Reps. Anchia, Riddle Battle Over Anchor Babies

by Elise Hu and Evan Smith
August 11, 2010
12 Comments

Tuesday night on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, state Reps. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, debated the perilous issue del día: anchor babies.

Riddle warns of an elaborate terrorist plot to have foreign mothers give birth to babies in the United States, who will then be trained to destroy America once they come of age. In her animated appearance on CNN, Riddle defends the baby conspiracy plot despite admitting she "doesn't have the hard evidence on hand."

A few choice exchanges between Cooper and Riddle:

Cooper: But you have no actual evidence.

Riddle: Other than former ...

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Comments (12)

August 11, 2010 @ 10:54 a.m.

Susan Shelton via Texas Tribune on Facebook

The 82nd Lege will be interesting, indeed.
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August 11, 2010 @ 11:14 a.m.

Emily Shelton via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Looking forward to it...
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August 11, 2010 @ 11:17 a.m.

Whitney Stark via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Riddle is so embarrassing. Watching her speak makes me dizzy.
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August 11, 2010 @ 11:23 a.m.

Martin Woodward via Texas Tribune on Facebook

This perfectly illustrates the contrast between Democrats and Republicans.
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August 11, 2010 @ 11:54 a.m.

Rebecca Duck Ingraham via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Imagine her and Palin running together...
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August 11, 2010 @ 3:14 p.m.

Kelly Hines via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Aye aye aye.
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August 11, 2010 @ 10:03 p.m.

David Phillips via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Holy cow. How horribly embarrassing. It woulda just smarted if they were on KVUE or something, but national TV....<sigh> They probably ran this segment next to something about SBOE.
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August 11, 2010 @ 10:10 p.m.

Beverly Acrey Kimbrough via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I would rather that Riddle would not be on TV at all, ever. It use to be that a competent journalist would report on the basic facts and not let the loonies have face time. Oh yes, that was when we had a "fairness doctrine" for broadcasting on public airways.
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August 12, 2010 @ 9:26 a.m.

Charles Burr via Texas Tribune on Facebook

It's horrible, but I was mesmerized. Like watching a car wreck. And if you stick with it, right about the 10-minute mark, you get to see someone completely lose their mind on national television.
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August 12, 2010 @ 11:44 a.m.

BrooksKXAN

Cooper: You say some former FBI agents have talked to your office. Have they given your office some facts or actual proof?

Riddle: That information we are still gathering.

I need to ask here: Why is Debbie Riddle suddenly the epicenter for information gathering regarding terrorist plots? Why would a relatively inexperienced state rep from a suburb be involved in and privy to this type of covert investigation? Like the FBI even knows who she is.
August 12, 2010 @ 2 p.m.

Steven P. Anderson via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I know I was warned, but watching this made me want to drown myself in the bathtub.
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August 14, 2010 @ 11:44 a.m.

CityLights

All of you are taking this so lighthearted... But I have reliable sources that say the CNN pieces have caused several media types to lose their jobs in NYC. Apparently Stephen Colbert saw the Gohmert and Riddle pieces and called all of his staff in and fired them, saying "you guys have NEVER written stuff this funny!".