Kathy Griffin: Puts Levi Johnston on TV as ‘Middle Finger’ to Palin, ‘Strong Conservative’ Means ‘Idiot’

Brad Wilmouth
June 12th, 2010 10:47 AM

As left-wing comedian Kathy Griffin appeared on Friday’s Larry King Live on CNN, after the conversation turned to her "My Life on the D List" show’s trip to Wasilla, Alaska, featuring Levi Johnston, host King asked her about her "attraction" to Johnston, referring to talk of a relationship between the two which is rumored to just be a publicity stunt. The left-wing comedian asserted that "every time that I'm with Levi and put him in the public eye, I feel that it's my very subtle middle finger to Sarah Palin." Griffin then added, "Yeah, go ahead, Tweet me, Palin freaks, I don't care anymore."

A few minutes later, as the subject turned to her taking her show to a Senate hearing about the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy on gays in the military, Griffin recounted her meeting with Republican Representative Michele Bachmann, whom she referred to as a "moron," and, after she seemed to perceive that King was uncomfortable with the insult as he noted that Bachmann has been on the show before and is a "strong, conservative person," Griffin shot back: "Oh, boy, I didn't know it was 'Be Kind to Bachmann Day' because my word for that is 'idiot.'"

Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Friday, June 11, Larry King Live on CNN:

9:28 p.m.

KATHY GRIFFIN: Have you been to Wasilla?

LARRY KING: No.

GRIFFIN: It blows. I’m not gonna lie.

KING: Yeah?

GRIFFIN: It blows chunks, yeah. It’s not what we want the country to be like, when Sarah Palin said, you know, I would run the country, you know, you betcha, the way I run Wasilla, that’s not what we want. It’s a lot of boredom and then some crystal meth. Hey, go ahead, write your letters, I don’t care anymore. Go ahead, Tweet me about it.

KING: What’s your attraction to Levi?

GRIFFIN: I get him in a way that Bristol never did. And also, every time that I’m with Levi and put him in the public eye, I feel that it’s my very subtle middle finger to Sarah Palin. Yeah, go ahead, Tweet me, Palin freaks, I don’t care anymore.

KING: Have you been intimate with Levi?

GRIFFIN: Yes, I have. I’ve seen his Johnston. Have you?

KING: No.

GRIFFIN: It goes on and on-

KING: Yeah?

GRIFFIN: -for days.

KING: Do you love him?

GRIFFIN: Yeah.

KING: He’s younger than you.

GRIFFIN: Like a, like 30 years, not even that much.

KING: Would you be serious with him?

GRIFFIN: Yeah, that’s right, I would be very serious, in a committed, monogamous relationship.

KING: Well, how’s it going, then?

GRIFFIN: It’s, well, you know, now that I got a painting from Erik Menendez, I feel that I’m seeing other people. I mean, I’m torn. It’s like the Thornbirds, you know what I mean? It’s like a forbidden love.

...

9:32 p.m.

KING: You took the show to Washington for an episode. What was that like for you?

GRIFFIN: It was fantastic because I learned a lot about how things work on the Hill, and I’m, you know, doing whatever I can to help repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I have many, many friends in the military after having been to Iraq and Afghanistan and Kuwait and all those places.

KING: I know. You’re a game girl.

GRIFFIN: And I met with Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and Barney Frank, and it was very educational. I did get in a little trouble with a moron named Michele Bachmann. Go ahead-

KING: She’s been on the show, she’s been on the show.

GRIFFIN: -act like I’m not your guest. You’re acting like you’re having an out of body-

KING: Michele Bachmann is a very strong, conservative person.

GRIFFIN: Oh, boy, I didn’t know it was "Be Kind to Bachmann Day" (KING LAUGHS) because my word for that is "idiot." Anyway, and I got into a little couple of words with her.

KING: Tiff.

GRIFFIN: A little tiff with Michele Bachmann. And also, I sort of got kicked out of my first Senate hearing because I’d said something to Saxby Chambliss that she didn’t like, and I didn’t know that these hearings aren’t interactive. I thought they were more like a Q&A situation, not so much.