Newsbusters Criticizes Left for Bachmann Jokes. . .So THEY Can Joke About it.

Michele Bachmann, being goosed by an overcompensating
Marcus Bachmann.

There's an old trick people use in order to talk about something they think they shouldn't. There are lots of ways to do it. You can say, "Now I'm not saying. . ." and then say the thing you're (cough) not saying. You can say, "Now, I'm just telling you what somebody told me. . ." to deflect the blame. You can act all upset about the topic, and then pass on all the horrible things that were said.

Newsbusters, the "liberal media" watchdog, often employs this tactic, but not usually with such transparency. Over the last three weeks, the media has begun to pick up on something that gay liberals have noticed for a lot longer: Michele Bachmann's husband seems really gay. In addition, "Dr." (a dubious title) Bachmann runs a "Christian" therapy clinic, and it has been shown that the clinic practices the quackery known as "reparative therapy." You know, praying away the gay. Add to this the fact that the clinic takes Medicare money (though it is unclear whether they got it for reparative therapy), and that the Bachmanns have been sketchy with the facts on all of the above (among other things). Finally, Mrs. Bachmann has been an avid--one might say curiously focused--anti-gay crusader.

I'll continue to think it's funny, no matter what Newsbusters thinks.

So, when the media started to put this together, they went for the laugh. Which is fine, I have too. It's freaking funny, and the jokes write themselves. It's all about hypocrisy, the lying and the possible closeted-ness of Mrs. Anti-gay's husband. Also, we've been through this dance before with Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, George Rekers and countless others. But being devoid of nuance, irony-deficient and humor-free, ultra conservatives like Newsbusters can't figure out how liberals could come down on the gay.

I couldn't possibly explain it to them. But I can point out that they're trying to have their cake and eat it too with the excerpted article below. In it, they recap in glorious detail many of the good jokes by several famous people. And per usual, they take a joke that Cher tweeted, and act as though she actually wants to murder Marcus Bachmann. They're wallowing in the fun-ness of the topic, while simultaneously tsk-tsking over it.

Just so you know: I'm gay. But I'm not Marcus Bachmann gay. He'd belong in the revered pantheon inhabited by Rip Taylor, the late, great Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly. . .if he weren't a despicable (probable) closet case, and quack.

[Excerpt]

Liberal Celebrities, Radio Hosts Make Baseless Jokes and Accusations That Marcus Bachmann Is Gayer Than Richard Simmons
The gay blog On Top reported that “comedian” Janeane Garofalo is the latest in a string of celebrities and activists suggesting Michele Bachmann’s therapist husband Marcus must be gay, including Cher, Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, and sex columnist/”It Gets Better” bully Dan Savage. Cher even said she wanted to strangle him. . .

Read more at: Newsbusters