CNN Questions Whether Paul and Bachmann Are Even Ready for Presidency
CNN anchor Kyra Phillips asked her "Political Buzz" panel Monday if GOP candidates Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann are "ready for the big office" given their unusual views.
"Ron Paul saying that we should get rid of FEMA. Michele Bachmann says the storm and earthquake are signs from God," stated Phillips. "Okay guys, are these candidates ready for the big office?"
[Video below the break.]
Bachmann defended her comments, made over the weekend at a campaign appearance in Florida, that God was using the hurricane and earthquake to get the attention of politicians in Washington. The congresswoman's press secretary told TalkingPointsMemo that "Obviously, she was saying it in jest."
The audience could be heard laughing as Bachmann delivered her remarks, but CNN appeared to take them seriously.
Dana Loesch, a conservative CNN contributor, defended Ron Paul's long-held opposition to FEMA. "I don't think that there's any argument that FEMA is a completely corrupt department," Loesch advocated. "But I think what Paul was actually saying is that we need to really rely, again, on states, and states being able to respond," she added.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on August 29 at 10:30 a.m. EDT, is as follows:
KYRA PHILLIPS: Ron Paul saying that we should get rid of FEMA. Michele Bachmann says the storm and earthquake are signs from God. Okay guys, are these candidates ready for the big office? Dana?
DANA LOESCH, talk radio show host, "The Dana Show": Well, what I don't understand is how FEMA went from being Satan's spawn under Bush, to now it's like "Yeah FEMA!" I don't think that there's any argument that FEMA is a completely corrupt department, I don't think that there's any argument. You had the Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times, the Journal of Economics that have all done in-depth investigative reviews and studies of how much money is actually wasted by this department.
But I think what Paul was actually saying is that we need to really rely, again, on states, and states being able to respond. For instance, we had – we had family and friends who lived in New Orleans. And they were – they actually – they stopped the Red Cross from coming in and donating, they stopped locals and charities from helping out. That's – that's not disaster relief, that's control.
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Comments
But the junior Senator from Illinois...
Submitted by Mike Bratton on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:39pm.
...with less than a term under his belt was not only ready, he was "The One"!
What kind of people would even spend their time contributing to CNN?
--Mike
Mike
Submitted by rickbren on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:55pm.
You beat me to the punch.
Barry with his TWO whole years in the senate vastly outclasses Michelle's six years and Ron's 30+ years in the house.
How could either be ready for the big seat??
Just wait........
Submitted by GregE on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 9:36pm.
Suddenly they're interested in experience. And now The One has 3 (will be 4) years "experience" as President that they'll be counting.
That experience is more like an experiment...............one gone horribly wrong with the joke being on every American citizen.
Just side step what Paul and Bachmann said and bash CNN
Submitted by lrgon on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:33pm.
and the Obamanator. That'll show everyone you are aware of FEMA's shortcomings.
Tell you what.
Submitted by Mike Bratton on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 10:14am.
You can scurry on to a site that critiques FEMA responses.
We'll stay here and continue to focus on liberal bias in the media.
How's that sound?
--Mike
Kyra Phillips
Submitted by NotFondOfLibs on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 8:09pm.
What Kyra Phillips said is funny. She is a moron, considering the current President doesn't have a clue about how to help re-energize the economy. Nice try, Kyra, you officious moron. Get a clue.
And Boy Blah-Blah said 'hope
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:48pm.
And Boy Blah-Blah said 'hope and change' and 'yes we can'.........and look where we are - not that I think either Paul or Bachman will be the nominee - but they've both got more credentials that Boy Blunder ever had.
And I really really like Dana Loesch!!
Would have been nice if these
Submitted by rbosque on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:51pm.
Would have been nice if these idiots asked Obama these questions because clearly, he ws not.
"but CNN appeared to take
Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:55pm.
"but CNN appeared to take them seriously."
