ABC News probes gay 'cure' claims about Bachmann clinic

The Politico ^ | July 11, 2011 | Maggie Haberman

[2ndDivisionVet]

The questions about Michele Bachmann's husband's crisis clinic - and reports its services including helping to "cure" homosexuals - went mainstream tonight, with an ABC News story featuring undercover video shot of one of the center's counselors saying it's "possible" to be "totally free" of such feelings.

The "World News" report included an interview with a former patient at the clinic, who told the ABC reporter that he'd been sent there when he was 17 years old to try to "change" him.

"[One counselor's] path for my therapy would be to read the Bible, pray to God that I would no longer be gay," Ramirez, who went to Bachmann & Associates in 2004, "And God would forgive me if I were straight."

The reports - denied repeatedly by the Bachmanns - have been circulating for years. But the ABC News story included undercover video of a counselor shot by a member of the advocacy group "Truth Wins Out."

The counselor, in the video, is seen telling the patient - who, according to the report, said he was a gay man who wanted to be "cured" of homosexuality - that "God has designed our eyes (for you) to you be attracted to (a) woman's body."

[2ndDivisionVet]

How is this a scandal? Are we all supposed to believe that homosexuality is mainstream?

[choctaw man]

Oh law...someone used the B word and the G word and prayed...call homeland security.

[doc1019]

So, they are doubting that prayer works?

[IMissPresidentReagan]

The part where “the reports repeatedly denied by the Bachmanns” is were the scandal lies, imho. Regardless of the issue, whenever a politician is caught in a lie, a scandal is born. Now, that said; who knows the veracity of the allegations, and whether the Bachmann’s actually “lied” or not. I'm not making any judgment, but I think this “scandal” will have legs only if they lied.

[gov_bean_ counter]

If you genuinely have the courage of your convictions, why lie?

[toddausauras]

One of the things that kills the MSM is that they DON’T have anything like this on Palin. Stuff like this isn’t good for people who want to elected president.

[the invisib1e hand]

don’t worry, you can trust ABC when it probes things.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

I just wanted to be clear that I was saying a “lie” (if any lie existed) would be a scandal, not the allegations, in my opinion.

[Kleon]

They need to come out and say exactly what they do and what kind of success rate they have, because there are a lot of people who would applaud the work being done curing young people.

[toddausauras]

to BE elected president....typo. PS if the press had anbything like this on Palin they would be ecstatic.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

Somewhere in my allergy laden brain, that was the muddled point I was trying to make. Thank you for clearly stating what I utterly failed at.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Got your back gal.

I will pray for your improvement...

[Oztrich Boy]

One of the things that kills the MSM is that they DON’T have anything like this on Palin.

In 1994 she was found fishing with the incorrect licence!

[9YearLurker]

If Gov. Palin plays her cards right, she can saunter right back to her legitimate Tea Party leadership claim and use Stepford Congresswoman Bachmann’s social crusading to make herself more palatable to voters in the middle.

[Major Matt Mason]

The media trying to clear the road for Obama in 2012. It'll be nothing but puff pieces about The One, but every GOP candidate will receive the anal exam that Obama never received from he media.

[Bigtigermike]

I wish that the Bachmanns had came out early about it and said yes at times some counselors do help troubles souls who ask for help dealing with homosexuality and got it over with...Now the liberal media still would have pursue it but then there would have been no “we caught you saying this when its not true”....I don’t think this will hurt Bachmann that much but the NEXT THING if there is MORE added to this will have people pulling back

[Prokopton]

One of the things that kills the MSM is that they DON’T have anything like this on Palin.

By the looks of Newsweek, at least part of the liberal MSM is solidly behind Palin. They really do not like Bachmann though and their attacks are more numerous as her popularity grows.

[pyx]

Exodus International.

[Bigtigermike]

One of the things that kills the MSM is that they DON’T have anything like this on Palin. Stuff like this isn’t good for people who want to elected president.

That is true, you are correct - Sarah didn't banned books or charge rape kits for rape victims or actually said dinosaurs roamed he earth 6,000 years ago - all of that was debunked as lies made up by the liberal left and media

[9YearLurker]

Even if she weren’t lying, it is the sort of thing that would make her unpopular in a state like NH or with independents in the general election.