When CNN's Piers Morgan brought up the Todd Akin controversy in his interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Bachmann lashed back that "you're reading directly off the Obama talking points."
"What about all the fury last week over Todd Akin?" Morgan asked Bachmann, in a move out of the Democratic playbook. "Because you and he and Paul Ryan all got together with the Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and he obviously came a cropper last week. What do you think of what he said?" [Video below the break.]
"I am pro-life. Paul Ryan is pro-life and we are a pro-life party and we're not ashamed of it," responded Bachmann. "But we also believe that people have freedom of opinion. And that's the kind of country that we are. And we believe that we respect other people's opinions."
Morgan was quite obnoxious to Bachmann back in March, and he continued the sassiness in the Wednesday night interview. "Are you a bit too dangerous, do you think, for Mitt Romney's administration? For his team?" was his second question.
"You've been saying this week that Barack Obama is more anti-women than Mitt Romney. Do you actually mean that?" Morgan asked later, as if the Republican talking point was a moot one. "But if he's so much more popular with women than Barack Obama, why do all the polls say that Barack Obama is a lot more popular with women than Mitt Romney?" he followed up.
A transcript of the interview, which aired on August 29 during CNN's coverage of the Republican National Convention at 7:20 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
PIERS MORGAN: I'm with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in your lair, where all the action is. Now be honest, would you rather be up there on the stage? Do you feel a little bit left out?
BACHMANN: I don't feel left out. But of course I'd love to be up there. I was my own first choice for President of the United States, but I am enthusiastic about getting behind this ticket.
MORGAN: Are you a bit too dangerous, do you think, for Mitt Romney's administration? For his team?
BACHMANN: Well I'm exactly in line with where the Romney/Ryan team is, because they've embraced the Tea Party principles, the fact that we're taxed enough already. Government shouldn't spend more money than what it takes in. And we believe that the government should act within the limits of the constitution. That's where mainstream America is and that's now where our Republican Party platform is. And Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan embrace that. So we're feeling wildly successful right now from a Tea Party point of view.
MORGAN: What about all the fury last week over Todd Akin? Because you and he and Paul Ryan all got together with the Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and he obviously came a cropper last week. What do you think of what he said?
BACHMANN: Well obviously you're reading directly off the Obama talking points because I am pro-life. Paul Ryan is pro-life and we are a pro-life party and we're not ashamed of it. But we also believe that people have freedom of opinion. And that's the kind of country that we are. And we believe that we respect other people's opinions.
MORGAN: Now you've been saying this week that Barack Obama is more anti-women than Mitt Romney. Do you actually mean that?
BACHMANN: Well, I think Mitt Romney is going to be the one who allows more financial security for more women. I mean clearly he's a guy who knows what he's talking about. He's been very successful. Ann Romney gave a (Inaudible) speech last night. And I think he would do very well for American women, all women.
MORGAN: But if he's so much more popular with women than Barack Obama, why do all the polls say that Barack Obama is a lot more popular with women than Mitt Romney?
BACHMANN: You’ve got to disaggregate the data because if you look at it, married women tend to support Mitt Romney more. Single women tend to support Barack Obama more. But, again, single women are going to do a lot better under an Obama administration because they'll pay half the price for gasoline if Mitt Romney is president, because gasoline has more than doubled under Barack Obama. And we have a very aggressive energy plan for Mitt Romney. And when women go to fill up their car and they're paying double for gasoline, that's not helping any women. The same with the skyrocketing price of groceries and health care. Mitt Romney is going to make life a lot more affordable, he’s going to bring prices down and that’s really good for women, because women do a lot of the shopping in families.
