Betty McCollum has got to be shaking her head in disbelief

[woo me with science]

4th District Congressional Race
Patrice Bataglia, her Repub. opponent to the 4th District Congressional race, called in yesterday to the am1500 KSTP Ron and Mark show. Yes, KSTP is right wing radio, but Ron Rosenbaum is worth listening to, and their show is about the most balanced on the station (unless you count Mischke!).

Ron is an attorney, and he simply asked her basic interview questions. She HUNG herself. She said her primary campaign issue is the war on terror. Then she stated 1) that biological weapons are not weapons of mass destruction, 2)Saddam used biological weapons on his people, and 3) Saddam used biological weapons on American troops.

Ron was stunned. He started asking her to clarify, and there was dead air, because she clearly DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT. She mumbled and there was silence, and she mixed up references to this war and the Gulf War. After she went off the air, the hosts were dumbstruck by what she had said.

Anyway...the performance was so embarrassing that she asked to come back on the show today to clarify her responses. She came back with rehearsed talking points and denied having misspoke. When Ron suggested they replay the tape to see what she'd said, there was DEAD AIR. It was the most embarrassing 15 minutes of radio I've ever heard. It was followed by a string of right-wing callers saying they wouldn't vote for Betty McCollum but they COULDN'T vote for Patrice. The segment closed with Ron and Mark discussing how "SCARY" it is that people RUNNING FOR CONGRESS can be absolutely ignorant of recent history and the issue THEY IDENTIFY AS THEIR PRIMARY CAMPAIGN ISSUE.

I see some ads coming. LOL

[Parche]

1. WMD

Weapons of Mass Deception are not biological, as they can be dispursed easily
A Nuclar device is a Weapon of Mass Deception
So she just put her ignorant foot in her mouth and said what we
all thought and knew.
Saddam never had a Nuclar device, so he never had WMD

[Dickie Flatt]

2. Audio? Anyone? [n/t]

[woo me with science]

4. transcript is being posted

They are posting a transcript of the interview on the am1500.com website (probably at the Ron and Mark page). The audio would be even better, with all those 20-second pauses.

[bucknaked]

3. I heard today's debacle...

HILARIOUS!

I was almost embarrassed for her!

BTW, the best part of her claim that Saddam used biological agents (which don't rise to the level of WMD according to Bataglia) on US troops, is that she said it happened during the Iran/Iraq war!

Unbelieveabe!

The DFL has to use this in every future campaign (whether it's for state, or federal office) to show the caliber of what the GOP considers fit for federal office (let alone, dog catcher).

[woo me with science]

5. thanks for clarifying that...

i missed that part of the initial interview, and when they said she mixed up the wars, i thought they were referring to the Gulf war.

[woo me with science]

6. Ron and Mark talking about the interview now (Thurs a.m.)

They are still in utter dismay.

[Carolab]

7. EVEN WORSE

Patrice Bataglia DOESN'T EVEN LIVE IN THE SAME COUNTY!!! She lives in DAKOTA COUNTY, NOT RAMSEY COUNTY, and she has NO BUSINESS running against Betty anyhow!

Betty is INCREDIBLE. There is NO better representative. She answers ALL the letters I send her and she is ALWAYS on the right side of every issue and TOTALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE!!!

PLUS she is my neighbor!

[Deja Q]

8. She's also for a new stadium. Has been for years... and

She's a DINO, IMHO, unless she's done something I'm not aware of.

I'm not cold on her. But not so hot on her either.

I wonder how this will reflect on the other Dems running for office.