(CNN) – Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann didn't walk back on recent comments about the dangers of a vaccine Monday, but defended herself by staking her own unique position.
"I wasn't speaking as a doctor. I wasn't speaking as a scientist," she told CNN's "The Situation Room" anchor Wolf Blitzer during an interview. "I was merely passing on...what I had heard."
Bachmann was careful not to repeat previous comments about a woman who'd approached her "sobbing" following CNN's "Tea Party Republican Debate" and who, she says, confided that her daughter "suffered from mental retardation" after receiving the vaccine that protects against HPV–a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cervical cancer.
Those comments stirred up controversy-and questions about the GOP presidential candidate's discipline on the campaign trail-again.
But for the three-term congresswoman, the questions aren't about discipline. They're a distraction from "crony capitalism" exercised by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the current GOP frontrunner.
"This is something that someone had said to me, a mother that's very concerned," she said.
"The point in the debate that I made is it's up to the parents to make that decision about the HPV vaccine and this was clearly an abuse of the governor."
"A lot of people are missing the main point…crony capitalism and abuse of executive power," Bachmann argued.
And she sounded off on President Obama's plan to reduce the deficit, calling him "the great divider" instead of the "great uniter."
Insisting that she wasn't just being "contrary" in opposing the plan, Bachmann said, "If this worked to create jobs I'd be completely on board with the president…what he's suggesting is the same old same old…there's nothing new here, why would anyone go with that?"
As the United Nations General Assembly begins to unfold, Bachmann also attacked the president's foreign policy.
"I don't believe Israel should have to give away any more of its land," she said. "The president hasn't done Israel any favors."
Instead, she advised the president to "disallow" Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from stepping "one foot" in the U.S. for his persistent threats against Israel.
"He is a genocidal madman," Bachmann said.
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From CNN Politics
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Ah. She's not a doctor or a scientist, so she is allowed to make false statements. Got it. I am not a smart person, therefore I'll vote for Michelle Bachmann.
Bachmann is a putz. Did she really think we'd buy the HPV sob story? GTFOUH with the Teabaggery nonsense.
Yes America, Michele Bachmann is still an idiot that has no business living on taxpayers money. She and Perry are at war trying to out dumb each other.
She should have said:: "I wasn't speaking as a doctor. I wasn't speaking as a scientist. I was speaking as an ill-informed, intentionally ignorant rube who will say anything to scare my idiot supporters in to voting for me."
This woman has no clue of what going on. Lesson the American tax money is being taken by the rich to invest in up and coming countries without a middle class that they have to pay 40 dollars an hour to. In order for us to save the middle class and the industries that they alone support, such as housing industries. Obama need to reroute some of that money back to invest in this country so we can keep pace with china.
she is getting as bad as Palin. Isn't about time that the Parties work TOGETHER instead of totally divided?
The more I think of it, I think it is time to eliminate Congress. They always talk about 'what the American people want." I don't think they really have A CLUE what the American Poeple want. And it is time to show them!
She heard that from a supporter, and felt she must submit to their false claims.
no, the real point is you are a nuts and a liar...and unfit for public office...that is the point
If Michele votes to prevent 50 million uninsured Americans from getting affordable healthcare, doesn't that make her a genocidal madwoman?
The bimbo just keeps on rolling along....."big government" to her only applies when it doesn't suit her warped agenda but it does apply to things like marriage, gay rights, choice and all the other red-meat sheep issues that the lemmings love
Does Bachmann have any idea how much damage she is doing to public health with her admittedly uninformed comments? And she has even less credibility on economic matters. Please stop giving this woman a platform for her poorly-thought-out views.
I think one point the American people are not missing Ms. Pray Away the Gay is that you have absoultely no chance of becoming president, much less the nominee of what is left of the Republican party.
Fox's Chris Wallace was right. She is a FLAKE!
$2 Gas per gallon
John Wayne her home town hero (NOT)
$200 M per day for the President to travel.
etc.
but hasn't uttered a word about all of the gay-related teenage suicides in her district!
and you michele is a mad woman
Bachmann is quickly becoming irrelevant to the GOP/Tea Party presidential race by saying the most outrageous and ridiculous things. Her aides must be pulling their hair out when she goes off message and fail to follow the carefully crafted script.
Speaking of same ol', same ol'. This nutjob is spouting the same lies and distortions.
Someone get her a straitjacket.
Michele, you had your chance and you blew it! Because of your wild-eyed & woolly shoot-from-the-lip style. You will never be President!
she's not a doctor or a scientist , then why is she subsidizing bio fuel and endorsing the freedom of light bulb act ?
She's a job creator of ? And Rick Perry can't be bought for less the a half a mill !
And when she pushes that nuclear button - will she say someone told her to do it?
Michelle's commentary contradicts itself sentence by sentence–she said something, but then said, well, what I meant was. I think when Michelle Bachmann has an idea or thought she wants to convey to small crowds, she gets overly excited, and in the excitement, her brain can't keep up with her mouth and the words start richocheting off each other–it's like letting go of a balloon.
Most people put an effort into thinking before they speak...alas, Michelle Bachmann doesn't do that, but not because she's not diciplined enough, her brain is just not capable of it.
Why , Why , Why– will this comedy ever end.
Okay, so as president - she will only pass along what she thought she heard. She will need two staff– one for the facts and one for the rumors. I can see how she bring unemployment down.
However, I can see her attaching every country with a cruise ship that she thought she heard was coming to attach America.
Why are we listening to this mad woman, please turn her off.
I'm stil wondering how anyone can see her as a viable candidate, please someone enlighten me. Aside from the constantly false statements, the government handouts and the request for stimulus funds alone should be grounds for her dismissal. Her, Romney, Perry, and Paul should not be electable because they all signed pledges and all requested stimulus funds.