Michele Bachmann Addresses 'Marriage Vow' Pledge, Slavery (VIDEO)

During an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity" on Tuesday night, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann discussed her decision to sign a controversial pledge introduced by the Family Leader, a conservative Iowa-based group, last week.

Supporting the "The Marriage Vow - A Declaration of Dependence Upon Marriage and Family" means standing behind a "federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which protects the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman." It also entails backing a crackdown on pornography.

Bachmann and rival GOP candidate Rick Santorum recently found themselves facing scrutiny over a section of the pledge invoking slavery that has since been removed from the document. Here's an excerpt of the text in question:

Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA's first African-American President.

Speaking on Fox News Bachmann said, "That statement was not on a document that I signed." She added, "Apparently, the group had a statement about that in another part that they've now since removed and gotten rid of and disavowed. I just want to make it absolutely clear, I abhor slavery. Slavery was a terrible part of our nation's history. It is good that we no longer have slavery. And under no circumstances would any child be better off growing up under slavery that that isn't what I signed. That isn't what I believe."

WATCH:

Comments

[notsostimulated]

07:51 AM on 07/29/2011

Welcome to the Obama campaign 2012, " Republicans hate African Americans. " Gone are hope and change. Instead the DNC will use fear and hate to re-elect their candidate. Will the African American community see throughout this despicable strategy?

[LangstonA]

10:03 PM on 07/14/2011

What I would like to see addressed is the inaccuracy of the statement Bauchman originally signed. I believe that a lot (not all) of these conservative Christian groups are anti-science and anti-empirical evidence.

I say with confidence that I'm sure credible historians have poured over census data from the antebellum South and have written studies which show that a Black child was NOT more likely to be raised by both parents (which is a funny statement on it's face when you consider that one of the biological parents was most likely the slave master who took sexual advantage of the slave woman. But in these Conservative Christian groups it does not surprise me that wielding unquestionable, absolute authority, with violence and terror over a child by his White slave-master father is considered being "raised". That IS these people's idea of a "strong father".)

I wish someone would speak to the fact that some of these conservative Christian groups just pull "truths"out of thin air or out of studies that are not considered credible by the majority of the scientific community. I don't want the retort to these people to be common sensical because common sense is not so common these days. I want the retort to be fact and science based. Quote census data, quote peer reviewed studies.

[35Bravo]

02:55 PM on 09/04/2011

What? you mean blind "faith" doesn't trump scientifically proven FACTS?

[Cam Brunner]

09:50 PM on 07/14/2011

Michele Bachmann and her husband are both very far out. Not good for the U.S. She is running on her own “gay agenda” platform. We are closing schools, laying people off. Family’s are being foreclosed on and being put out in the streets. And all this Republican running for President and her husband can do is talk about is “praying away the gay”. It is a good money maker for her, but we have bigger things to do, and I am hopping God has to. If you or your church has the gay agenda on your mind, all the time you may need to set down and talk with someone. We need to start looking at what is best for the country. Not our own religion’s views.

[Seven Teenatheart]

09:26 PM on 07/14/2011

"The only foes that threaten America are the enemies at home, and these are ignorance, superstition and incompetence."
Elbert Hubbard

Mrs. Bachman appears to embody all of these.

[Seven Teenatheart]

09:21 PM on 07/14/2011

"A liar should have a good memory."
Quintilian, De Institutione Oratoria

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/08/michele-bachmann-rick-san_n_893523.html
This was the original version....

[brokerallen]

02:26 PM on 07/14/2011

Bachmann is just another Republican pledging her allegiance to a special interest group instead of to her country or her constituents.

[WolfWytch]

01:56 PM on 07/14/2011

Bachmann is the sort of white person who loves black people!

She'd own half a dozen if she could get away with it, she loves them so much!

Makes me ashamed of the colour I was born :((

[Goethe44]

02:42 PM on 07/14/2011

Does being ashamed of the color you were born give you your "I'm a good white person" certification now? I thought voting for Barrack was supposed to do that.

It's not the color of your skin that makes you ashamed, it's something much deeper that makes you say such things (and do such things, such as voting for the least experienced/accomplished man to be nominated for the Presidency). This is the case for many people as they use such easy means to prove they're "okay" in the eyes of others.

Before you use the 'Bush had experience' argument about experience not working-out for him, understand that experience doesn't ENSURE success, but it is a REQUIREMENT to have a CHANCE at success. Barrack Obama is the perfect example of how this plays out in important positions.

Also, I can't stand Bachmann either, but someone else's ridiculous actions/words, won't give you "validation" by using their comments by pointing them out with empty statements like "I'm ashamed of my color" to gain validation. You can't truly create something (your validation), out of nothing (ridiculous comments). That would be.......ridiculous.

[WolfWytch]

04:35 PM on 07/14/2011

I beg your pardon? I would never vote for someone lacking experience. I did not vote for Bush, so I ask you not to put your interpretation of my statement into my voting record. I did n't vote for McCain either... and according to your apparent statements-- he has experience!

By saying I was ashamed her whiteness, and my whiteness, I took responsibility for the white-privilege that makes people pretend her actions and statements are ok. Every time someone says or does the things she does, without thinking about the meanings thereof, they are a recipient of that privilge and it is shameful! It is just the same sort of "shameful" to treat people as less because you think you are better, something she, and other xians and GOP members do.

I am not better, no one is. We're all in this messy world together. Hence my shame at her behaviour. Something that seems a little difficult to understand. If that was the case, I am sorry I didn't spell it out better.

[35Bravo]

02:58 PM on 09/04/2011

President Obama has more experience than Lincoln did when he took office. Look it up, this is FACTUAL. Tell me now, did that make Lincoln unsuccessful? Be slow to speak, quick to listen

[ywcachieve]

09:49 AM on 07/14/2011

She knows she will never win, but this gives her a national stage to degrade, mock, insult, clown, and try to tear down our president. Something she has been itching to do since Nov. of 2008.

She is an evi| shrew. And a known bigot.

[Derrick Hopkins]

09:15 AM on 07/14/2011

Congresswoman's Bachmanns statements are vacous rhetoric - she is like a teabag; she has a lot of holes through which the hot air can pass.

[redsongia]

08:47 AM on 07/14/2011

Black people were better off as slaves. More overt racism from the teavangelicals. Anyone surprised?

[ywcachieve]

09:50 AM on 07/14/2011

''''More overt racism from the teavangeli­cals.''''

Yep

[JohnBryansFontaine]

07:57 AM on 07/14/2011

Bachmann's inexperience

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/07/michele-bachmann

[Goethe44]

02:56 PM on 07/14/2011

Yep. I won't vote for her with this as reason #1, including about 10 other reasons.

Experience doesn't ENSURE success, but in some jobs, such as being the PRESIDENT, it's required to even have a CHANCE at success.

Same thing for Barrack, the least experienced/accomplished person ever elected. We're paying for it DEARLY right now.

[35Bravo]

03:00 PM on 09/04/2011

Here you go again spreading your opinion as fact. Have you even researched your POV? President Lincoln had very little experience: less that Obama. Get your facts, I mean lies strait

[mdmccormick]

07:21 AM on 07/14/2011

Please accept my integrity.......I'm sure not going to be using it!

[Frank Cataldi]

05:50 AM on 07/14/2011

This is a non issue. What about talking about the jobs which the Republicans promised in 2010.

[1differentdrummer]

05:36 AM on 07/14/2011

Who cares? Why give her publicity?

[Bathat]

04:33 AM on 07/14/2011

"Marriage is the fundamental unit of government." What the heck does that mean? I can't make any sense out of that.