In April 2005, Pamela Arnold wanted to talk to her state senator, Michele Bachmann, who was then running for Congress. A 46-year-old who worked at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Arnold lived with her partner, the famed Arctic explorer Ann Bancroft, on a farm in Scandia, Minnesota. Bachmann was then leading the fight against gay marriage in the state. She'd recently been in the news for hiding in the bushes to observe a gay rights rally at the Capitol. So when members of the Scandia gay community decided to attend one of Bachmann's constituent forums, Arnold, wanting to make herself visible to her representative, joined them.
A few dozen people showed up at the town hall for the April 9 event, and Bachmann greeted them warmly. But when, during the question and answer session, the topic turned to gay marriage, Bachmann ended the meeting 20 minutes early and rushed to the bathroom. Hoping to speak to her, Arnold and another middle-aged woman, a former nun, followed her. As Bachmann washed her hands and Arnold looked on, the ex-nun tried to talk to her about theology. Suddenly, after less than a minute, Bachmann let out a shriek. "Help!" she screamed. "Help! I'm being held against my will!"
Arnold, who is just over 5 feet tall, was stunned, and hurried to open the door. Bachmann bolted out and fled, crying, to an SUV outside. Then she called the police, saying, according to the police report, that she was "absolutely terrified and has never been that terrorized before as she had no idea what those two women were going to do to her." The Washington County attorney, however, declined to press charges, writing in a memo, "It seems clear from the statements given by both women that they simply wanted to discuss certain issues further with Ms. Bachmann."
Lots of politicians talk about a sinister homosexual agenda. Bachmann, who has made opposition to gay rights a cornerstone of her career, seems genuinely to believe in one. Her conviction trumps even her once close relationship with her lesbian stepsister. "What an amazing imagination," marvels Arnold. "Her ideology is so powerful that she can construct a reality just on a moment's notice."
Seriously? Well surely nobody really thinks that a woman who cannot even stand her ground when confronted by a lesbian, and an ex-nun, would be an appropriate choice to run for President? Do they?
Indeed, no other candidate in the race is so completely a product of the evangelical right as Bachmann; she could easily become the Christian conservative alternative to the comparatively moderate Mormon Mitt Romney. "Michele Bachmann's a complete package," says Ralph Reed, the former Christian Coalition wunderkind who now runs the Faith and Freedom Coalition. "She's got charisma, she's got an authentic faith testimony, she's a proven fighter for conservative values, and she's well known." She's also great at raising money—in the 2010 cycle, she amassed a record-breaking $13.2 million in donations. (Bachmann's office didn't respond to requests for comment.)
I stand corrected.
Well bring her on then. All the Democrats have to do if she becomes the GOP nominee is send Ellen Degeneres over to talk to her right before any debate, and after she runs screaming into the night, the President will win by forfeit. (Not that he would need to do anything except show up to beat this batshit crazy lady.)
But seriously go ahead and read the entire Daily Beast article, because this lady is several bricks shy of a full load.
Okay so we know that Newt's campaign is DOA, Rick Perry is a religious zealot, Tim Pawlenty is a coward, Rick Santorum has a Google problem, Herman Cain has a racism problem, and Mitt Romney is apparently made of wood.
So that is ALL that the Republican have to offer? Really?
I keep hearing some talk about what challenge that Jon Huntsman will present once he gets into the race. What does he have to offer?
Perhaps we can learn that from his first campaign ad.
WTF? Somehow I think that President Obama sleeps very soundly at night, don't you?
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