WaPo Editor Tells Keith Olbermann 'Michele Bachman Has a History of Saying Crazy-Ass Things'
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and Washington Post associate editor Eugene Robinson said on national television Thursday that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has a history of saying "crazy-ass things."
After doing so on MSNBC's "Countdown," Robinson was offered $100 by Keith Olbermann if he would title his next article using exactly those words (video follows with transcript and commentary):
KEITH OLBERMANN, HOST: And lastly, and I shudder to raise this topic. Mr. Boehner has put Michele Bachmann on the intelligence committee? Your turn.
EUGENE ROBINSON: Yes. OK. Look, here are the two basic problems with this. Number one, Michele Bachmann has a history of saying crazy things, crazy-ass things, let me just say it.
And so, people may be inclined to take the crazy things she says about foreign policy more seriously because they`ll say, well, gee, is this something she learned, a secret from the intelligence committee? So, that is troublesome if -- you know, if world leaders, even Kim Jong-il is listening to what she has to say about North Korea and thinking, gee, maybe that`s from the intelligence committee. Now, that`s one problem.
The other problem is, you know, they actually learned secrets on the intelligence committee. You want Michele Bachmann as a guardian of our nation`s most precious secrets? I don`t.
OLBERMANN: I`ll pay you $100 if you can convince the headline writers at "The Post" to title the next one of your columns, "Michele Bachmann has a history of saying crazy-ass things." It`s got to be in the headline.
ROBINSON: A hundred bucks?
OLBERMANN: Hundred bucks.
ROBINSON: OK. I don`t know if it`ll be in the next column, but we`ll see -- give me a month.
OLBERMANN: All right. Or 100 bucks to you or $1,000 to charity, your choice.
ROBINSON: There you go.
OLBERMANN: Gene Robinson of "The Washington Post" and MSNBC -- as always, great thanks.
ROBINSON: Good to talk to you, Keith.
Makes you wonder if Robinson would get another Pulitzer Prize if the Post agrees to this.
(H/T Real Clear Politics)