Her article began by reminding us of that tawdry incident at the Iguanas Nightclub last year. The one where Ms Neal, according to witnesses, and police, abused and intimidated the staff. Ms Devine adroitly used the word ‘allegedly’ twice in one paragraph. Whereas the police, the court, even the PM, could not absolve Ms Neal from censure in the Iguanas’ Nightclub debacle, it seems Miranda is able to whitewash Neal’s behaviour in the incident, preferring to question Della Bosca’s suitability for State government. Any suggestion by Kevin Rudd that Neal seek counselling is turned back on itself, with Devine blaming the subsequent public humiliation for any ‘anger management issues’ that Neal may have experienced. Doublepeak in any language.

Having portrayed Belinda Neale as a ‘long-suffering’ wife, Devine then turns her attention to the mistress in this latest affair, Kate Neill. A Gen Y huckster, Kate seems to have shown flagrant disregard for her own career, and less for that of her paramour. At the appropriate time she pulled the carpet from under their tryst, and for reasons as yet unknown, has gone public.

Surprisingly, however, Belinda Neal took this on the chin. But not Miranda Devine. Although adultery is neither a hanging offence nor a sacking offence in NSW, and Della Bosca fell on his sword by resigning, this wasn’t good enough for Ms Devine. Della Bosca had to die a painful death, if only in her article. She began by skewering him with personal attacks about his appearance, ‘his cystic acne scars’ and his general physical appearance, and his ‘unworldliness’ for desiring a younger woman. Crossing the divide for a moment, Miranda even denigrated Neill for being ‘attractive in a giggly, baby doll way’. Miranda, is your feminist slip showing a tad too much?

Rather than this being the tale of three people caught up in a tawdry affair, Devine brazenly attempts to paint this as a picture of one wanton male leading two damsels into distress. In doing so she has hung up her journalist’s hat, and revealed her feminist slip flapping embarrassingly around her knees.