Hillary Clinton denounces Bachmann Muslim charges

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace July 30, 2012 in Washington, D.C.

/ Win McNamee

(CBS News) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday defended charges from Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and other congressional Republicans that her aide, Huma Abedin, is tied to Muslim extremists, saying those accusations "really have no place in our politics."

After a speech on international religious freedom at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., Clinton was asked about "Islamophobia" in the United States and whether she had "any comments about this recent activity in Congress targeting one of your own aides."

"Leaders have to be active in stepping in and sending messages about protecting the diversity within their countries," Clinton said. "And frankly, I don't see enough of that, and I want to see more of it. I want to see more of it, and we did see some of that in our own country. We saw Republicans stepping up and standing up against the kind of assaults that really have no place in our politics."

The controversy stems from a letter Bachmann and four other Republican members of Congress sent to top intelligence and security officials earlier this month 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.

Shortly after the letter was sent, Republicans jumped to Abedin's defense, including House Speaker John Boehner and Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Scott Brown, R-Mass.

McCain said Bachmann's allegations "rest solely on a few unspecified and unsubstantiated associations of members of Huma's family," and criticized the letter for neglecting to offer "not one instance of an action, a decision or a public position that Huma has taken while at the State Department or as a member of then-Sen. Clinton's staff that would lend credence to the charge that she is promoting anti-American activities within our government."

"These attacks on Huma have no logic, no basis and no merit. And they need to stop now," McCain said.

[NinthSt78]

I enjoy the "All In the Family" re-runs more than the diversity channel.

[FastFuriousConspiracy]

Michele Bachmann is way better looking than Hillary, that is the real reason Hillary hates Bachmann.

Hillary will never be as good as Bill when it comes to politics. Diplomacy is keeping your own culture on a pedastal while being sublimely courteous and cognizant of other cultures. Hillary is incognizant of what a true American like Michele Bachmann represents.

Bachmann appreciates other cultures, she just protects her right (and ours) to select to live by our own values and not by other peoples values that do not suit our best interest.

Hillary is an unlovely person and misses the mark. Its not Abedin that is the problem here. It those who think American culture is not worth defending.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

In other words, she (Bachmann) marches to her own drummer.

[sandy 1027]

Hillary Clinton,John Boehner, John McCain,Lindsey Graham,Marco Rubio, Scott Brown,and all who really love this country, and what it stands for, ARE standing up for American culture , and its virtues, in defending Ms. Abedin.

[ObamaBlackRobinHood]

Hillary, just shut up. You only have one job and that is to keep track of your skirt chaser old man. He's probably still cheating on you. You're just TOO stupid to know it.

[Merkini]

Seriously conservatives, it will be sewage jockey's like Bachmann that will lose this election for you. You need to extract the mentally ill from your party to be taken seriously.

[occupy_cbs]

Yep, socialist bachmann, that gets tons of government money, is a complete disgrace to each and everyone of her constituents with her bigoted comments.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

No, the one that could not make up her mind for years as to which country she wanted to be a citizen of.

[liberalmike]

Bachman is another doofus teabagger that somehow got elected to office?
This women is an idiot!

[nearl451]

Steve Sack's editorial cartoon was priceless....

http://www.gocomics.com/stevesack/2012/07/25

[stormerF69]

SO we are suppose to take the word of a liar? Hillary lied about where her name came from,Hillary lied about recieving a letter from NASA,hillary lied about dodging sniper fire. So without vetting her aide she does not really know if Huma is connected to Radical Islamic Muslems or not.

[retmw1]

In the first place bachmann is not the NSA which does background checks for security clearances, for the military and high ranking government officials. Now if the NSA cleared this woman, Hillary isn't lying and bachmann is. I know that's hard for a far rightwinger to understand.