Bachmann: "Submissive" doesn't mean subservient

AMES, Iowa - Appearing on "Face the Nation" Sunday, Rep. Michele Bachmann stood by her comment in Thursday's Republican debate, insisting that when she said wives should be submissive to their husbands, she meant that married couples should have mutual respect.

In 2006, Bachmann said her husband had told her to get a post-doctorate degree in tax law. "Tax law? I hate taxes," she continued. "Why should I go into something like that? But the lord says, be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.'"

Asked about the comment by CBS News' Norah O'Donnell Sunday, Bachmann reaffirmed that to her, "submission means respect, mutual respect."

"I respect my husband, he respects me," she said. "We have been married 33 years, we have a great marriage...and respecting each other, listening to each other is what that means."

O'Donnell asked Bachmann if she would use a different word in retrospect.

"You know, I guess it depends on what word people are used to, but respect is really what it means," Bachmann replied.

"Do you think submissive means subservient?" O'Donnell asked.

"Not to us," Bachmann said. "To us it means respect. We respect each other, we listen to each other, we love each other and that is what it means."

Bachmann, fresh off a victory in the Iowa straw poll, was also asked about her newest rival for the GOP nomination, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and how her job creation record stacks up against Perry's record. Over the past two years, nearly half the jobs created in the United States were created in Texas.

Asked about her record on jobs, Bachamnn said, "Well, I am a job creator. I am a former tax attorney and I have a post-doctorate degree in tax, years in federal tax court."

O'Donnell asked how that amounts to job creation.

"Because I understand how high taxes destroy jobs, and then my husband and I also started our own successful company. We have created jobs and we -- as a job creator myself, I understand how difficult it is to actually make a profit in a business."

Bachmann also called for tax reform and the repeal of the federal health care law and vowed to get America's Triple-A credit rating back. Bachmann opposes again increasing the debt limit and says America should prioritizing paying its creditors as well as paying members of the military and entitlement obligations when the limit is reached.

"We will announce to the markets in no case will we default and pay our men and women in the military and make sure all senior citizens that are currently on entitlements get their checks," she said, adding that entitlements will eventually need to be reformed.

Bachmann was also asked about the controversial Newsweek cover of her which featured an unflattering photograph and the headline "the queen of rage," which Sarah Palin criticized in Iowa on Friday. Bachmann said she was focused on other matters.

"Quite honestly when you lose your Triple-A credit rating and when you lose 30 Americans in Afghanistan, a magazine cover is really the least of your problems," she said.

Shortly before Bachmann's appearance, one of Bachmann's rivals for the nomination, fellow Minnesotan Tim Pawlenty, announced he was dropping out of the race following a disappointing finish in the straw poll.

"I have great respect for the governor. I have known him for a long time and I thought he brought a very important voice to the race," Bachmann said. Asked if she was seeking Pawlenty's endorsement, Bachmann replied: "I look forward to talking to him. I -- hopefully I'll be calling him very soon."

In a statement shortly after the show, she said she had called Pawlenty.

"This morning I spoke with Governor Pawlenty to express my respect and admiration for him, and to wish him and his family well," said Bachmann. "Running for the presidency requires enormous self-sacrifice. Governor Pawlenty brought an important voice and ideas to the campaign, and he served the people of Minnesota and our country well. Our party and our country are better as a result of his service and commitment."

DNC chair: Texas economy no credit to Perry

[canislupus16]

Ordinarily I might say this is a distinction without a difference. But since "servile" is used to define submissive, there is no distinction and hence no difference.

But I like what she's smoking!

[Mr_radica]

Bachmann needs to put a used tampon in her mouth

[shedhouserob]

tea party financed by the Koch brothers- All for me and to hell with the country. Who said that.

[markag55]

When words and actions don't agree, there's something unscrupulous going on. Bachmann talks one way and walks another way. The same can be said for all the Republican candidates, except maybe Romney. In a very convoluted sense, when he says something, he walks that way. On the other hand, he'll say something almost diametrically opposed to what he HAD said, but he will walk that way. I guess it's an LDS tradition.

I've been married to a former "old family" member (distant relative of the Romneys, the Spilsurys, and step-relative of the Kimballs, of the LDS Church for 20 years, and this is the way they work.

[thadius5]

Just what America needs...an English lesson from a numb-skull!!!

[blazerino]

Yeah, it sounds like the good ole Christian spin to make the bible sound better than it is. So if submissive and respect are the same words, then Bachman's husband is submissive to her? Although, come to think of it, he looks and acts a bit like he's had some of his gay prayed away.

[daveclarsen]

This is a stupid redirection to hurt her political position. Someone should ask the same question of the men. Lets roll back history to Bill Clinton and ask him the question. I believe in Michelle Bachmann for the fact she came to the party with people who cared about America i.e. Tea Party no other candidate did this. All others tried to ignore the Tea Party. Tea Party is is a movement to restore America pride, restore solvency for future generations and make America the country everyone looks up to including our children. Tea Party are real believers in America. Rick Perry passes on debate and now wants to join the Tea Part, what? for sure he is not real, first a democrat, quick switch to republican now he wants to be Tea Party. As a Texan Rick Perry is not to be trusted.

[gbgentleman]

The problem is SHE thinks she should be submissive. She can't be the LEADER of our country and be submissive to ANYONE.

[elenenem72]

Well, then, perhaps you should look at her other answers. Being a tax attorney does not make you a "job creator". I see another Sarah Palin in the making - someone who cannot answer the questions and just goes in circles to make it look like she's answering. And, I'm not attacking her as a woman - if she were a male Republican who said the same thing, I'd be pointing it out too.
And, I think it's pretty scary that people believe that Tea Partiers are the "Real Believers" in America - who do they represent?? Not normal middle, lower class people. I find it interesting that the Tea Party and the Republican Party would follow the lead of a straw poll in Iowa, voted on by people who can afford to throw away 30 dollars . . . I'll step down off my soap box now.

[dennisall77]

If she says submissive means respect, she has a different dictionary than the rest of it. So, her hubby "respects" her too? Where in the Bible does it say that the husband should be submissive to the wife? LMAO Doubt anyone can find anything in the Bible where men are not totally in charge... except maybe where Mary says to Joseph, "Baby, I know we ain't had sex yet, but I'm pregnant. Darndest thing, doncha think?"

[Mr_radica]

she smokes used tampons

[chris_pa]

I'm still on the fence about how I feel towards any of these GOP candidates, I feel that there really has not been enough debate on the issues to really have an informed opinion, after all the debate has really just begun. So I guess it is no surprise that the media is searching for their own "talking points" to make news for people to read. Unfortunately, this particular talking point is easily sensational.

Focusing on what this woman's religious views are is the least of anyone's worries. We should be focusing on the top issues - debt limits, out of control spending, job creation, credit ratings, energy independence, fixing the housing market, re-affirming our place as a world super power, re-evaluating our foreign policy, ending our wars/conflicts, etc.

I find it interesting that many people who voted for Obama so easily looked past the fact that he was a member of a very radical church that preached hate, among other controversial topics. If one can look past that, then what makes Bachmann or any other candidate different? Is it because they are a GOP candidate? What about the Clinton's? They are supposedly religious people, why don't we have a problem with them?

Let's face it, we all have our own views on religion - that's never going to change. What's more is there will never be a perfect candidate that will be in agreement with everyone. Religion is an important issue, but right now it is not the most important one. We should be evaluating the potential candidates according to who is most fit to lead us from an economic stand point. That is what is most important.

[aldrich617]

Ain't hard to predict who wears the pants in her relationship.
Most likely Michele drives her husband around like a remote-controlled zombie.