate and Chuck didn't seem particularly impressed, not even making eye contact with me. Nonetheless, it took me an hour to recover from just standing that close to them.

* This Sunday, BeBar will host an 18-and-over benefit for gay marriage in D.C.

Photo via trialsanderrors

* Lately, at times, I've felt like Jezebel has dipped ever so slightly into safer ladyblog territory, the one largely claimed by magazines featuring Amanda Bynes on the cover. Then came Tracie Egan's post on how to allay pregnancy symptoms when you're just going to abort the thing anyway, so fuck-all to fetus-safe medical care (i.e., "Saltines"). And it was amazing and not previously published in Cosmopolitan!

* Hey, weird, someone has collected some of 2008's top moments in feminism that are actually relevant to the women's movement. Thanks, "The Frisky"!

* Gawker's last lady standing signs off after one year of "Internet news-aggregating and the snark-blogging fishbowl," i.e. the great "Dadaist experiment."

* Wonkette has unearthed olde-tyme would-be "Junior" Senator from Illinois Roland Burris' GRAVE, which he has ALREADY CONSTRUCTED WITH A LIST OF HIS LIFE'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, plus some space at the end for "unbought Senate appointment" or whatever.

* Ladyblog's Phoebe Maltz compares abstinence pledges to her own fifth grade school-sponsored anti-smoking pledge. Both are lame!

If we stayed true to our promise (an honor code our witness) we could attend an end-of-the-year school-sponsored pizza party in the spring. . . . The end of the year came, and, although I’d managed against all odds to make it all the way to June inhaling nothing more interesting than polluted NYC air, I refused to go to the pizza party. This was in part because what could be dorkier, and also in part due to an already-present libertarian impulse, albeit one in which the teachers were stand-ins for the State.

Photo via trialsanderrors.

* Is the new Capitol Visitor Center gay? Via Wonkette:

One Senator, the very conservative Jim DeMint of South Carolina, despises this new visitor center — but not because of its completely inappropriate cost, of course! No, he’s just concerned that the center’s exhibits don’t praise God quite enough, and that the exhibits themselves are “left-leaning,” which is common D.C. slang for “gay.”

* AMERICABlog notes some new cracks in Maine's glass ceiling: "In Maine, the new Speaker of the House, the new President of the Senate, the new Attorney General, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the two U.S. Senators and newest U.S. House member are all women."

* Reliable Source: Apparently, Facebook has a "legendary 5,000 friend limit" which the Caps owner recently broke. But now he's "a little burned out" from e-friends who are "are asking for things."

* From the Hoya: Georgetown hosts a "T-Party," a theatrical "exploration of transgender narratives." Professor and director Natsu Onoda calls it "an important contribution to a campus that is not progressive. It presents a model of activism that isn’t dogmatic. We approach everything with a sense of humor."

* In other news, last night I rode past a man bedecked in pristine white and sporting fairy wings. He panted heavily as he sprinkled glitter on the street from a small satchel. He paused surreptitiously as I passed. He also appeared to have recently chalked a couple letters on the pavement, reading nothing. Was he but a dream? Did I imagine him?

Photo by riptheskull.

8:58 PM ... The Washington Time has a slight edge by having a reporter live-blog from the actual debate, while Wonkette, in a stunning maverick move, looks to have decided on a squirrel theme. Good move.

9:02 PM ... Silence on stage, but chatter in the blogosphere! An aimeefausser, practicing something called "twittering" (as far as I can tell, some sort of rustic artisan craft), chimes in with this analysis: "hahah john mccain looks like he wants to kick obama in the balls." Thank you Internets.

9:05 PM ... Ken Layne takes over at Wonkette: starts off with, " It was super nice of McCain to loan Chris Matthews one of his old gay sweaters." Zzzzzing!

9:06 PM ... Curl, meanwhile, has the inside-the-debate scoop on Schieffer: "He just coughed, drank water, coughed again." Bob Schieffer: A human!

9:09 PM ... McCain and Obama get deep into tax policy. nightstand, meanwhile, asks, "Has McCain EVER been in the sun?" He's from Arizona, dick head.

9:11 PM ... "Joe the Plumber" ... a bit of a step-up from "Joe Six Pack." missouri_gal on twitter posits, "McCain is on crack."