Of course, CNN took them "seriously". They, along with the rest of the MSM, are constantly on the lookout for any comment they can deliberately misinterpret to destroy her (or any other GOP conservative candidate). It's a crime that she must be very careful in what she says, but, by now, Bachmann should know better.
But seriously, you jest
Submitted by neutron on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:24pm.
Yes, they don't know their jest, and stop calling them serious!
Let AlGore, NASA's Hansen, Pee-U's Mann (Mr HockeyStick), or any number of reporters from the Church of Climatology say that a natural disaster was caused by anthropogenic global warming, and it is treated as gospel from the Gorical of Adelphi.
Let a conservative, alleged to Bachman, utter a religious-tinged allusion to a natural disaster being a message from God, and they are nut-jobs who need to be locked up and never allowed near a lever of power.
It's great to attribute cataclysms with the vengeance of Mother Nature, but it can never be called an "act of God" especially by a conservative.
The people who elected the liberals and supported and still support their grip on power need to be ashamed of this vapid double standard.
........And my question is
Submitted by djwolf12 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 6:58pm.
anyone at CNN ready to be a grownup and act like a professional journalist???
And a Community Organizer ...
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:20pm.
... has more 'experience' (i.e., smoking dope and pimping) than a governor? Get real CNN ... your black guilt stifled your sensibility, especially in 2007-2008.
Perhaps the candidates own view should rule on experience issue
Submitted by Gary Hall on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:21pm.
Michelle Obama on Her Husband's Qualifications
Obama Felt He Lacked Experience To Be President
Next time, listen to the candidate and his family, before you jump on the bandwagon.
(;~/ gary
The pompous morons are all licking his colon
Submitted by Woodrowski on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:29pm.
Are they for real? they are actually saying this about Bachmann and Paul when OB had no experience at doing anything, Anything at all. I'll bet they would pay to eat the corn out of his $hi+.
~Nice
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:32pm.
I'm blown away by your lyrical prose and elegant turn of phrase.
Try Ms Brunette*
Submitted by cajun2 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:58pm.
Try to remember that today's college educated youngsters have such wonderful textbooks to forward their grasp of the English language and comprehension skills.
~Somebody
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:26pm.
didn't get enough of this, growing up.
My mom would give me a
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 11:05pm.
My mom would give me a backhand before I even had time to think!!! Once, and ONLY once, she actually put my young rear end (well, I was maybe a snotty 11 or 12 year old) on the floor with a roundhouse backhand after I'd made some stupid remark!!!!
Needless to say, I never did that again!!!
Well Paul has no chance but
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:33pm.
Well Paul has no chance but Bachman can pull off a win if she does well in the first few primaries.
Who says Paul isn't electable CNN and the Al'gore's
Submitted by lrgon on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:43pm.
advisors on "warmin?"
There are other critics of FEMA who aren't being bashed by CNN. But because Paul is surging in the polls CNN is looking to use the public's ignorance to bash Paul on his public pronouncements on FEMA.
During Hurricane Rita, which slammed Texas in 2005, Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough bemoaned the process of extracting money from FEMA.
Judge Yarbrough said: "Good Lord! The red tape and rules you have to go through to get anything done. ....we're putting out tens of millions, we can't afford a three-year reimbursement program. It would bankrupt most entities in this area if it takes that long."
Louisiana's Bobby Jindal complained of the endless amounts of paperwork necessary to complete to receive assistance.
“The problem you've got with FEMA is that they're looking for reasons to say 'no,' " Jindal said. "While they've made progress since '05, there's such an emphasis on filling out paperwork. They need to have a focus on results."
More evidence of Liberal Stupidity
Submitted by Bill Brasky on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:51pm.
Not ready for the big office??? Has this dumb hole heard of a greenhorn by the name of Barack Obama?? How's that workin' out you freakin' moron?
Remember this was what we got
Submitted by Reaver on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 9:26pm.
Remember this was what we got with Obama.
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20080310,00.html
Does AA stand for A**h*l*s Anonymous?
Submitted by needle on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 7:57pm.
