CNN anchor Kyra Phillips asked her "Political Buzz" panel Monday if GOP candidates Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann are "ready for the big office" given their unusual views.
"Ron Paul saying that we should get rid of FEMA. Michele Bachmann says the storm and earthquake are signs from God," stated Phillips. "Okay guys, are these candidates ready for the big office?"
[Video below.]
Bachmann defended her comments, made over the weekend at a campaign appearance in Florida, that God was using the hurricane and earthquake to get the attention of politicians in Washington. The congresswoman's press secretary told TalkingPointsMemo [1] that "Obviously, she was saying it in jest."
The audience could be heard laughing as Bachmann delivered her remarks, but CNN appeared to take them seriously.
Dana Loesch, a conservative CNN contributor, defended Ron Paul's long-held opposition to FEMA. "I don't think that there's any argument that FEMA is a completely corrupt department," Loesch advocated. "But I think what Paul was actually saying is that we need to really rely, again, on states, and states being able to respond," she added.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on August 29 at 10:30 a.m. EDT, is as follows:
KYRA PHILLIPS: Ron Paul saying that we should get rid of FEMA. Michele Bachmann says the storm and earthquake are signs from God. Okay guys, are these candidates ready for the big office? Dana?
DANA LOESCH, talk radio show host, "The Dana Show": Well, what I don't understand is how FEMA went from being Satan's spawn under Bush, to now it's like "Yeah FEMA!" I don't think that there's any argument that FEMA is a completely corrupt department, I don't think that there's any argument. You had the Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times, the Journal of Economics that have all done in-depth investigative reviews and studies of how much money is actually wasted by this department.
But I think what Paul was actually saying is that we need to really rely, again, on states, and states being able to respond. For instance, we had – we had family and friends who lived in New Orleans. And they were – they actually – they stopped the Red Cross from coming in and donating, they stopped locals and charities from helping out. That's – that's not disaster relief, that's control.