9:12 PM ... Wonkette says, "Oh lord. Gibberish already, stumbling, talking to the camera, “What you want to do?” Huh?" Huh? What is this live-blog thing? Debate what?

9:13 PM ... Washington Times continues with the insider details. "Both nominees in dark suits; Obama with a red tie, McCain, blue. (Shouldn't they be switched?) Flag pin on Obama; none on McCain." Meanwhile, Wonkette notes, “Ordinary families” and the squiggly rises!" Listen closely, children: this man speaketh the language of the twitter.

9:16 PM ... Over on twitter, misteng calls Obama on his bullshit. "page by page line by line....fat chance obama would even open the budget let alone look at it." Yeah, fuck, can Obama even read? I've never seen it!

9:17 PM ... During the depression era? McCain is so old. Twitterer emptyonline, whose icon is a caveman missing his buck teeth, opines, "McCain must have dry eyes." The people have spoken.

9:19 PM ... Wonkette is stalled, Washington Times too. John McCain says he's not George Bush; willakammerer tweets, "McCain sounded like he was going to wrangle down the budget like a wild animal."

9:23 PM ... Oh Christ the live blogs are even worse than the debate. Do ya'll have these lie detector audience reaction male/female income meters on your teevee? I can't watch something without the rest of America immediately telling me what I think about it!

9:24 PM ... John McCain has scars! Scars! He stresses his leadership; Twitter says, malena2: "stop talking about scares McCain we get it your Old. get over your self, the Presidency doesnt off a Senior Citizen Discount,Scars dnt count." A 140 chrctr magician!

9:26 PM ... John Kennedy before the tragedy at Dallas? WTF? Why does John McCain always bring up every American tragedy as if he were intimately involved in it?

9:27 PM ... Talking about mudslinging, McCain says he's "hurt" to be associated with segregation. linkinchan splits hairs, saying, "segregation isn't the worst thing that's happened in this country... slavery, anyone? god, mccain... *sigh*... try again." Ugh, what? Thank god these are under 140 characters.

9:29 PM ... Washington Times is taking its sweet time with the live-blogging. It's almost as if they're just blogging! Ba bam!

9:30 PM ... McCain makes a sports metaphor! And with the Arizona Cardinals! Drink! Meanwhile, ActsofFaithblog (?????) calls the game: "This debate is now officially OVER. McCain you had the chance to be Presidential but you blew it." Thank G*d there are blogs for everything.

9:32 PM ... JOE THE PLUMBER AGAIN? Fuck. Joe the Plumber loses this debate. Didn't they remember any other "real American" story they picked up on NPR or something?

9:35 PM ... Hey Barack Obama, thanks for telling McCain to tell you all his mudslinging to your face because everyone watching this debate wants to bring those ridiculous negative ads into presidential talky time. Another hour of this?!

9:37 PM ... Hey, a Republican candidate dodger for once: On Twitter, Jessicawendt insists, "I personallly am a huge mccain supporter. I think everything he stands for is legit . If obama wins i am moving to canada." Later, dude.

9:38 PM ... Hey Bill Ayers, become a part of this campaign: get a twitter. XOXO, Current TV.

9:39 PM ... Facts are facts, but those are not the facts? Hug it out Mr. & Mrs. Fact.

9:40 PM ... Bam, Schieffer with the running mate question! Oh goody I just can't wait for McCain's answer! PS: "Scranton PA is my homeboy."

9:42 PM ... Obama shies from attacking Palin; ECByrd on the other hand says, "Obama should say, because my running mate isn't functionally retarded."

9:43 PM ... Palin, a role model for women you say! Your pandering conquers my weak feminine identity!

9:44 PM ... She understands special needs families? She would be a great teacher ... no, no nevermind. Nevermind, I didn't say that.

9:45 PM ... Obama, always classy. Says her capability is up to YOU, the twitterers of America! What say you, American voters? "portlandishone: McCain said Sarah brings the breasts!" Great.

9:46 PM ... Are you reading Wonkette, Senators? Ken Layne pwns u: "The voters of Ohio REALLY do not care for Sarah Palin. Not the women, anyhow. Broads hate this Palin character, good LORD. Are all the lady voters in Ohio suddenly dead or asleep or something? John McCain cannot even pronounce “breath of fresh air” correctly. “She understands that autism is on the rise.” Yes, that is a very important quality for a vice president to possess."

