Pence defends O’Donnell, upstart Senate candidate, in new controversy over ‘witchcraft’ remark

GOP tea party backer defends Christine O’Donnell

WASHINGTON — The No. 3 man in the House Republican leadership is brushing aside a negative report on tea party upstart Christine O’Donnell as part of pre-election “silly season.”

Rep. Mike Pence tells ABC’s “Good Morning America” any verdict on O’Donnell’s fitness to serve in the Senate is “up to the voters of Delaware.” The Indiana Republican says there’s a welling up of anger and a demand for political leaders who will “put our fiscal house in order.”

He spoke about a decade-old television clip of O’Donnell, who said she once “dabbled into witchcraft.” Pence says the election is more about the message than the messenger. He won a presidential straw vote among social conservatives over the weekend.