Posted on 09/18/2011 8:43:48 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A daring Michele Bachmann appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and faced grilling questions on the HPV vaccine, gay marriage and homosexuality.
As the liberal host of the late night talk show thanked the GOP presidential hopeful for being a “good sport,” he said, “We’ve done a million jokes. Hopefully, you haven’t been watching any of them.”
However, soon thereafter Leno appeared unusually serious as he threw questions at Minnesota Congresswoman Bachmann.
Leno’s first question Friday evening concerned Bachmann’s attacks on Texas Gov. Rick Perry for supporting the HPV vaccine. “Is that bad? It’s a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer,” asked Leno.
“Well I think so,” Bachmann replied. “The concern is that there are potentially side effects that can come with something like that. But it gives a false sense of assurance to a young woman when she has that, that if she’s sexually active that she doesn’t have to worry about sexually transmitted diseases.”
Perry signed an executive order in 2007 requiring Texas middle-school girls to get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted HPV. The order wasn’t implemented though.
“I’m not sure it’s a sense of assurance. It can prevent cervical cancer, correct?” Leno interrupted.
“It’s something that could potentially have dangerous side effects,” Bachmann replied.
Referring to Bachmann’s meeting with an unidentified woman after last week’s GOP debate in Florida who said her daughter suffered “mental retardation” as a result of the HPV vaccine, Leno asked, “Do you regret not getting this woman’s name and address?”
“I don’t know who this person was,” Bachmann replied. “I wasn’t speaking as a doctor, I wasn’t speaking as a scientist, I was just relating what this woman said.”
Questions on homosexuality and gay marriage followed. “That whole ‘pray the gay away’ thing, I don’t get it,” Leno said, referring to her family’s Christian counseling clinic.
Bachmann jokingly pointed to her hair and said, “When I heard that I really thought it was like kind of a mid-life crisis line, like, ‘Pray away the gray.’” But Leno wasn’t in a mood to joke, it seemed.
Bachmann defended the clinic saying it did not discriminate. But she didn’t hesitate to repeat her position that marriage is between a man and a woman.
“It sounds like, if two gay people want to get married, that’s their business, that doesn’t concern us,” Leno responded. “Why is that even an issue? I know gay families that are married, they have children. And they’re wonderful people. It doesn’t seem like they shouldn’t be allowed to be happy. But I’m not going to change your mind on that one.”
Leno also asked about Bachmann’s opposition to raising the debt ceiling. Bachmann said it wasn’t an attack on President Barack Obama, and that she would have taken the same stand even if it was George W. Bush.
Pressed on her slipping down in the polls after Perry’s entrance in the race, Bachmann acknowledged it “changes the dynamic.” “But we’re in for the marathon. We’re not in for the sprint,” she added.
Leno then asked her who her running mate would be if she won the Republican nomination. “You’re taken. You don’t want a cut in pay,” Bachmann replied, teasing him. Leno replied, “Well, we’d probably have an argument over the gay thing.”
Well said and so true!
Didn’t see it, but sounds like Jay just handed Michele all the rope she needed and she just kept tying that knot.
Really hate to see her self destruct, thought she brought some good conservative ideas, until Waterloo and then the inability to shut up while she was ahead and quote some unkonwn “person” with outlandish claims, which she can not substantiate. Impulsiveness is not a trait we need the President to practice, just too much at stake.
Bachmann in total meltdown!
Sad and pathetic.
Foolish statements on all counts. Too many here watching for you to play so loose with the facts.
Perry had a very similar situation to Michele’s “foot in mouth” at the last Texas Governor debate where Deb Medina self destructed not knowing when to shut up admitting she was a libertarian Truther. Maybe Michele watched that debate too many times training for these debates and got scared and foolish or then again she may just be angling for Mutt’s VP.
I'm threading about HPV not Perry or Backmann, okay? I guess you should be threading at Salon.com.
“It’s something that could potentially have dangerous side effects,” Bachmann replied.
And there may be tiny flying pink unicorns on Neptune. Maybe it’s possible and nobody proved that they don’t exist!
Show me, don’t tell me. You’re not a doctor? Then find one and ASK him.
Mitt doesn’t want her. He may want someone from the south who can attract the hispanic vote.
Right on! Good post!
‘“That whole ‘pray the gay away’ thing, I don’t get it,” Leno said’
Leno seems like he’s mocking people who pray.
“If anyone saw that interview, it was not good for Bachmann.”
I saw it, and thought she did great. In fact, I posted yesterday that I thought it would make her poll ratings increase (at least with conservatives).
“If anyone saw that interview, it was not good for Bachmann. It was very uncomfortable and Leno was being a real hard ass. I don’t think it left a good impression on the people who watch that type of show about Bachmann.”
I usually like Leno - I think he’s actually rather conservative in real life, at least as far as comics go.
Can’t stand Letterman, though. He’s a true lefty, is mean-spirited, and indeed makes Leno look conservative for sure.
Mitt wants Rubio.
“Mitt wants Rubio.”
Pretty much ALL of them want Rubio. It could win the important Hispanic vote. To listen to the pundits, BHO’s peed in the punch bowl where Jews are concerned (finally!).
Hey, that Chris Matthews can pick ‘em, can’t he?
Actually, I feel sorry for her. She has now crashed AND burned. What’s next, drawn and quartered?
“Women need to make sure they’re marrying circumcised man.”
That’s the stupidest remark I’ve ever heard on FR...makes me not want to come here anymore...geeeesh...some of you guys.....geeeeesh
She’s a tenacious individual.
Dont Care about either,she is Going down fast. Get on the Issues People care about or get out of the way
Good for Ms. Bachmann.
SHE speaks for patients’ rights.
The RINO Rick (Captain Gardasil)? Not so much.
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