Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann
faced a barrage of gay rights questions on Sunday, a day after
winning the Iowa straw poll in Ames.
During an interview on CNN's State
of the Union, the Minnesota congresswoman told Candy Crowley that
as president she would work to reinstate “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,”
the policy set to expire on September 20 that bans gay and bisexual
troops from serving openly.
“The 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy
has worked very well,” Bachmann said.
“I would be in consultation with our
commanders, but yes, I probably will reinstate the ban,” she added.
And during an appearance on Meet the
Press, David Gregory relentlessly pressed Bachmann for her views
on gay rights.
After sharing a 2004 clip in which
Bachmann is heard saying, “It's a very sad life. It's part of
Satan, I think, to say that this is 'gay.' It's anything but 'gay.'
It leads to the personal enslavement of individuals. Because if
you're involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it's bondage. It
is personal bondage, personal despair, and personal enslavement. And
that's why this is so dangerous. We need to have profound compassion
for people who are dealing with the very real issue of sexual
dysfunction in their life, and sexual identity disorders.”
When Bachmann responded that she
believes gay people “have honor and dignity,” Gregory asked:
“Do you think gay Americans hearing quotes like that from you would
think that that's honor and dignity coming from you about their
circumstance?”
“I am not anyone's judge,” she
responded.
Bachmann protested when Gregory
continued with the line of questioning, asking whether she would
appoint an openly gay person to her cabinet and whether she believed
children being raised in a household headed by a gay or lesbian
couple are a family.
“Congresswoman, you said that any
candidate for president should be asked about his or her views and
their record. This is a record of your statements. These were
defining political issues for you as your political career advanced.
You're the one who said same-sex marriage was a defining political
issue of our time. Those were your words back in 2004. So, I'm just
asking you about your views on something that has animated your
political life.”
“I think,” Bachmann, who remained
calm, responded, “my views are clear.” (The video is embedded in
the right panel of this page.)