Democrat Brazile, Republican Bachmann exchange banter at Flint Center

Anthony Montes, Editor in Chief

Photo Credit: Duane Soubirous, La Voz Staff
Democratic strategist Donna Brazile addresses the audience next to former tea party congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

Former rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) spoke out at against Syrian refugees in the U.S., while political commentator Donna Brazile encouraged compassion for them during their talk at the Foothill College Celebrity Speaker Series on Nov. 19.

Inside the Flint Center at De Anza College, Bachmann said the vetting process in the U.S. is broken and warned that granting Syrian refugees asylum will increase the chances of a terrorist attack.

“Allegedly, they [ISIS] plan to put 4,000 individuals into refugee que,” Bachmann said.

Bachmann also said that 2 percent of refugees streaming into Europe are terrorists and that it only takes a handful of persons to plan and execute a terrorist attack. She referenced the recent attacks in Paris, which killed 129 people.

Bachmann said the politically correct movement has made it difficult to identify the enemy because of America’s fear of offending people of other religions and cultures, specifically those belonging to Islam.

Brazile defended the vetting process and said the bashing of refugees is unfair. The bickering between the two parties on the refugee-vetting issue has distracted the country from coming together and addressing the ISIS threat overseas, Brazile said.

“Some of them want you to think that they will stand up to ISIS. That they’re tough enough, they’re strong enough,” said Brazile about GOP leaders who criticize the current vetting process. “But they can’t even stand up to the victims of ISIS.”