9:47 PM ... Washington Times' Joe Curl is the most earnest dude to hit the Internet! He is just straight quoting the candidates and adding context as if he were writing an article in a newspaper (or as the children refer to them, "encyclopedia.") Where's the snark, Curl? Snark it to me!

9:49 PM ... Obama and McCain talk oil, drilling, "climate change" (totally natural). But is Palin totally natural, gentlemen?! Twitter of the night: grahamchilla: " Find out what america thinks of Sarah Palin...vote at ispalinshaved.com." Fucking jerk.

9:50 PM ... Meanwhile, Wonkette pretty much sums up my thoughts on the debate: "Cockamaimie! Drink!" Yep.

9:51 PM ... McCain respects Obama's "eloquence." Did he get his debate notes from Joe Biden's gaffe book??

9:52 PM ... But what, you ask, does Fishbowl D.C. think of all this? Well I'll tell you: "Strong Obama response to Ayers, ACORN." Live-blogging conventional wisdom: How I thirst for it!

9:53 PM ... Is Joe Curl really the Washington Times' greatest blogger? Has the Washington Times ever heard of blogs? Is Joe Curl just reciting a letter to an olde-tyme lady secretary who is filing her typewritten pages into his air-pressurized Internet tubes?

9:56 PM ... Health care shmealth care. Wonkette says, "Barack Obama has never traveled south of our border, whereas John McCain is secretly Panamanian and had sex with some hot Brazilian model back in the 1930s!" Everything the Internet says is true. Live blog fact checkers make sure of it.

9:59 PM ... John McCain speaking about health care is subtly hillarious. Says alisonboring: "Listen I don't think there's any doubt that John McCain pees in a portable pee bag."

10 PM ... FUCCKKK Joe the Plumber needs to come up every half hour. Great. Will Joe the Plumber mysteriously enter the debate at the very end, as if to accelerate the plot of the porn film that is the electoral process?

10:02 PM .. Wonkette is on its third live-blog page. How many squirrel/old/gay/old gay squirrel jokes can one live blog made? Plenty.

10:03 PM ... I just ate a glob of raw cookie dough my friend accidentally dropped on the rug, which I am laying on as I stupidly watch a twitter feed of "real Americans." THIS IS THE LIFE OF A LIVE-BLOGGER.

10:05 PM ... Sick of the debate? I know I am! binkybink on twitter has got the afterparty: "McCain is d**cheb*g – I might just have to watch Kung-Fu Panda and tune it all out."

10:04 PM ... McCain calls Obama Senator Government? Is that the new super hero twitter name for President? I like it!

10:06 PM ... Best line of the night, Wonkette: "Obama says yes, because my plan excludes penalties on small businesses, such as professional cumming."

10:08 PM ... McCain will search the deepest jungles of South America to find the best judges in the "world" for "America's" Supreme Court. Also, RidaZehra thinks you're dumb and old, John McCain! "LOL why is McCain using a sharpie to take notes...oh yeah, he is 378 years old" At least he can write, unlike Barack Obama who may be unable to read.

10:09 PM ... Abortion, rahhh!!! McCain says he won't use a litmus test, while Barack Obama says he's looking for judicial record AND for Supreme Court judges that "understand what people are going through," a.k.a., people who agree with him on what he finds important. Fucking answer the abortion question though.

10:11 PM ... Courage and compassion on this decision? But you don't want it to be a decision! Oh god, don't bring up the Obama dead baby thing again. Barack Obama voted against keeping braindead dead babies alive after they're aborted. In other words, he is "a maverick."

10:12 PM ... Obama and McCain duke it out on the health of infants the mothers wanted to abort. justinmassa weighs in to say, "McCain has very, very old looking hands." Citizen journalism at its best.

10:15 PM ... Wonkette found Joe the Plumber's website! Wooooo, crash and burn it! Burn it!

10:17 PM ... College debt! Beer bongs don't come cheap, folks.

10:19 PM ... This is the last question? Schieffer lets them talky talk a lot, which is better at least, then those stoplight timers during the Town Hall.

10:20 PM ... Says Fishbowl D.C., clairvoyant wizard of the Republican base: "Think McCain's "Senator Government' was a silly goof? The GOP base is loving it."

