Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) thanked an Iowa radio show listener who said he'd rather vote for Charles Manson than President Barack Obama.
Bachmann appeared on Des Moines-based WHO Radio with Simon Conway, a conservative radio show, on September 26 for an interview and to take questions from listeners. One caller, "Donna," told Bachmann that she had attended several rallies and thanked her for signing a T-shirt. After the host asked her to ask a question, she said that the president was a "walking nightmare" who was "blowing up our country."
"I would vote for Charles Manson before this guy," she said. "But I’m pulling for you big time, all the way, go Michele!"
"Thank you for saying that," Bachmann replied.
This is not the first time Bachmann has not stood up to a supporter who made outlandish statements.
Following the Sept. 12 CNN/Tea Party Express debate, Bachmann told the story of a woman who come up to her and said the HPV vaccine caused her daughter to become mentally retarded. There is no medical evidence to support the claim, but Bachmann defended repeating the woman's story in subsequent interviews.
The New York Times reported that such statements are part of a pattern, writing, "People close to the campaign, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mrs. Bachmann is often influenced by the last person she speaks with on an issue rather than maintaining discipline in communicating a message."
