Rachel Maddow Mystified By Lou Dobbs' Odd Teabag Attack

Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 9:31 AM on July 29, 2009.

DOBBS GETS CREATIVE IN HIS CRITICISM.... CNN's Lou Dobbs' obsession with right-wing conspiracy theories about President Obama's birthplace continues, in part, the television personality says, because Birthers "don't have representation." One assume Dobbs is excluding the members of Congress and major media figures, such as himself, who insist this nonsense is a legitimate issue.

Yesterday, as part of his angry response to widespread disgust with his crusade, Dobbs lashed out at, among others, Rachel Maddow, whom Dobbs labeled a "tea-bagging queen."

I'm not sure how, exactly, Dobbs came to choose this particular label for the MSNBC host. If the CNN personality wanted to blast Maddow, he probably could have chosen an attack that makes more ideological and physiological sense.

Thankfully, Maddow briefly responded to Dobbs' odd criticism last night. "[W]e're left to sort out the deeply confusing nature of what it means to be called a 'tea-bagging queen by Lou Dobbs,'" Maddow said. "A 'tea-baggin queen'? What kind of queen would that be, exactly? And can a female person be that kind of queen?"

I don't imagine Dobbs will respond, but I can hope.

Tagged as: maddow, dobbs, birther

Steve Benen is "blogger in chief" of the popular Washington Monthly online blog, Political Animal. His background includes publishing The Carpetbagger Report, and writing for a variety of publications, including Talking Points Memo, The American Prospect, the Huffington Post, and The Guardian. He has also appeared on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Air America Radio's "Sam Seder Show," and XM Radio's "POTUS '08."