Bachmann criticized for silence on suicides in her district |
An article in the liberal magazine Mother Jones criticizes Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) for her silence on a tragic string of nine suicides over the past two years in her district. The writer argues that Bachmann’s refusal to support antibullying legislation in the state in 2006 and the agenda favored by some of her anti-gay allies in Minnesota may have contributed to a harmful environment. And that climate, Mother Jones reporter Stephanie Mencimer suggests, could have played a role in the teen deaths in the troubled Anoka-Hennepin school district where Bachmann herself had once attended high school.
So now it’s actually news when the Mother Jones magazine criticizes a conservative candidate for not embracing leftist legislation?
Note how hard the reporter worked to find out whether OTHER districts around the country have had similar events, whether any are comparable to Bachmann’s district, whether any of them have Democrat representatives instead of Republican, etc., etc., etc. In other words context that allows a reader to make some kind of judgment about whether this is even unusual.
But no, nothing like that.
Extra, extra, read all about it!
Dog bites man.
UPDATE: *************************
It looks more and more like the main stream media intend to Palinize Michelle Bachmann. She is getting very similar news treatement.
Bachmann says she, not husband, running for office
Rep. Michele Bachmann steadfastly refused Thursday to answer questions about her family’s business and finances, saying that she, not her husband, was the one seeking the White House.
The Minnesota Republican faced queries about Marcus Bachmann’s Christian counseling clinic that attempts to convert gay patients as well as her own beliefs on sexuality during a luncheon at the National Press Club. With her husband sitting nearby, Bachmann said she expected scrutiny as a candidate but questions about her family were off-limits.
Look behind the question that Bachmann was asked, and you’ll see that the real question is, “Should gay patients be allowed to have access to treatment that might help them move to a straight lifestyle?” The questioner makes it sound like the Bachmann clinic kidnaps gays, holds them hostage, and tries to brainwash them. But of course, if Bachmann had said ANYTHING in response other than “no comment”, she’d have heard a distorted snippet on the evening news suggesting that she hates gays.
