I'm Siding with Bachmann

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm siding with Michele Bachmann.

Yes, my politics are polar opposite from hers. I don't think she's at all qualified to be President of the United States, nor would I ever cast my vote for her in any election.

But when it comes to standing up for her after the recent Late Night with Jimmy Fallon debacle, I'm right there to do so.

Bachmann was a guest on Fallon's show, in a classic candidate's effort to show a human, funny side. It's a move right out of the national politician's playbook ever since it worked so well for Bill Clinton the first time he ran for President and famously appeared on Arsenio Hall's nighttime talker.

Bachmann's appearance on Fallon's guest couch, however, seemed an unusual fit. As she strode out onstage, his audience fell uncharacteristically silent as no one applauded her entrance. The hush was deafening, and it made the band's intro song seem that much louder.

Candidate Bachmann made an attempt at humorous banter with the host, but there wasn't much in the conversation to make it newsworthy, in the way that Herman Cain's guest spot on David Letterman's show three days earlier created bigger news.

Instead, what made waves about Bachmann's visit was the band's song choice. Fallon's house band, The Roots, played an 80s Fishbone song called "Lyin' Ass B*tch" to punctuate Bachmann's walk onstage. And news of the musical insult spread quickly, thanks to band leader Questlove tweeting his self-described 'snarky' song selection:

"aight late night walkon song devotees: you love it when we snark: this next one takes the cake. ask around cause i aint tweeting title."

Bachmann's campaign was understandably upset, and their frustrations grew over the week as apologies from Fallon and NBC management fell short of expectations. The candidate herself spoke out about how she felt the apology was insufficient and served only to further the band's disrespect, even though she grudgingly accepted their remorse.

Having worked in television and media for many years, I have to say the episode paints a black eye squarely on the show and the network. There's a difference between network television and fringe cable, and while I disagree wholeheartedly with Bachmann's positions and ideology, she is a presidential candidate, and due according respect, especially from a network show.

I have to agree with the point she made: If the same song had been played for Michelle Obama or Hilary Clinton, the outcry from supporters on the left (including me) would have been loud. I certainly don't believe there is liberal bias in the media. However, I have to agree with Bachmann that in this case NBC should have imposed harsher repercussions on the band -- perhaps even dismissal -- and been stronger in their position of culpability and remorse.

I say that as a woman who doesn't think any woman aspiring to leadership -- regardless of her politics -- should be disparaged as a b*itch, let alone when she's an invited guest on your program. You're the bandleader who disagrees with her politics? Fine, sit out that night's show, or tweet to your heart's content, but don't embarrass her with pejoratives and name calling in code during a show that's ostensibly apolitical. It's not like this was Rachel Maddow's cable show, after all.

In case you think this is a free speech issue, I disagree. I'm all for the band's right to say what they feel about Bachmann the candidate, and they can disagree with her beliefs and political positions -- just as I do as well. They should have just picked a more appropriate way to do so.

For anyone who might say I'm a free speech critic, I'm going to respond with the recent story about Kansas high schooler Emma Sullivan. The teenager recently made news when she made a disparaging tweet about her state's GOP Governor Sam Brownback, who was speaking to a group of students -- including Sullivan -- at a Youth in Government program.

Reportedly upset over Brownback's cuts to arts funding, Sullivan tweeted "Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot." After Brownback's staff got upset, the principal of Sullivan's school demanded the 18-year-old apologize in writing, but Sullivan refused.

On that, I agree: I think no apology is necessary there.

Twitter is a platform for such social commentary and expression of personal belief, for better or worse. While the forum doesn't necessarily lend itself to easy expression of substantive content, and Sullivan might have made a better argument of her case for disagreement with the Governor than just "he sucked," she's entitled to her opinion -- and her right to do so without being told to take it back.

In this case, there was no 'snarky' setup and Sullivan wasn't one of the officials hosting the Governor and then poking fun at him with subterfuge. And while she didn't actually do what she said in her tweet, she has every right to express her opinion.

Late Monday, it seems, even the Governor of Kansas agreed, by apologizing to Sullivan instead, for what he called his staff's overreaction to the incident.

For the record, I fully defend and support the First Amendment. And for Emma Sullivan, it was a clear case of her right to free speech. But for Michele Bachmann, in contrast, there was no justifying or excusing what The Roots did to her -- and by default, what NBC and Jimmy Fallon allowed to happen.