Fear and Self-loathing in Ames

Don Lemon, the CNN weekend anchor, is probably one of the best, most professional anchors on cable news.  He recently came out on TV during a segment on child sexual assault and has since written a book called “Transparent”. It’s pretty brave to discuss your experiences as the victim of child sexual abuse and even braver to come out as a gay man when you’re a major media figure and a black man.  I’ve always been partial to him because of his connections to Louisiana. He’s from Port Allen. You only have to watch his newscasts to realize exactly how nice the award-winning news anchor can be to the people he interviews. He’s one of the most empathetic interviewers I’ve ever watched.  He’s definitely become a great role model for young blacks and  gay men. So, I just read this headline and find the behavior of pray-the-gay-away-therapy-pushing, mail-order-degree-bearing, closet-case Marcus Bachmann beyond offense. Only some one filled with a lot of self-hate could be mean to Don Lemon.

CNN anchor Don Lemon reports that members of the campaign team for Rep. Michele Bachmann including her husband Marcus Bachmann shoved him after an event for the candidate in Des Moines on Friday.

According to CNN, Lemon and another reporter from the network were among a ring of press and supporters that surrounded Bachmann after she spoke briefly at the Iowa State Fair and tried to make her way to a drive cart to exit.

“As both CNN staffers tried to question Bachmann, Lemon said he was pushed by two members of Bachmann’s staff,” reports CNN. “Lemon also said that Marcus Bachmann, the congresswoman’s husband, pushed him.”

As the clip below indicates, the openly gay anchor tried to ask Bachmann respectful questions about her debate performance on Thursday and her expectations for the Ames Straw Poll that takes place today.

Lemon said afterward, “I told them, asked them not to elbow me. And then her husband Marcus started doing the same thing. And then he elbowed me into the cart. And I said, ‘You just pushed me into the cart.’ And he goes, ‘No, you did it yourself.’”

I really think that Bachmann’s self loathing and fear of his sexuality came glaring through in this act of meanness.