Michele Bachmann's blabbing drives Arlen Specter to patronize

Onetime Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, whose jump over to the Democratic Party last year turned his name into a political verb for switching sides whenever it's convenient, may have stepped in something messy this week, as first reported by Daniel Malloy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The 80-year-old new Democrat, who's seeking a sixth term but facing a defiant primary challenge from combative Rep. Joe Sestak, was on a Philadelphia radio station debating Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Normally the, uh, outspoken Bachmann, a Tea Party fave, would be a perfect foil for a Democrat like Specter.

Bachmann was, as is the style of most House members when they secure rare media attention, going on and on about killing ObamaCare and cutting taxes and common-sense conservatism. Hey, you talk 'til the ref blows the whistle.

And WPHT's Dom Giordana was enjoying the flap, as radio hosts are wont to do.

Until Specter uttered those paralyzingly poisonous patronizing words in modern politics: "I'm going to treat you like a lady. Now act like one!"

You can hear the entire exchange over here at the real essential RealClearPolitics site.

(UPDATE: Specter has since phoned Bachmann and apologized and she accepted.)

As part of Specter's spectering, Democrat President Obama promised to campaign for him no matter what this fall, a promise proving of dubious worth if past performances are accurate indicators.

As The Ticket noted this morning, Obama is 0-7 in campaign rallies for Democratic candidates, including most recently Martha Coakley, the Massachusetts loser to upset Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown.

Obama's campaigning presumes that Specter, the onetime 60th Democratic Senate vote, survives the state primary. A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows Specter increasing his double-digit lead over Sestak.

Unfortunately for Specter, an even newer Rasmussen Reports poll shows him trailing conservative Republican Pat Toomey in a general election match-up by 9 points, twice the lead Toomey had a month ago. Toomey's emerging GOP strength in the Keystone State was a major reason for Specter's specter last April.

Do you think Toomey will invite Bachmann to campaign for him come fall? She seems quite effective getting Specter off his game.

(UPDATE Friday: Jan Larimer, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, issued this statement: "Sen. Specter’s rude and arrogant comments yesterday were not only disrespectful to Congresswoman Bachmann, but demeaning to all women. Sen. Specter should immediately apologize to the Congresswoman and to all of his constituents for such disgraceful behavior.  

("Women should never be treated as second-class citizens. It’s clear Sen. Specter has spent too much time in Washington, and this November I am confident Pennsylvanians will choose a new direction.”)

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[Robert Chandler]

If Specter were still a Republican, and Bachmann were a Democrat, we'd be hearing screeching and outrage in every headline and all over the airwaves.

The Left media and its double standards are a constant source of amusement, rueful though it might be.

[Hilary]

Ick. I don't want to pick sides on this one since they're both so odious.

[skeptic]

I can't wait for Bachmann to sponsor that "prosperity bill" she's so eager to pass. Oh wait, wasn't that what the Bush tax cut was supposed to be? That worked like a charm. Those Republicans sure know how to trim a deficit.

[RB]

The Democrat party is the party of sexists, misogynists, elitists, and antisemites.

[Stephen]

Arlen "Benedict" Specter doesn't give a damn about this country or its citizens. He saw the overwhelming popularity of Obama at the start of his term and decided the democrats were going to trounce the republicans. He jumped ship like a rat abandoning a sinking vessel. He has shown his true colors. This is why there is a growing anti incumbent movement among Americans. The US Congress is a den of vipers that must be cleaned out!

[Bob]

He sounds like a drunken putz.

[Fred]

Hey skeptic, you're absolutely right, the Bush tax cuts did work like a charm. They rescued an economy hit by a Clinton recession (yes, we were actually in recession when Clinton was done - look it up) and 9/11, because tax cuts allow for massive economic growth - not always, but usually. Stop listening to Air America (well, I guess you have no choice now) and actually find the tables on irs.gov that show what happened to tax revenues after the Bush tax cuts. After a brief drop, they skyrocketed. The same thing happened when Reagan cut taxes. Revenues basically DOUBLED in the Reagan years.

But revenues aren't the whole story. The problem is, we (Republicans w/ Bush, and Democrats w/ Reagan) outspent the increase in revenues. Yes, the Republicans spent like drunken sailors. It was despicable. Of course, now the Democrats are in charge and are spending like sailors on crack, tripling the deficit in 6 months. It has to stop.

I know I say look it up a lot, but dang it, we Americans have got to start doing that, not just believing what the media and politicians tell us. And don't just look it up on moveon.org, they will only lie to you. Go straight to the source, a little real research and an open mind will wake you up.

