Bachmann’s jihad: where’s Mitt?

Nowhere. Any other questions?

John McCain, John Boehner, Jeff Flake, and her own former campaign manager, Ed Rollins, have all denounced Michelle Bachmann’s attempt to impugn the loyalty of Huma Abedin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the State Department.

Guess who’s showing his usual profile in cowardice?

As far as I can tell, no reporter has even asked Romney whether he’s for or against McCarthyism tinged with religious bigotry, and of course he’s not volunteering any comment. His standing with the wingnuts simply isn’t strong enough to make him feel secure in standing up for what’s right.

 

Author: Mark Kleiman

Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out. Books: Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken) When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993) Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989) UCLA Homepage Curriculum Vitae Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com

7 thoughts on “Bachmann’s jihad: where’s Mitt?”

  1. I think that you’re letting Romney and even McCain, et al. off lightly. To the extent that there has been criticism of Bachmann’s position, it has been directed solely at her. However, four other Republican House members joined with her. (One of signatories is Trent Frank, chair of the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee.)

    Let’s be honest. One of the most important Republican “constituencies” is that of bigot voters. Romney cannot afford to alienate those voters or even acknowledge that they exist.

  2. I am no fan of Ronald Reagan, but even he had the good sense to repudiate the endorsement of his presidential candidacy by the Ku Klux Klan. I still recall the response of Imperial Wizard Bill Wilkinson, who declared that Reagan could not repudiate the Klan without repudiating the entire Republican Party platform.

    The godfather of today’s Republican Party is George Corley Wallace, who to his credit renounced racism in his later years.

    1. The godfather of today’s Republican party is Karl Rove, who taught them that, as Vince Lombardy said, “winning is not the most important thing, it’s the ONLY thing.”

  3. “Profile in cowardice.” That’s a good line I haven’t seen before. I hope it goes viral.

  4. This has been explained already in the brilliant quantum mitt nyt essay. Quantum Mitt simultaneously takes all possible positions until observed and then the probability frontier collapses on the position most like to please the observer.

    You’re welcome.

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