Mike Pence: Christine O'Donnell Has 'An Obligation To Explain' Witchcraft Comments (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON — The No. 3 man in the House Republican leadership is brushing aside a negative report on tea party upstart Christine O'Donnell as part of pre-election "silly season."

Rep. Mike Pence tells ABC's "Good Morning America" any verdict on O'Donnell's fitness to serve in the Senate is "up to the voters of Delaware to decide," but that the newly minted Senate candidate "has an obligation to explain those public statements." The Indiana Republican says there's a welling up of anger and a demand for political leaders who will "put our fiscal house in order."

He spoke about a decade-old television clip of O'Donnell, who said she once "dabbled into witchcraft." Pence says the election is more about the message than the messenger. He won a presidential straw vote among social conservatives over the weekend.

WATCH:

Comments

[Max Newton]

04:58 PM on 09/21/2010

She was only using witchcraft to get the hair off the palms of her hands.

[Omentum]

01:42 PM on 09/21/2010

This just in.....

On live television Mike Pence mysteriously turned into a toad.

hmmm.

[EricArthurBlair]

01:13 PM on 09/21/2010

I'm surprised at the number of people who cannot distinguish "altar" from "alter".

Witches do not believe in the existence of Satan and they do not perform blood sacrifices. Maybe the blood she claims to have seen was because she forgot her maxipad.

[jeremyfive]

01:06 PM on 09/21/2010

Ooooh, Mike Pence is just asking for a hex and a whammy! Abracadabra!

[BLACKMANVISION]

01:02 PM on 09/21/2010

wondering if she ate on the Satanic alter, what esle did she do on that alter.

[LonosCurse]

12:42 PM on 09/21/2010

Mike, you have a lot of splaining to do yourself.

[Nelle]

12:38 PM on 09/21/2010

Abra, Abracadabra...She's gonna reach out and grab ya!

[shrinktalkingheads]

12:37 PM on 09/21/2010

Half a million column inches on Obama and reverend White.

Christine O'Donnell and witchcraft? Pence says the election is more about the message than the messenger.

Hypocrisy? What hypocrisy?

[apiazza]

11:47 AM on 09/21/2010

Here is my play from the GOP playbook.

Let's ask her to explain it. Then after she explains it, we keep asking her, as if she hadn't explained it all or not well enough. This will keep the issue alive and the Republicans and Tea Party people on the defensive. Not to mention it will keep the candidate 'off-message'.

[PinkOne]

11:37 AM on 09/21/2010

find it completely fascinating President Obama, who was raised a christian by his single American mother in the united states of American, falls suspect because his father is Kenyan, but, Sarah Palin who was "anointed an Apostle", by a Keyan Witch Prayer Warrior on the Alter of the Wasilla Assembly of God, gets FREE PASS from the Lame Stream Media! What do you think of Sarah Palin's Keyan Prayer Warrior worldview, Newt? Talk about the "best Con" on the American People! http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/12841-to-sarah-palin-and-the-new-apostolic-reformation-.html

- the real question is -

Is Sarah Palin's Keyan witch prayer warrior part of the same church that Chrisine O'Donnell belong too?

And, how is this christian Prayor warrior the same or different from the teachings of Christianity taught by Rev. Wright?

[dax49]

10:11 AM on 09/21/2010

he sure didn't waste any time getting on the public stage- this country might be doing better if these politicians actually stayed in Washington long enough to do the job they are PAID TO DO- instead of constantly chasing a photo op. who does he think he is john mccain?

[SpinDizzy]

09:15 AM on 09/21/2010

O'Donnell's involvement in witchcraft is the fault of the Democrats because, well, because everything is the fault of the Democrats. Right?

[reck111]

01:30 PM on 09/21/2010

It was Bush's fault.

[Jimbo24]

08:49 AM on 09/21/2010

Hillary Clinton had seance's in the White house to communicate with the dead as an adult, in the WHITE HOUSE. I really don't think dems. want to go down the witchcraft road, it won't end well for them especially when they are critizising someone for trying something dumb in high-school, something that is highly relatable to the common man and will likely endear Odonnell to the public more than anything if handled properly. This is why Dems. are going down in flames, they refuse to run on the issues, because they don't have any winning ones.

[dax49]

10:12 AM on 09/21/2010

been listening to ru$h again, have you?

[XenoMAX]

11:01 AM on 09/21/2010

Where do you come up with your facts? Oh, right - Republican. No need for facts.

[SoccerNana]

11:58 AM on 09/21/2010

Yep, 'cause they don't like facts. LOL!

[Jimbo24]

12:34 PM on 09/22/2010

Hey don't blame the messanger, look it up yourself and see how wrong you are. I accept your apology in advance. :)

[Norma Perrin]

08:43 AM on 09/21/2010

I cringe to think what the teapartiers would say had Obama dabbled in witchcraft! Would they dismiss it as a highschool discretion? I think not.

[gumbo1049]

08:18 AM on 09/21/2010

And Pence must explain why he wasn't treated for his mental delusions.

[dax49]

10:13 AM on 09/21/2010

and why he isn't in Washington doing his job