Bachmann on Larry King video: Palin ‘exudes competence’

By Chris Steller
Tuesday, September 02, 2008 at 9:57 am

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., gushed Monday night on CNN’s “Larry King Live” that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin “exudes competence with everything she’s ever done.” The jumping-off point for Bachmann’s effusiveness was a series of revelations about another election-year pregnancy in Palin’s family, but with Democrat James Carville also on the program, talk quickly turned to Palin’s qualifications, or lack thereof. Carville held up a photo of the tiny Wasilla, Alaska, city hall where Palin served as mayor, and he likened it to a Southern bait shop and called Palin “uniquely unqualified.”

Acknowledging that Palin “came up from nowhere to be somewhere,” Bachmann took offense at Carville’s comments, calling them “demeaning to women. She didn’t ride anyone’s coattails. She put on her own coat.” (Women’s outerwear hasn’t had such prominence in Republican politics since Pat Nixon’s cloth coat.)

Bachmann’s assertion that Palin has more experience than Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Biden combined drew gasps. Bachmann qualified that to mean Palin’s two years of executive experience, adding, “This is a woman who’s actually done something other than run for president all her life.”

To King’s repeated question as to whether Palin is the most qualified Republican to be Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential running mate, Bachmann would say only, “She is qualified.”

Here’s video. Bachmann’s bit starts around the 2:10 mark.

Larry King Live: Michele Bachmann et al. on Sarah Palin (4:14)

Comments

8 Comments

Bill Diamond
Comment posted September 2, 2008 @ 10:26 am

Well, she did sell the governor's jet on Ebay!

I can't wait to see when Air Force Two gets up for bidding.

It's not too late… withdraw her from nomination… she's not ready for the big leagues…

J.Jay
Comment posted September 2, 2008 @ 11:16 am

My my, how come Ms. Bachmann even won the house seat in Minnesota? Hillary is a quitter! All Hillary has done is to run for president all her life! Ms. Palin has more experience than Obama and Biden combined! wow, She got to be cooking some rock in her kitchen. When asked an explanation about her statements she plays gender card! Wow, Her constituents must be very proud of her!

J.Jay
Comment posted September 2, 2008 @ 11:16 am

J.Jay
Comment posted September 2, 2008 @ 11:17 am

hartman_john
Comment posted September 2, 2008 @ 9:54 pm

Bachman exudes something that polite people don't talk about in public.

Wendy
Comment posted September 3, 2008 @ 6:18 pm

Just remember, Bachmann does not represent all of Minnesota. I was not allowed to vote against her.

Kwaayesnama
Comment posted September 25, 2008 @ 10:40 pm

CNN recently showed the road to nowhere that Sarah Palin used the taxpayer’s dollars to build. It is a dead end street with absolutely no traffic on it. So when she said no thanks to the bridge she did not give the money back to the government as she insinuated. She used the funds to build a road to nowhere. I would love to know why she chose to build this particular unneeded dead end road?

Brent
Comment posted October 24, 2008 @ 9:23 am

Page one of the one-page 2008 GOP Campaign Playbook:

(1) When asked to back up your rhetoric (no matter how outlandish) or explain facts (even ones that have been recorded on tape), smear your opponent’s credibility (no matter how outlandish the smears must be).

(2) Repeat (1) as necessary.

The end.

This ísn’t even a culture war anymore. It is an all-out war between reality and parallel dimensions.

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