Congratulations Britney and Nancy!

Nov. 7 was a momentous day for women's rights. In the span of just 24 hours, Representative Nancy Pelosi was set to take her place as the first female speaker of the House, bringing her closer to the presidency than any other woman in history. And Britney Spears served K-Fed divorce papers. A landmark day-America's darling was regaining her place in the public's heart, and the Democrats took back the House.

But within weeks, Britney's public image was newly tarnished. Pictures of her most intimate bits floated around the Internet. Partying nearly every night, wearing risque outfits, and holding hands with (shudder) Paris Hilton, it seemed like she was asking for the media-lashing. And frankly, after seeing a close up of her Cesarian scar, I highly doubt anyone really thought she deserved much slack.

What had seemed like a turning point for Britney was just a more public airing of her trashiness. Meanwhile, in the House, the Democrats have yet to stop the war in Iraq. Why is Pelosi's name not smeared on the cover of Us Weekly with allegations of drug use? She is failing in her public promise just as much as Britney! Governmental change obviously takes longer to effect than a turnaround from a no-good husband. But Brit's "disastrous comeback" still begs the question-why are her actions more important than an unpopular war?

There is no question that we live in a celebrity-obsessed culture. I am not about to imply that Nancy Pelosi should live like Britney or that Britney could be the speaker of the House-although that is an amusing visual. Nor do I think that politicians should be celebrities. But there is a question of expectations concerning these two women that is not just confined to the tabloids and the New York Times.

When Britney divorced Kevin Federline, America let out a collective breath that had lasted two years and one month-or at least, I did. But the fact is, Brit's signature at the bottom of the court papers was no more a promise of a changed life than it would be on a Fred Segal receipt. New clothes do not make a new woman, and a dropped husband in no way guarantees revitalization.

Yet, the press wanted Britney to emerge anew, as though in the halcyon days of bubble-gum pop. Clearly, she went in the opposite direction, taking her non-innocence to new heights. But her sharing of fishnet stockings with Paris Hilton should not really take us by surprise. After all, even before she met K-Fed, Brit was already backsliding into her own E! True Hollywood Story-a 55-hour marriage, a tour cut short by a suspicious "knee injury," and most notably, a refusal to shower or wear bras.

Britney could have had every intention of returning to this very same pre-Federline state, but all the papers proclaimed her freedom and subsequently bemoaned her squandering of opportunity. Even having admitted my bias, I still maintain that it is an objective fact that Britney said nothing with her court papers other than the fact that she wanted a divorce.

Maybe we are so critical of her bungled PR spectacle because it is a train crash. That is certainly the case with the pictures of her vagina. Even my mom asked where she could find them. But when it comes to our disappointment, there is something more at stake.

Maybe Britney, who is, after all, only 25, is just living out every lost opportunity we ourselves have bungled, without the press coverage.

She seemed an easy fix, and if she cannot turn her life around, how can we even hope for the country to right itself? Are we merely steeling ourselves for the impossibility of fixing our mess of not even two years and one month, but six years?

In that case, it has come time to quote the songbird. I would offer our advice to her in song, but I cannot find that song that goes, "Close your legs, please, and stop talking to Paris Hilton," so for now, she gets to do the talking. Perhaps I am taking this a bit out of context, but let's just give her the benefit of doubt for now.

As Britney says, "I see you lookin' at me, like I'm some kind of freak ... Why don't you get out of your seat and do somethin'!" Hey, if I'm going to extrapolate her struggle to our nation's struggle, we might as well take her advice.