[barb]

What an old fool and a misogynist to boot. Specter personifies anachronism. Good thing he'll be booted out by the voters next November. Talk about media bias: "BLABBERING"?

[DaveP.]

Hate to remind "Skeptic", but the Bush tax cuts reduced unemployment to below 6% even after a major national disaster (9/11, which I figure he probably ALSO needs to be reminded of). The big increases in unemployment started in '07, after the Congressional class of majority-Democrats was seated and began to 'work'. Seems how when you announce unlimited warfare on employers (who don't hapen to be unions, or the federal government) they stop hiring people because they need teh money for other things.
unemployment got worse after '08- and we all remember what happened in the '08 elections.
Thanks, Democrats: the 17% unemployment is all yours.

[rgorham]

One of the reasons the deomcrats are falling in the polls is their trade for Specter. He wont survive the generaql election and another seat will fall to the republicans. Afraid to take on Bachemann is typical of the democrats response to just about everything ever since the 2008 election. The are the party of fear and bumbling. They had a 60 vote majority in the Senate and over 140 vote margain in the House and still couldn't put together a health plan that people could understand. They fought like dogs over table scraps. Poor leadership and a history of arrogance where they take for granted the good will of the voters, which is the same with the republicans. Vote for the Independent candidates!

[Michael Kennedy]

Michelle Bachmann is the second most hated Republican by leftists. And both of them are women. Bachmann is constantly ridiculed by the left as dumb although she is a tax attorney. Obama has certainly shown us the left's approach to prosperity.

[bandit]

Wuill anyone miss Specter when he's gone?

[lisa greany]

Constituants in Pennyslvania must be as embarrassed with Spector as we are here in Massachusetts are of Barney Frank!! Both have got to go!!

[Patrick]

I'm a fan of neither of these knuckleheads, but He was out of line.

She's a feckless shrieking harpy. But, he blew it.

50 year ago, it would have been no big deal, but this ain't the 1940's or 1950's anymore. So....

-Pat

[amused]

He is purely a pig.

[jeff]

I'm starting to think that many of my fellow citizens are serious idiots: Are people really voting for the people who's Party,/philosophies destroyed the nation? Made us a joke on the int'l stage?, and were proven to be liars and corporate shills, over and over?

[Mary]

Spector is a career politician who's only goal is to continue to get himself reelected. What a joke he is and his comments to Ms. Bachman prove that he is an idiotic sexist. I say TERM LIMITS for all members of Congress!!!!

[Jose Vazquez]

Specter is a donkey's behind :) I hope the people of PA Scott Brown him this November. What is going on with eh Democrats? They are IMPLODING. LOL

[B J]

This "lady" plans to personally donate as much time and money as I can, to ensure that the traitorous, foolish, ignorant, and old man, Spector, never ever wins another seat.

[cv]

Specter is done! I Obama had any smarts he would cut taxes and re-form welfare just like Clinton did but Obama is not that bright.

[Speedydog]

Poor Michelle is such a ridiculous laughing stock. She has become star struck. She loves to hear the sound of her own voice, 'ad nauseum'. Her opinion matters naught, and is based on a very narrow-minded right wingnut point of view. When she was on Hardball, she intimated that the media should investigate all members of Congress for Communist affiliations or tendencies. Go Joe! What an air-head! Her religiosity has interferred with any common sence ability to make sound decisions that the are in the best interest of the public at large. I think that if we continue down the road of her kind of thinking that we will end up doomed. She would do well to shut her trap.

[jeffk]

"Act like a lady"? Isn't that the polite "shut up and take it"? Is that what democrats believe when a woman of a diverse political conscience states her opinion? Even if it doesn't agree with the "mans" opinion? Each day, the cudgel of "women's rights" used by democrats seems more and more of a tawdry artiface for politics.

[TMS]

Is this really what's become of our nation's leadership? I'm really beginning to wonder when we'll bottom out and start demanding that members of Congress act more mature than teenagers.

[Gia]

JeffK, you are spot on. Amazing!! Arlen Specter ought to be tossed out on his rear end for the spineless ill effective snake he is. What a nasty hack. How was Michelle Bachman NOT 'BEHAVING LIKE A LADY??' Who does this pigbrain think he is? Who was not behaving like a gentleman? Specter can't stand a smart female and it intimidated him. People might think Bachman is a little extreme but there are many many who don't or who can reasonbly think along the lines of: I agree with some things, not everything and we can still have decorum and show respect to one another. The reason why the left hate her and some of the right is that she makes them feel uncomfortable and talks about certain things others will not speak to.