Michele Bachmann: Obama 'Waving A Tar Baby In The Air' With Oil Speculation Proposal

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) attacked President Barack Obama's proposal to curb oil speculation amid high energy prices as "waving a tar baby in the air."

"This is just about waving a tar baby in the air and saying that something else is a problem," said Bachmann in an interview with the conservative blog The Shark Tank. "I have never seen a more irresponsible president who is infantile in the way that he continually blames everyone else for his failure to first diagnose the problem and second to address the problem."

"Tar baby," coming from the doll made of tar trapping Br'er Rabbit in an Uncle Remus story, is defined as "something from which it is nearly impossible to extricate oneself" but also has been defined as a derogatory term for African-Americans.

The term has sparked controversy in the past.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) apologized to Obama in 2011 for saying that being associated with his policies would be like "touching a tar baby."

More distantly, then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) apologized, via a spokesman, for using the term to describe Boston's much-maligned Big Dig highway project.

Comments

[dhines9677]

11:04 AM on 11/18/2012

Racist woman indeed.

[santimateo]

12:50 AM on 11/18/2012

ARROGANT

[El Rondo]

03:13 AM on 05/11/2012

Can liars like Bachmann be sued?

[gooftroop]

07:16 AM on 05/10/2012

Chuckles, smirks, and maybe even a covert low-five or two among MB's lip-loaders. Transparent, and obvious.

[Genders]

11:07 PM on 04/24/2012

Glad to see she has finally embraced African culture....

[Political Piggy]

01:35 PM on 04/23/2012

So, let's say that Ms. Bachmann was not insinuating anything racial - afterall, there are absolutely no racists in the Republican Tea Party...or so the Republican Tea Party louldy insists everytime one of them does something vaguely racist.

Racism aside then, given that a "tar baby" is a trap one can't get out of, how would pointing out that oil commodity specualtors drive up the price of a barrel of oil - which they do - how is this a "tar baby"?

[Genders]

11:08 PM on 04/24/2012

Don't mess with the banksters, they own us.

[melizer]

09:16 PM on 05/24/2012

I know, she doesn't even know what the phrase means. It seems like she means "causing a diversion".

[Mike Block]

09:56 AM on 04/23/2012

Why am I reading an article about this woman? I thought she followed "Pogs" into obscurity. : P

[Zingerrr]

11:08 AM on 04/22/2012

I think 'tar baby' should be formally released by black leaders into English again. It is such a useful term. How else can you so easily describe...well...hmmm...a tar baby!!!!??? There is no other phrase to describe it!!!

[OAyah]

09:52 AM on 04/22/2012

Ignorance has no bounds!?

[powermfm]

07:19 AM on 04/22/2012

I never thought I would ever say this "publicly", but WTF?? is wrong with this woman! She sounds like the spiritual sister of every racist in our history. What is even more insulting is pleading ignorance of the meaning of this term. Forget her!

[AreYouStupid]

08:18 PM on 04/21/2012

(Covering face) Why? Sometimes I wish I had the power like that little kid on the movie Twilight Zone, where he made this critical sister's mouth vanish. I would use it wisely.

[blitzen]

06:02 PM on 04/21/2012

Michelle please go home and be quiet you are 1 no 1/2 of a step above Sarah. Women have fought to hard to be led by such a stupid comment. You knew what you were saying your GOTea's got it. You are just sad.... I'm really surprised that your husband hasn't taught you about the cruel things people can say about being different.

[juliet marilynne]

01:42 AM on 04/24/2012

marcus is getting around to that as soon as he teaches her how to coordinate an outfit.

yes.... yes i DID go there. 8D

[cautious optimist]

06:00 PM on 04/21/2012

They all plead "ignorance" until they think that the mic is turned off...

[Harrison Roberts]

03:14 PM on 04/21/2012

Pres. Obamas press secretary said that perhaps Mitt Romney's camp was being too touchy if they think the Presidents silver spoon comment was about Romney. She obviously was refering to "oil" so perhaps blacks too are being too touchy.

[AreYouStupid]

08:21 PM on 04/21/2012

No really? Touchy nah. I wonder if Al Dull-ton or Jesse Pimpson have commented yet.

[kiddlekaddle]

02:52 PM on 04/21/2012

who care's. words or statements should not be racist anymore. lets make the word racist a thing of the past. its used way to liberally now. lets just get on with living our lives. there is good and bad in everything and everone. start learning how to forgive.