Iowa Caucus Day: Bachmann’s “Bizarre” Refusal
It’s hours until the Iowa caucuses today, but the only LGBT news thus far today out of Iowa was Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s terse exchange with CNN’s Soledad O’Brien. Asked by O’Brien this morning about her 2004 comments that being gay was “part of Satan,” Bachmann initially called it a “bizarre thing to bring up.”
When O’Brien countered that she disagreed, Bachmann answered only indirectly, saying, “It’s a gotcha question coming way out of the past. I stand very strong for marriage between one man and one woman. I believe in protecting human life from conception until natural death. I believe in the family, I believe in religious liberty and for people to practice their faith freely. That’s important.”
She continued: “It’s also important we get rid of Obamacare.”
Despite the skirmish, recent polling places Bachmann at less than 10 percent of the expected caucus vote tonight, which would leave her in sixth place.
In the Public Policy Polling poll taken from Dec. 31, 2011, through Jan. 1, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum were within 2 percent of one another in the poll, which had a 2.7 percent margin of error. All three candidates polled more than double Bachmann, with Paul at 20, Romney at 19 and Santorum at 18. In fourth, with 14 percent, is former House Speaker and Georgia Rep. Newt Gingrich. Teaxas Gov. Rick Perry, with 10 percent is polling two percentage points more than Bachmann’s 8 percent — within the margin of error. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is polling at 4 percent, while, according to the PPP polling, former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer — who has not participated in most Republican debates — polled at 2 percent.
For live-blogging about tonight’s caucuses, due to begin at 7 p.m. Central Time, be sure to follow here at Poliglot and on Twitter at Metro Weekly and from Chris Geidner.
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