“CNN Questions Whether Paul and Bachmann Are Even Ready for Presidency”
Let us think about this… Is Obama supposed to be the gold standard for “being read for the Presidency”?
- Looking forward to the self-annihilation of the Manipulated Stories Machine.
Where were these...
Submitted by GeneralAl on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 9:22pm.
Where were these nimrods in 2008? Oh yeah, their craniums were stuck far up the Obama anus!
"Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away"!
That is technically known as
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 11:07pm.
That is technically known as 'cranialrectalitis'..............
Nah... Ya can't call it that...
Submitted by The_Barrel_Guy on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 12:15am.
"That is technically known as 'cranialrectalitis'.............."
Cranialrectalitis presupposes an inflammation of the rectum caused by irritation to the rectal cavity following the insertion of some object larger in diameter than the rectal cavity itself... In this particular individual, the rectal diameter is larger than any single organic object known to the civilized world so as to allow multiple insertions at one time...
The really sad part is that the particular individual wants to share rectal insertions with all of us...
SADLY, POLITICS AS USUAL
Submitted by Gary A.A. on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:02pm.
Sadly, the demonizing rhetoric of liberals aimed to belittle dissenting views is politics as usual. Clearly, the political season has begun with supercilious, platitudes impervious to reason and disdainful of another's non-liberal point of view is troubling.
Yes
Submitted by RD King on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:27pm.
Get rid of the epa, irs, fema and osamacare then drill here drill now and pay less and we the people could start saying that we began to be free at last, free at last thank God Almighty we are on the road to being free at last.
Paul is right on FEMA
Submitted by lrgon on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:29pm.
and that disqualifies him to be president?
The fact is that FEMA has no constitutional authority being in the rescue business. In view of their disasterous screw-up in the wake of Katrina why hasn't congress abolished it?
What did Paul actually say about FEMA?
“There’s no magic about FEMA. They’re a great contribution to deficit financing and quite frankly they don’t have a penny in the bank."
Paul essentially said that states can manage things without FEMA and that FEMA should not assume a role and hamhandedly move into running things when states are fully capable of doing quite well without a federal agency whose record is a bad as FEMA's! If they are invited by the state that is another matter.
How on target is Paul on FEMA?
According to two government reports released in 2009, FEMA’s emergency housing program, for example, was a massive waste of taxpayers’ money: “FEMA paid out nearly a third of a billion dollars over three years for temporary housing for displaced disaster victims of the 2005 hurricane season. These housing units were also declared by FEMA to be UNSUITABLE for housing because of formaldehyde contamination and are awaiting disposal.”
It took FEMA six years to figure out that it overpaid and mistakenly awarded money to victims of Katrina, Rita, and Wilma $600 million.
Sometimes the left wing media gets it right.
MSNBC reported, “Up to 900,000 of the 2.5 million applicants who received aid under FEMA’s emergency cash assistance program-which included the $2,000 debit cards given to evacuees-were based on duplicate or invalid Social Security numbers, or false addresses and names…Thousands of additional dollars appear to have been squandered on hotel rooms for evacuees that were paid at retail rather than the contractor’s lower estimated cost. They included $438 rooms in New York City and beachfront condominiums in Panama City, Florida, at $375 a night.”
...'nough said. -Dave
Submitted by Dave. on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 8:32pm.
...'nough said.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Ron paul and Bachmann are unelectable
Submitted by cbeyer on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 9:12pm.
bachmann made a stupid comment about God's revenge related to the recent earthquake and hurricane Irene. She is toast.
Ron Paul has no chance of winning the Republican nomination. His second place showing in Iowa was just a straw poll and was meaningless. There are many reasons why Ron Paul is a terrible candidate starting with the fact that he is a nutcase. Here are some key areas that would be impenetrable roadblocks to Paul being the Republican standard bearer.
