"Very serious individual" Bachmann defends seriousness

The Minnesota congresswoman snubs an apology from Fox News' Chris Wallace for asking whether she is a "flake"

Published June 27, 2011 4:41PM (EDT)

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., addresses the crowd during a welcome home event in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa Sunday, June 26, 2011. Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann said Sunday her bid to unseat President Barack Obama shouldn't be viewed as "anything personal" against the Democrat — he's "just wrong" on his policies for America. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (AP)
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., addresses the crowd during a welcome home event in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa Sunday, June 26, 2011. Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann said Sunday her bid to unseat President Barack Obama shouldn't be viewed as "anything personal" against the Democrat — he's "just wrong" on his policies for America. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (AP)

Woe betide anyone who challenges Michele Bachmann's seriousness, as Fox News' Chris Wallace has learned.

When the presidential hopeful appeared on Wallace's Sunday morning show, the host asked her, "Are you a flake?"

A ruffled Bachmann responded that the question was "insulting" and delivered a litany of her achievements -- the achievements of a serious person:

I'm 55 years old. I've been married 33 years... I'm not only a lawyer, I have a post-doctorate degree in federal tax law from William and Mary. I've worked in serious scholarship … my husband and I have raised five kids, we've raised 23 foster children. We've applied ourselves to education reform. We started a charter school for at-risk kids. I've also been a state senator and member of the United States Congress for five years.

Take that! Wallace swiftly put up a web video on Sunday, apologizing for his question, noting "A lot of you were more than perturbed, you were upset and felt that I had been rude to her." Here's the apology, via Mediaite:

But Bachmann was having none of it. When asked on ABC News by Jon Karl whether she accepts Wallace's apology, the Minnesota congresswoman said, "I think that it's insulting to insinuate that a candidate for president is less than serious":

And so, on Monday Bachmann did the most serious thing of all: She announced her presidential run.

 


By Natasha Lennard

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com.

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2012 Elections Fox News Michel Gondry Michele Bachmann R-minn.