Byron York And Chris Wallace Defend “Submissive” Question To Bachmann

During last night's Fox News debate, moderator Byron York questioned Rep. Michele Bachmann about her 2006 remark that her “husband said you should study for a degree in tax law. You said you hated the idea. And then you explained, 'But the Lord said, 'Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.'” York asked Bachmann, “As president, would you be submissive to your husband?” The question received loud boos from the audience, and was the subject of attention in write-ups of the debate.

York defended the question on Fox & Friends this morning, saying: “This is a serious and legitimate question about something she has said and believe me, if she progresses very far in the campaign process, she would have been asked this question. And I personally thought she handled it very well. She handled it much more human -- it was like a very human moment for her.”

Appearing on The Mike Gallagher Show, fellow moderator Chris Wallace also defended York's question, saying, that “in these days of women's liberation ... it is worthy of note.” Wallace added that “sometimes a difficult or, you know, a somewhat touchy question gets a really good answer and I give him props for that.” From the show:

WALLACE: The fact is, she had said this. It seemed, in these days of women's liberation, for her to say 'I didn't want to be a tax lawyer but the Bible says to submit, and so I submitted,' it is -- it is worthy of note. It is something that -- and I think people -- and let's face it, she gave a great answer.

GALLAGHER: Oh, it sure was.

WALLACE: And it gave you a real insight into who she was --

[CROSS-TALK]

GALLAGHER: I think I'm just really hypersensitive about the way these strong, conservative women just get vilified by everybody.

WALLACE: I think he was trying to elicit information and he did elicit information. And I -- look, we're in a tough spot here. They're running for president, we're not running for anything except trying to do our job. And our job is -- as opposed to most of the time, when we ask questions and it's often, you know, not on camera, and not live. The newsgathering process is happening here like the sausage making for everybody to see. But sometimes a difficult or, you know, a somewhat touchy question gets a really good answer and I give him props for that.

Wallace concluded by joking, “I must also say, that after my own problems with Newt Gingrich, the fact that the crowd was booing Byron was really quite wonderful. I was very happy it wasn't me."