Y’know, for a guy who constantly gets hung up on “civility,” this party-hopping pissant sure can sling the insults.

The exchange, broadcast on 1210 AM’s Dom Giordano Show [but not archived on the station's site], began when Specter challenged Bachmann to articulate what, exactly, she stands for, according to a readout on the clash published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s lively Early Returns blog.

Bachmann first laid out her agenda — cutting taxes and killing President Obama’s health reform bill — at considerable length.

When Specter tried to counter, Bachmann, darling of the Tea Party movement, kept on talking, which didn’t sit well with the one-time Philadelphia DA, who is a stickler for politeness and protocol.

“I’m going to treat you like a lady,” Mr. Specter shot back. “Now act like one.”

Ms. Bachmann replied, “I am a lady.”

I used to be one of those guys who defended Specter as a necessary evil — a guy who was with us 85% of the time, he wasn’t that bad, etc. etc.

Oh MAN, was I wrong.

Here’s my major beef with this particular instance of idiocy: You wouldn’t say that to a man.  You wouldn’t tell a guy who is killing you in a debate to “be a gentleman.”  You’d come back at him harder, fight stronger, outsmart him, out-flank him — but you don’t whine about his manners.

And here’s why: When you’re getting rhetorically curb-stomped by a male, you don’t worry about whether he’s treating you nicely.  Arlene — I mean Arlen’s problem is that he got beat by a girl, and he doesn’t like it.

Suck it up, you unprincipled swine.  You won’t be here for much longer anyway.