BY ALYSSA CARTEE
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This week-- the Sunday political talk shows revolved around the 2012 election-- with candidates Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann... Utah Governor Jon Huntsman... and Tea Party favorite South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint all appearing to speak about their strategy.
Bachmann defended her previous comment about drilling in the Everglades saying-- she never said that-- specifically.
SCHIEFFER: “You said as part of this policy that maybe we ought to start drilling oil wells in the everglades. Did you really mean that? You're ready to start drilling oil wells in the Everglades?”
BACHMANN: “Well, of course, I didn't bring this up. I didn't say that we should drill in the Everglades. What I said is that we need to open up resources across the United States of America but do it responsibly We have the technology in the United States to responsibly access America's energy resources.”
Schieffer: “Even in the Everglades?”
BACHMANN: Anywhere in the United States.”
Bachmann also defended her highly controversial comment about hurricane Irene.
SCHIEFFER: “This is what you said about the recent hurricane. ‘I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake. We've had a hurricane.’”
BACHMANN: “Obviously I was speaking metaphorically. That was clear to the audience. I believe in God. I'm not ashamed to say that I believe in God. I'm a woman of faith and a woman of prayer. But the comment that I made right then was a metaphor. That was very simply what I was doing.”
Fellow candidate Huntsman also appeared on “Face the Nation” and explained what makes him unique.
SCHIEFFER: “Governor, how are you and Michele Bachmann different?
HUNTSMAN: Well, let me just say that we have put forward, Bob, a very, very specific proposal on how to get this economy moving again. This economy has hit the wall. It is sucking wind right now. I put forward a very, very specific list of proposals. I think that's probably unlike anyone else in the race. This is a proposal that's been endorsed by the Wall Street Journal.”
Huntsman also defended his poor poll showing by saying -- they mean nothing.
"The early polls are absolute nonsense at this point in the game. If we had gone by the polls back in 2008, Fred Thompson would be president; Howard Dean back in 2004."
Another Presidential hopeful, Senator DeMint, gave CNN’s Candy Crowley his view on President Obama’s Jobs Speech coming up this Thursday.
“What the President appears to be doing -- and frankly I’m so tired of his speeches it’s going to be hard for me to watch. We need a plan in writing ... Without sending something in writing, the President makes all of these grand gestures and then it doesn’t appear in any legislation.”
He also spoke to his feelings on fellow candidate Governor Rick Perry’s political past.
“How do you feel about his endorsement of Al Gore back in 1988? Of his praising Hillary Clinton and the Clinton health care plan?
DEMINT: “Well, I want to find out more about him, obviously. We know people change. Reagan was a Democrat. But I want to give them all a little room to change. I know I've changed some positions I had ten years ago because the country's in a very different situation.”
DeMint expanded on his view of what the Tea Party actually is.
“There’s no “THE Tea Party”. So what the Democrats are criticizing is legitimate genuine citizen activism, which brought accountability to Washington. ( It's a case where you had the media putting down the Tea Party and then a pollster coming in and saying what do you think of them? But if you ask what do you think of citizen activism, you will find 70% of Americans agree with reducing the debt.”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney got in on the Tea Party talk too telling “Fox News Sunday” he thinks they have driven the conversation in Congress in a positive direction.
“My belief is, that I think the Tea Party folks have had a significant positive affect. I think they have in fact, sort of put on the national agenda in no uncertain terms and this whole question of the debt and deficit problems. I think members of Congress are paying a lot of attention as they should.”
In 2010, Cheney endorsed the Texas Governor candidate who ran against Perry in the primaries. Fox’s Chris Wallace asked if the endorsement meant he is against Perry now.
“I’ve known Kay since we worked in the Ford administration together many years ago. And when she decided to run for governor, she asked me to support her and I did. It wasn’t any commentary on Governor Perry.”
Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson said he believes Republicans are unsatisfied with the current candidates.
"I don't think Republicans regard this as a strong field. So there is still talk of people getting in the race. Not just [Sarah] Palin but last week, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey was in Chicago had two meetings with serious Republican groups from the Midwest. He is actively, I think, considering getting in this race, which would throw things open once more. But the desire for that to happen... it shows that they are not happy with the current field they think it needs to be filled out in an important way. I don't know if that is going to happen but the desire for many republicans to expand this field shows that they are not content with it."
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