Bachmann under fire from more Republicans

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and his wife Huma Abedin are pictured after a ceremonial swearing-in of the 112th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011.

/ AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Updated at 1:25 p.m. ET

(CBS News) Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann continues to draw fire for charging that a longtime aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has ties to Muslim extremists. The criticism is coming from Republican lawmakers like House Speaker John Boehner, as well as Democrats, and includes a scathing response from her own former presidential campaign chief, Ed Rollins.

Bachmann on Wednesday said she would not back down from accusations suggesting that Clinton's aide Huma Abedin could have ties to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and that the group is trying to infiltrate the U.S. government. Even as Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona took to the Senate floor to admonish the congresswoman, Bachmann said she will "not be silent as this administration appeases our enemies instead of telling the truth about the threats our country faces."

(McCain defends Clinton aide from "sinister" Bachmann attacks in video to left.)

The criticism stems from a letter Bachmann and four other Republican members of Congress sent to top intelligence and security officials last week questioning the Muslim Brotherhood's access to top Obama administration officials. Abedin -- who the Clintons have described as a like a daughter to them -- was singled out in the letter.

Asked Thursday whether he shares Bachmann's concerns about Abedin, House Speaker John Boehner told reporters that "accusations like this being thrown around are pretty dangerous."

In a column published on FoxNews.com Wednesday afternoon, Rollins called Bachmann's charges against Abedin "extreme and dishonest" and blasted her "reckless behavior."

"Having worked for Congressman Bachmann's campaign for president, I am fully aware that she sometimes has difficulty with her facts, but this is downright vicious and reaches the late Senator Joe McCarthy level," he wrote, referencing McCarthy's false charges from the 1950's that Communists and Soviet spies had infiltrated the State Department.

The State Department similarly called Bachmann's charges "vicious and disgusting lies."

Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, told CBS News that Bachmann's charges are reminiscent of McCarthyism. "This is the same exact thing, and our country has gone through a McCarthy period -- we cannot allow America to go through another one."

(In interview with CBS News Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes, Muslim Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) compares Bachmann to McCarthy.)

A few other Republicans have also spoken out against the charges.

GOP Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts wrote on Twitter, "Rep. Bachmann's accusations about Sec. Clinton aide Huma Abedin are out-of-line. This kind of rhetoric has no place in our public discourse."

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, meanwhile, told Politico the attacks were "ridiculous." Abedin, he said, "is about as far away from the Muslim Brotherhood view of women and ideology as you possibly could get. She's a very modern woman in every sense of the word, and people who say these things are really doing her a disservice because they don't know what they're talking about, and I don't know what their motivations are, but clearly it says more about them than it does her."

On Thursday morning on NPR's Diane Rehm show, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said, "I don't share the feelings that are in that letter. Obviously, every member of Congress has a right to express their opinion and every member of Congress is held accountable for their opinion, if they're right or if they're wrong... I'm very very careful and cautious about ever making accusations like that about anyone."

Abedin, 37, is deputy chief of staff to Clinton and has been one of her closest aides for nearly two decades. She was born in the U.S. and is of Pakistani descent and is married to former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Weiner, who resigned in disgrace last year, thanked McCain in an email Wednesday for speaking out, the Washington Post reports.

"My family and I are grateful to Senator McCain," Weiner said. "I think he spoke for many Americans in expressing his disgust for the charge against my wife."

[sandiegostate]

Bachmann is a pathological liar. There are no limits for this nut. It's time for her district to show her the door.

[thetruthwillout]

She has fallen out of the spotlight and obviously hit her head on the way down. The woman will do anything for attention. Just proves what a nutcase she really is.

[GSM12]

Are you talking about Pelosi?

[sandiegostate]

Pelosi is a braintrust compared to Bachmann. Should give you a clue.

[pestomystic]

As much as I would like to think that Bachmann is concerned that some might see a similarity between her ridiculous charges and what Joseph McCarthy did in the 1950's, I seriously doubt she even knows who Joseph McCarthy was.

[GSM12]

Who thought that the United States had 57 states? And let's not forget his mistaking Hawaii for India! That would be our current community organizer-in-chief! Hahahahahahahahaha

[kjs1955]

she is not the only one in the Republican Party that is doing this

[wackee]

Vote Bachmann for President.

[recarterjr]

Great story, CBS; this one's got legs! Betcha' can keep it going for another month or two. Now, will you outstanding, objective "journalists" investigate the targeting of Romney donor Frank Vandersloot by Obama's Labor Dept and IRS? Nawww--I didn't think so.

[BikerBob55]

No

[pestomystic]

The IRS targets tax cheats. What would a Romney donor possibly be doing cheating on his taxes? LOL.

[cntrygirl3]

This is a new high (low) in stupidity for this woman, whose passed idiocies are to say the least hard to top. She has never once apologized for any of the outrageous and untrue things she has said. Why does anyone think she will start now. This is what comes from signing all those pledges, I forgot without pledges how would she know what to do since she has obviously lost all capabilities of independent thought.

[Raptorsmasher]

What's just as amazing is her district elected her to office. What a bunch of morons they are.

[Shotz4Stupids]

Is anyone dumber than this crowd? Jesus, no wonder we call you sheep! How about we actually consider the facts? First off, your intrepid reporter has her facts entirely wrong (good lefty "reporting", and does her best to propogate a lie - that McCarthy did not expose Communists. The Admin was riddled with Communists, you idiots! There were no "false accusations", as Condon states. Hate to tell you, but is was your very own Demo-Thugs who exposed innocents - what else is new? You people deserve what you get - the Nanny State, PC Police, and the rest.

[halmayne]

Bachmann has ties with Louie (what planet are you from?) Gohmert which is having ties with an alien and of course she was all for having dual citizenship in Switzerland, hmm, could that make it easier for her to have a secret swiss bank account. Just saying.

[biggy_ww]

Wow, defending McCarthy in order to show support for the Republican party... that's, um, well, so ridiculous I can't even find the words to describe it.

[TimeToEvolve]

Do the Republicons now think that criticizing this brainless, wacko twit somehow clears them from their history of supporting brainless wacko twits?

Sorry I confused the wacko Bachmann with the wacko Failin' Palin. All of them together don't have as much knowledge as my cat.

[TimeToEvolve]

Can you imagine that this brainless nutcase imbecile was going to be VICE PRESIDENT? Do you remember the equally brainless Republicons fawning over this wacko? And they expect to be taken seriously by anyone in America? WOW!

[Ralph Spyer]

wait till Michele discover that the president in not a American citizen and he half black. He a communist he wants health care for everyone we can not afford a war every 5 years if America has to pay for health care. Jesus Christ would roll over in his grave if he new that Obama is tell Isreal not to start a war with in Iran untill George W Bush finds the W.M.Ds. What kind of name is Michele anyway? FRENCH ? Thank God Michele for Romney they can speak French together, they are ethically challenged together. In this day of age a politicians have to wear their christianity on their mouth,I hate people who are intolerant.

[fstopme]

Ralph, you need to go back to 1st grade and learn your grammar all over again. WOW! You have some catching up to do!

[TimeToEvolve]

Great, great post. This post just says it all, it crucifies the right wing wackos for all their twisted beliefs. It's great see this so well said, no wonder the wackos are offended: they resemble these remarks.