Guest fountainhall Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 This morning I happened to switch on mid-way during an interview on Piers Morgan’s show with Michelle Bachmann. I have seen her interviewed before and find her one of the most inflexible and utterly infuriating of people. (I’m tempted to say ‘loathsome’, but I am trying to keep this more or less factual). This interview did not change my mind. Morgan was a good deal more persistent than other interviewers in that he pushed many times to keep her on topic. But she resolutely refused to do so and just continued rambling on with her own views. Morgan: What I object to is the rhetoric thrown against gay people? Bachmann: It is nothing like the high level of the rhetoric thrown by gay people at those who hold the traditional view that marriage should be exclusively between being between a man and a woman. That is the real issue. She then went on to berate liberal judges. When Morgan tried to get back on topic, her response: “I think we’ve beaten this horse to death. Let’s move on.” And she then clicked over to the economy. Earlier, Morgan had said Rush Limbaugh’s comment calling a young student testifying before congress a slut and a prostitute the most offensive thing he’d heard on the airwaves since he arrived in America. Didn’t she agree? She would not answer, despite Morgan repeatedly trying to get her to do so. She said Limbaugh had apologised, before asking why it was always Democrats that were complaining when Republicans had far worse accusations against them. (Odd that this is a tried and true Republican strategy. When Gingrich was asked about the same comments on Meet The Press, his reply was an attack on the "elite media" and how they get away with murder!). Bachmann launched a tirade about Obamacare. Then, against the cost of healthcare. Condemn Limbaugh? Nope. He had apologised. Let’s move on! Morgan tackled her on Santorum’s comment about Obama being a “snob” for wanting all children to go to college, the more so when the USA is falling behind other countries in higher and specialist education. She agreed with Santorum (naturally!). It was wrong to push children into college. Maybe they might not want to go to college. The really important thing was for them to be happy! He suggested she was one of the most judgmental people in America (she called him “rude”), on her intolerance and the need for tolerance of other people’s views – e.g. on gay marriage. She turned the question totally on its head by saying the real intolerance and demonisation is against people with strongly held traditional views! After that interview, Morgan interviewed a man whose name I did not catch and who is I think a comedian. He really went for Bachmann and others. His view of their views? “I want you to be totally free from the government, but what I really want to do is whack you over the head with my religious views. They want freedom within their limitations of what freedom should be. And you don’t even have a choice to be gay or not? When did they think about science n their arguments?" And then, just when the discussion was getting really interesting with a nice balance to Bachmann’s dangerous rhetoric, it was utterly infuriating that CNN International did what they so frequently do - they cut away to a “Live Event”: Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu addressing the Jewish leaders in America. I wonder if their editors did that on purpose. From one rabid right-winger, Bachmann, to another rabid right-winger, Netanyahu. I quickly switched off. As one article on CNN International’s website this morning states: “Public life is reduced to a revenge drama. Each offense is condoned by reference to some previous offense by some undefined ‘them’ who supposedly once did something even worse, or anyway nearly as bad, at some point in the past.” Talk about gutter politics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
