Michele Bachmann Not Doing Republicans A Favor By Giving Tea Party SOTU Response

Besides the fact that she says crazy things and gets her facts wrong, having Michele Bachmann follow the Republican response with the Tea Party response to the State of the Union Address muddles the message. It’s fair to say that Paul Ryan, the Republican-appointed respondee, may look more centrist as a result, as Adam Serwer and Steve Benen point out. Benen adds:

I suppose it’s also possible that we’ll see one popular national leader reveling in the pageantry of a national address to a joint session, followed by two right-wing members of an unpopular party, struggling to explain why Americans should embrace their vision of extremism. If President Obama comes out looking above the fray, the dueling GOP responses might backfire.

And do conservatives have one message or two? Are we seeing two factions of a party at odds with each other? House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Ryan are already playing down Bachmann’s speech.

…speaking to reporters at his weekly pen-and-pad briefing, Cantor said, “Paul Ryan is giving the official Republican response.”

“Michelle Bachmann, just as the other 534 members of the House and Senate, are going to have opinions as to the State of the Union,” Ryan added.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.