Clarion, Iowa (CNN) - Republican presidential contender Michele Bachmann continued her super-charged bus tour across Iowa Sunday, attending several more events to shake hands and sign autographs.
Her events have been largely of the meet-and-greet variety - get in and out as fast as she can. The campaign has instituted a "no questions" policy at a majority of her stops this weekend to keep things moving, and that generally applies to both the media and to Iowa voters.
But at her stop at a north central Iowa Pizza Ranch restaurant, she and her husband Marcus were met with a woman wearing a Bachmann sticker who was holding a sign that read: "Gay-friendly Iowan."
"I was wondering if you would sign my sign?" the woman wearing the sticker, who identified herself as Kathy Schnell, asked.
"Gay-friendly Iowan?" Bachmann asked with a small laugh as she signed her name.
Schnell thanked her and followed it with a question that, in reality, was more of a comment.
"I wonder if you're aware that 10% of the population is gay. And if you have 28 children, then 2.8 of those kids are very likely gay."
The congresswoman, within definite earshot as she hovered over Schnell, at first seemed to avoid the question, trying to say "hello" to someone new.
Schnell turned to her friend and said, "She's not listening to me."
Bachmann must have heard that because she then turned back.
"Well, that's according to the Kinsey Report," the candidate replied.
Dr. Alfred Kinsey is best known for conducting interviews with thousands of individuals and publishing his findings in books on human sexual behavior during the 1940s and '50s.
Bachmann's husband, who runs a clinic in their district in Minnesota that has long been accused of conducting "reparative therapy" by trying to help gay individuals become straight, then chimed in.
"Your facts are wrong," he said.
"That's not valid?" Schnell asked back.
"No it isn't," Michele Bachmann said. Her husband added, "No, it's not at all. It's been a myth for many years."
The presidential hopeful then moved to the next table. Schnell pulled off her Bachmann sticker.
Schnell later told CNN she is a Democrat who is not happy with the current Democratic administration and the Democrats in Washington.
Asked if she was surprised Bachmann signed her poster, Schnell said no.
"I think she wants to be a very nice person," Schnell said. "She's adorable. But I just don't think she should be our president."
Schnell wasn't the only one in the room passionate about gay rights. A handful of college students were also on hand in the restaurant at the time, but did not try to raise a question. After the event, however, the group stood outside waving rainbow flags, a common symbol of gay rights support.
Quentin Hill, an 18-year-old student at the University of Iowa, said he wanted to ask her a question as she worked the room but was told ahead of time not to.
"They weren't taking questions today. I asked one of her staffers and I was kind of shut down as soon as I started asking," Hill said, adding that he wanted to ask her about the issue of gay teen suicides.
"I think if you want to be president of the United States, first of all you have to realize that you are representing all Americans including gay Americans and secondly you should be able to answer questions," Hill said.
"If you want my vote, I want to know what you stand for. So I think it's unfortunate that she comes and shakes hands and signs some signs and thinks she's going to get votes out of that."
Also see:
Huntsman: Everyone gets 15 minutes of fame
From CNN Politics
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Get a grip Schnell. You are attempting to choose a candidate on whether she agrees with your gayness. That is ridiculous, and that is what CNN wants to make headline news. The presidency is about who can lead this country into a better place economically, socially, worldly. No, gayness is not on the list. It's not important to the 99% of the population.
I'm so glad this woman won't be our next president. I can't wait until she disappears from the media spotlight.
Grampa nailed those radical extremists like Bachman. The GOBP wingnut/teabagger trainwreck implosion continues full speed ahead.
Tell me, of her 23 (or is it 28?) children, has one ever come forward and spoken up for their Mother? I saw a picture of her family (the natural children only) once in an article. I think that speaks volumes about her as a mother and as a person..
I do not choose a party and I do not deny that ALL human beings are hypocritical. I stand for freedom, freedom to be who I was born to be, do what I want to do, date who I want to date, but unfortunatley there is not a party that truley represents this. Government is run by money not the people anymore, if it ever was run by the people in the first place...
They don't even believe Darwin, what makes you think they would believe Kinsey?
