Washington Examiner
Byron York’s question was booed at the GOP debate and criticized by other journalists for asking the sole female candidate about her marriage. He explains its relevance to her candidacy:
On “Meet the Press” Sunday, Iowa straw poll winner Rep. Michele Bachmann was asked to make the case that she has the “judgment and experience” to be president of the United States. Bachmann listed several qualifications — her work as a tax attorney, small businesswoman, state senator in Minnesota, and member of Congress — but the first thing she said was, “I have a lifetime of experience. I’m 55 years old. I’ve been married 33 years.”
Because Bachmann invokes her marital success as proof of her leadership skills, York believed it was relevant to probe this statement she made during her first campaign in 2006:
My husband said, now you need to go and get a post-doctorate degree in tax law. Tax law? I hate taxes. Why should I go and do something like that? But the Lord said, “Be submissive. Wives you are to be submissive to your husband.” And so we moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, and I went to William and Mary Law School there, for a post-doctorate degree in tax law. And I pursued this course of study. Never had a tax course in my background, never had a desire for it, but by faith, I was going to be faithful to what I felt God was calling me to do through my husband.
York believes Bachmann will be asked again about being “submissive.” Her answer at the debate and on “Meet the Press”: ” ‘Submission,’ that word, means respect. It means that I respect my husband and he respects me.” || Related: Michele Bachmann’s bodyguards developing reputation for bullying reporters (Yahoo/Cutline) | Bachmann calls on pre-selected reporters (Politico) || Previous: Tina Brown says Newsweek cover photo of Michele Bachmann captures her intensity | One-third of news links on blogs last week were about Bachmann | Friedman: Bachmann is media’s “flavor of the month”
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