Unequivocally liberal MSNBC host Chris Hayes took an underhanded jab at Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman by comparing her career to the Titan Arum, the world’s largest species of flower which is housed at the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington D.C. The flower, which only blooms once every few years, gives off an odor that is “oddly like rotting flesh.” After being in bloom for a few days, “the flower will then begin to collapse in on itself, embarking on a trajectory very similar to Michele Bachmann’s congressional career," Hayes cynically remarked.
Since the announcement of Bachmann’s retirement on May 29, the liberal media have had a field day mocking her Tea Party brand of conservatism. Fellow MSNBC host Al Sharpton hosted a liberal panel on his show to ridicule Bachmann on the same day that a Morning Joe panel devoted a segment solely to lambasting Bachmann as a “fringe” “celebrity politician” who will soon be irrelevant. In fact, my NewsBusters colleague Geoffrey Dickens compiled a Top 10 list of anti-Bachmann quotes.
Hayes made the comment in jest, and was trying undoubtedly to infuse some humor into his otherwise tediously monotonous program. However, this type of behavior of trying to illicit cheap laughs at the cost of conservative leaders and lawmakers just shows the overall absence of journalistic integrity at MSNBC.
For reference, the transcript of Hayes’ comments is provided below:
All In with Chris Hayes
July 22, 2013
7:38 p.m. Eastern
CHRIS HAYES: At long last the wait is over. After months, years really, of anticipation, it has happened. Washington's corpse flower has bloomed. This, my friend, is America’s royal baby. You're looking at it, Titan Arum, a giant rainforest plant living in the U.S. Botanical garden right next to the capitol. In layman's terms, it is a giant flower that smells oddly like rotting flesh. The last time one of these things bloomed in America George W. Bush was president. As the "Washington Post" reports, experts have been anticipating its bloom for more than a week, extending visiting hours. The corpse flower is now at its peak smell. That's a real thing, and will remain open for the next few days. After that, the flower will begin to collapse in on itself, embarking on a trajectory very similar to Michelle Bachmann’s congressional career.