I think she is wonderful. She is not a heterophobe as so many people are today. Secondly she is not fearful as many Americans are today. Her disposition is quite gracious considering what is done to her on late night tv. Her greatest sin is being a Christian. It will be nice when the Muslims take over and we can get some good old bigotry going. All the heterophobe haters haven't seen anything yet.
wow – an almost 100% anti Bachman response here. Good thing there is a protected place for dem posters to gather and repeat the dem mantra "If you disagree with me, obviously you are wrong" (Oh, always use the cherry-picked polls and research to back up you 'facts') I thought everybody knew the Kinsey's were fakes and fabricated most of their research...
Michelle:
The Bible didn’t one day fall from the sky unto the head of some the unsuspecting farmer like a coke bottle. The Bible is a collection of interpretive accounts as written by people. I believe in God; but I don’t believe that his son walked on water. I use the Bible as a rational guide and reference point from which to live a positive life; and I wish my dearest Gay friends a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays this season!
So in the Bachmann/Tea Party world:
Rigorous study of population, scientific method and statistical analysis of the basic attraction around orientation of human beings: Myth
Writings of desert nomads about wizards and talking snakes with no study or evidence base: Fact
You'd think with a gay husband that Michelle Bachmann would be more tolerant and accepting of gays in general.
What a complete psycho this woman is.
If you want to be president you have to be receptive to what concerns the people, was expressed by one person while having all questions ignored by Bachmann. With Bachmann it seems that consistently she is more concerned with what she wants to express and not what the people want to express – again she lacks a real ability to understand and thereby to represent the people – instead simply focusing on being loud with what she considers will excite and simply hoping to be the chosen "puppet" by "the money" who she will listen to.
The bible was written by men but inspired by God. Get some edumacation before making comments.
Why even write an article on this? She's not a contender in the race. Her ignorance, and that of her husband, is not worth reporting on.
CNN and the far left need to stop pushing their gay agenda with misinformation. The Kinsey report is myth. It was was not a representative study (not a cross section of the American public). Hugely influenced by criminal and reprobate elements who were studied. Many studies have been done since that indicate that only 2-3% are choosing a gay lifestyle. 10% - perhaps in Hollywood, Congress, and at CNN.
It would be nice if science would spawn mutants, as per "X-Men" so that "normal" humans could get a real beatdown on planet Earth.
oh Michele... Let me share a myth with you... You will be elected President in 2012. Arent myths fun?
B. Obama 2012 – M Obama 2016 – M. Obama 2020
Let the good times roll.
michelle, who's Bible are you referring to? Who wrote it? Who edited it? Books from the Bible were removed and stripped out, words have been dropped or changed, their original meanings and context lost. Has it crossed your mind that you might be in error?
@michelle:
Hmmm... I've read the entire Bible, and there's not a single mention of cancer. So clearly, God didn't make cancer either. It's a choice people make.
How do you even tie your shoes in the morning? Or do you wait for Jesus to tell you?
Hopefully she'll never return to political office and stick to making money of her 'looney tune' followers. What a disgrace to Americans, why is anyone still on the GOP wagon, is beyond any rhyme or reason.
blake, the far right needs to stop pushing their bigotry on everyone else, and passing it off as morality. The Kinsey study was groudbreaking because it was the first attempt to qualify intimate behavior without social stigma. Was it perfect? Obviously not, but to dismiss it and cling to the comclusions that best fit your world outlook is even more irresponsible than clinging to the study as if it were Holy Writ. BTW, talk to your local Log Cabin Republican Group to see what they think, if you dare.
Wow, her husband sounds just like Liberace. It must be tough for her to live in such denial.
**** doug
"The person who's birthday they celebrate on December 25 was most likely a Democrat!!!"
Jesus never hated anyone and since hate is only found in Democrats not Republicans, he is certainly no Democrat
------------------------------------------------------–
I just spit my beer all over my monitor when i read this.
See what the Republican party has become.
All Democrats want to steal your babies and eat them,
and beat up your grandma,
and, oh wait, we hate America, and we love war.
The republican party has been hijacked by the religious right, and corporate wall street
and have convinced you that they actually freaking care about.
You are just too "branded" and stupid to see it.
Michelle Bauchman and her husband can kiss my butt. He thinks he can "repair" gay people???? Seriously. I'm so tired of having to explain to intelligent people it's not a CHOICE!!! There are so many reasons why I would never vote for this clown. Equal RIghts for ALL Americans Period!!!!