National Defense: Most republicans and conservatives support a strong national defense and the war against Islamic Extremism. Paul's comments in the last debate advocating the right of Iran to have nuclear weapons is nothing short of idiocy. Iran has repeatedly called for the obliteration of the State of Israel and has made many threats against America. Beyond adding a dangerous state to the list of Nuclear weaponized countries, Iran is known to be a world wide exporter of and supporter of terrorism. Isolationism as an approach to Iran is just plain wrong.
Legalization of drugs: A strong advocate of legalizing drugs places Paul at odds with most conservatives and republicans.
Hair brained positions: Ron Paul was an early advocate of the belief that 911 could have been an 'inside job' rather than as the result of Islamic Terrorists. He has never fully renounced that belief in spite of overwhelming evidence (including Osama Bin Laden and other Islamists having taken credit for 911) that this was and Al Qaida) operation.
While his strong constitutionalist principals are admirable, this Quirky guy is unelectable as either the standard bearer for the Republican party and even more so in the broad electorate as a presidential candidate. Clearly he does have, however, a very loyal group of fringe followers.
I'd agree regarding Paul
Submitted by bkeyser on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 9:18pm.
but Bachmann's comment was clearly a joke.
Here's a smiple response
Submitted by Indie Dude on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 9:18pm.
Compere to who CNN smarty pants? Obama?
Paul Bachmann?
Submitted by Boudin on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 10:37pm.
I agree with these Ladies who gives a crap what the morons on cnn say?
The real question....
Submitted by KornKing on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 10:46pm.
Is CNN ready to try to make the jump to having a news division?
meet me at the mission at midnight
Now that her fiance, John Roberts, is now a Fox News
Submitted by Rush Fan on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 12:23am.
'fair and balanced' correspondent, he may have to break off their engagement, if she continues to display her left-leaning bias. Twins or no twins.
Paul is deemed "unelectable"
Submitted by c5then on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 8:51am.
By the "powers that be" (Party leaders and MSM) because he would dismantle the gigantic behemoth that the Executive Branch has become. He is the one candidate that would actually reduce the size of government, literally, instead of just slowing up it's growth a bit.
The President has the power to eliminate entire cabinet positions and the thousands of government employees that go with them. In one executive order the President could eliminate the Department of Education, Department of Energy and the Labor Department thereby saving hundreds of billions of dollars each and every year. That would be three less Secretaries that would need to be nominated and confirmed by the Senate. Any vital and important program or task that those Department's perform could be rolled into another remaining Department. For instance the statistics that are collected and provided by the labor department could be rolled into the Commerce Department (which is actually authorized by the Constitution). Similarly the nuclear programs run by the Department of Energy could be shifted over to the Department of Defense. The FAA could be eliminated and the air traffic controlers moved into the NTSB (where they belong).
Paul scares the hell out of the establishment of both parties because he will actually do what he says he will.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
RON PAUL IS A NUTCASE AND SO ARE HIS DEMENTED FOLLOWERS
Submitted by cbeyer on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 4:58pm.
He is a complete isloationist in a very dangerous world. I do not support going to war in many countries but Paul does not recognize the dangers that Islamic Extremism poses not only to America but to the western world in general. His world views are naive to say the least.....or more appropriately stated...just plain stupid.
This is also a man who bought into the bizarre theory that 9-11 was an 'inside job'.
Also...in spite of the Iowa caucas vote which is a joke, Paul polled 6% in a major recent pole of likely Republican voters.
Once again....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 11:04am.
the CNN chuckle-heads prove that the Left have no sense of irony nor a sense of humor.
FEMA and God
Submitted by scout on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 11:25am.
I agree with Ron Paul on dumping FEMA, I mean really, look at what they did during Hurricane Katrina... toxic mobile homes that no one could live in and prepaid debit cards so people could head down to the strip club?
FEMA does need to go.
As for God sending a message, I say we would need to ask God if that was what he was doing.
In the wake of Irene the liberals are touting FEMA as the first choice of a federal response, but I say, since the left claims that insurance companies are ripping us off, let them do the heavy lifting for their customers and then FEMA can pick up the rest of the repair bills. If insurance companies are indeed a problem, then why should FEMA be an enabler?