10:22 PM ... The live-blog bubble has burst. Law school?

10:23 PM ... McCain gives a big 'ol shout out to INSIDER WASHINGTON D.C. with the charter schools! Way to go D.C. schools! Wait . . .

10:24 PM ... Did McCain just say, "children, precious children, children who have autism . . . Sarah Palin." ??? These are the issues we talk about in the "domestic" debate? Oh, sorry, didn't know America was so fucking boring.

10:25 PM ... Big diss to D.C.! Shoutout to Michelle Rhee! Thanks for giving us the Joe Plumber treatment, Governor Government. Thanks very much.

10:26 PM ... McCain scary laugh ENDS IT. Wonderful!

10:27 PM ... FINAL STATEMENTS: McCain is a reformer, he wants to focus on health care and education and the economy. In a surprise maverick move, McCain also announces candidacy for President of United States!

10:28 PM ... Aww. Despite "Country First," McCain's kind of crazy angry kooky cute, I guess. Pat pat!

10:30 PM ... Barack Obama's final statement: Why it would be an honor! Meanwhile, mikemimik asks, "What would Obama look like with a mustache? Kinda looks like he's got a 5 o'clock shadow going on."

10:31 PM ... Voting will make you feel big and strong? I'm convinced!

10:32 PM ... Oh, bring the ladies out. Come on. Now go on, shoo.

10:33 PM ... Wonkette brings out the cum again on McCain: "But My Friends, Joe the Cummer, Plumber, needs a new caulk gun for his cumming. And he can’t do that with the Obama Money Tax. Fuck all this shit. Bye." Over at Washington Times, Joe Curl is a bore. In other news, why am I watching this on FOX? And what happened to that cookie dough?

10:35 PM ... Bye :(

Refresh for more.

So join us tonight for the Sexist's live-blog live blog, where we live-blog your live blogs for you! (Hear that, Google? We're live-blogging!) This evening, watch the debate with us as we rate the live blogs of your favorite Washington live-bloggers, from the sarcastic leftist live-bloggings of Wonkette (rumored to have carried on domestic terrorist affair with Bill Ayers) to the hard-hitting right-wing catchphrase recycled live-bloggers over at the Washington Times (once caught attempting to nail Jello to a wall). Bonus: The best and worst of the twitter pile (I'm looking at you, Fishbowl D.C.)!

Stay tuned to The Sexist around 9 p.m. EST for all your live-blog needs. Live blog.

* On Slate, Dahlia Lithwick serves Joe Biden with some rules on how to fight a girl. Lithwick, a former parliamentary debater (side-note: totally awesome), gives Biden a frank run-down on how not to lose the Veep debate to Governor Palin. Most of the advice is fine—don't leer, don't condescend, don't stoop—until Lithwick slips from the particular Biden/Palin scenario to a generalization about all male/female match-ups.

When Lithwick writes that her "insanely successful college debate friend told me recently that the way he won against women was by always behaving like they were men," the implication is that minus their feminine wiles—the lipstick on their pit bulls—women will lose. After a long explanation of why Biden shouldn't respond to Palin with Palin tactics, Lithwick's kicker—"My best advice to you for dealing with Gov. Palin? Fight like a man. She will."—is both confusing and lame. Who's the man what now?

* The Washington Post marches boldly on with their "Wedding Week" coverage. At 1 p.m. today, join the authors of The Bridal Wave: A Survival Guide to the Everyone-I-Know-Is-Getting-Married Years for a live online chat. Ask Erin Torneo and Valerie Cabrera Krause how people who desperately wish they were married manage to be more tragic than the people who actually publicly declare how they're going to love each other forever in front of everyone they know. Including their parents.

* Wait, coverage of marriage issues that doesn't include pandering to the wedding industry? The Blade tips you off to a panel discussion on marriage rights in California and Massachusetts, tonight at 6:30 at the University of California Washington Center. UCWC is located at 1608 Rhode Island Avenue NW.

* The New Gay chronicles the "hidden history" of the women behind the writings of Victorian author Michael Field.

* Via Wonkette: Michelle dances with Ellen. Possible next First Lady jam: Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music." Last year, Barack got down to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love." Umm, I only watch Ellen when an Obama is on the show, does she make everyone do this?

Photo by NCinDC.