Specter Tells Bachmann to "Act Like a Lady"

Meredith Jessup | January 21, 2010 2:24 PM

During Dom Giordano's radio program this morning, Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter squared off with Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann and, predictably, the air was ripe with conflict.

Glenn Thrush of Politico reports:

Bachmann first laid out her agenda -- cutting taxes and killing President Obama's health reform bill -- at considerable length.
When Specter tried to counter, Bachmann, darling of the Tea Party movement, kept on talking, which didn't sit well with the one-time Philadelphia DA, who is a stickler for politeness and protocol.
"I'm going to treat you like a lady," Mr. Specter shot back. "Now act like one."

Ms. Bachmann replied, "I am a lady."

Things went on along this line for a while -- with Specter later asking Bachmann to "act like a lady," according to the [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]'s Daniel Malloy.
Bachmann is hardly a beloved figure in Democratic circles. But how many liberal women, whom Specter badly needs to defeat front-running Paul Toomey, would appreciate being told to "act like a lady" [by] a male debate partner?

I, for one, would LOVE to ask Arlen Specter just how he thinks a lady should act...