Best Lead(s) of the Month

We have a tie this month, folks. These two favorite opening paragraphs come from a pair of female columnists on opposite sides of the political spectrum. But both write exceedingly well.

'Most high-profile politicans acquire weird little bits of biography that you just cannot shake out of your mind. A reporter once told me that he sat next to a member of Congress on a trip, while said lawmaker kept eating mayonnaise out of those little packets they give you at fast-food restaurants. Even if this guy someday single-handedly resurrects the Equal Rights Amendment and shepards it through 37 state legislatures, when I look at him, a corner of my brain will always think condiments.'
--former New York Times editorial page editor Gail Colllins, writing today on the NYT op-ed page. I'd link to it, but the column is locked behind the Times Select pay wall.

'It's gotten catty out there. Jeri Thompson is a trophy wife, as is Cindy McCain. Michelle Obama is too offhand and irreverent when speaking of her husband, and Judith Giuliani is a puppy-stapling princess. Even Hillary Clinton was a focus, for wearing an outfit that suggested, however faintly, that underneath her clothing she may be naked, and have breasts.'
--Peggy Noonan, in a column published in yesterday's Wall Street Journal.

You can review past Best Lead of the Months here.