Congresswoman Michelle Bachman (R-MN) on an episode of Hardball with Chris Mathews calls liberals unamerican, questions Obama's patriotism, and suggests McCarthyist-like "expose" on the U.S. Congress and which members are "pro-American" and "anti-American".
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"Therefore, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"
they call it Hardball for a reason. even so, Chris Mathews was only doing his job as a responsible journalist.
if there is a member of Congress who wants to basically start a a black list, I think he should try to get the truth out of her by questioning her. and if she doesn't answer the questions forthrightly and directly than he should call her out on it and try to get to the bottom of it.
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"Therefore, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"
sure she has a right to her opinion but not when it inflicts itself upon the rights of her constituents
she needs to seperate her personal biases and opinions from those of the people she represents.
edit- bottom line: We need to hold our elected officials to a higher standard
obv. there's a lot of people out there who like her enough to put her there in the first place. If the state of MN(?) doesn't like her, they need to get out there, vote for her opponent and get her out. a little too late now, i suppose.
I dunno about you, but I don't vote for someone UNLESS I like their personal biases and opinions.
yes, politicians should be held in the higest standard. I want quality representing me, LOL.
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"You are ruining one of the best threads in Yahooka.... - DrChronic"
obv. there's a lot of people out there who like her enough to put her there in the first place. If the state of MN(?) doesn't like her, they need to get out there, vote for her opponent and get her out. a little too late now, i suppose.
I dunno about you, but I don't vote for someone UNLESS I like their personal biases and opinions.
yes, politicians should be held in the higest standard. I want quality representing me, LOL.
I'm sure there are a lot of people who liked her enough to vote for her and I was surprised she got re-elected, but I strongly doubt most people in her constituency favor an "expose" on "un-American" members of Congress. They probably just voted for her because of the (R) next to her name. And if they do, that's too bad, because we already went through this once in the 1950's with McCarthyism and blacklisting, and we learned our lessons then. Her views do not line up with the views of the majority of the people in this country, at least on this particular issue. Therefore, I think it is illegitimate of her to request such a thing, because it is not in her power to do so anyhow.
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"Therefore, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"
Michele Marie Bachmann (born on April 6, 1956)[1] is the Republican Representative of Minnesota's 6th congressional district. She is the third woman and first Republican woman to represent Minnesota in Congress. She defeated her Democratic challenger, Elwyn Tinklenberg, in the 2008 election in a race that had gained national attention following her televised call for the media to investigate members of Congress for perceived anti-American bias, including President-Elect Barack Obama.[2] The 6th congressional district includes the northern far suburbs of the Twin Cities along with St. Cloud. She won 50 percent of the votes in the 2006 election, defeating Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate and child safety advocate Patty Wetterling and the Independence Party's John Binkowski. Bachmann served in the Minnesota State Senate from 2001 to 2007.
Bachmann's positions include:
Favors privatization of Social Security along the lines suggested by the Cato Institute.[62][63]
Supports both a Federal and State constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and legal equivalent, and is a critic of any type of gay rights or civil unions for gay couples.
Supports President Bush's policies in Iraq and believes the military must "stay the course" there[64][65][66]
Favors leaving the nuclear attack option on the table in dealing with Iran[67]
Opposes minimum wage increases[68]
Favors an investigation of "anti-American" sentiment among members of Congress.
Some of Bachmann's local critics say she could be more accurately described as a Christian fundamentalist politician.[11] Appearing on the radio program Prophetic View In The News to promote her 2004 state capitol rally against same-sex marriage, Bachmann said that "God calls us to fall on our faces and our knees and cry out to Him and confess our sins. And I would just ask your listeners to do that now. Cry out to a Holy God."[69]
In support of a constitutional amendment she proposed to ban same-sex marriage,[70] Bachmann said that the gay community was specifically targeting children and that "our children...are the prize for this community."[69] Bachmann has said that people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender suffer from "sexual dysfunction" and "sexual identity disorders."[71]
Bachmann supports the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes.[72] During a 2003 interview on KKMS Christian radio program "Talk The Walk", Bachmann said that evolution is a theory that has never been proven, one way or the other.[73] She co-authored a bill that would require public schools to include alternative explanations for the origin of life as part of the state's public school science curricula.[74] In October 2006, Bachmann told a debate audience in St. Cloud, Minnesota, that “there is a controversy among scientists about whether evolution is a fact or not...There are hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, who believe in intelligent design.”[75]
Bachmann has been a longtime opponent of legal abortion. In 2006, Bachmann stated that she would vote to permit abortion in cases of rape and incest.[76] In the Senate, Bachmann introduced a bill proposing a constitutional amendment restricting state funds for abortion. The bill died in committee.[77]
Bachmann is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2008, she opposed H.R. 5767, the Payment Systems Protection Act (a bill that sought to place a moratorium on enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act while the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve defined "unlawful Internet gambling").
In a 2001 article, Bachmann wrote extensively of her belief that the current governments of the United States and Minnesota State had plans to end the American "free market economy" and impose a centralized, state-controlled economy in its place. She wrote that education laws passed by Congress in 2001, including "School To Work" and "Goals 2000", created a new national school curriculum that embraced "a socialist, globalist worldview; loyalty to all government and not America."[78] In 2003, Bachmann said that the "Tax Free Zones" economic initiatives of Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty were based on the Marxist principle of "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs."[79] She also said that the administration was attempting to govern and run centrally-planned economies through an organization called the Minnesota Economic Leadership Team (MELT), an advisory board on economic and workforce policy chaired by Pawlenty.[79]
Prior to her election to the State Senate and again in 2005, Bachmann signed a “no new taxes” pledge sponsored by the Taxpayers League of Minnesota.[80][81] As Senator, Bachmann introduced two bills that would have severely limited state taxation. In 2003 she proposed amending the Minnesota state constitution to adopt the so-called “Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights” (TABOR).[82] In 2006 Bachmann proposed repealing Minnesota's alternative minimum tax. Bachmann refused opportunities to have TABOR heard when these were offered to her by Tax committee chair, Larry Pogemiller.[83] Repeal of the alternative minimum tax died in committee.[82]
In 2005 Bachmann opposed Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s proposal for a state surcharge of 75 cents per pack on the wholesale cost of cigarettes. Bachmann said that she opposed the state surcharge “100 percent—it's a tax increase.”[84] She later came under fire from the Taxpayers' League for reversing her position and voting in favor of the cigarette surcharge.[85]
[edit] Community Reinvestment Act
On September 26, 2008, Bachmann was criticized by the Congressional Black Caucus for reading an article that blamed rule changes in the Community Reinvestment Act for the economic crisis of 2008 on the House floor.[86][87]
[edit] Calling for the investigation of members of Congress
On October 17, 2008, Bachmann gave an interview on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews in support of the presidential campaign of Senator John McCain. She spoke of Senator Barack Obama's association with Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers. Bachmann stated "…usually we associate with people who have similar ideas to us, and it seems that it calls into questions what Barack Obama's true beliefs, and values, and thoughts are. His attitudes, values and beliefs with Jeremiah Wright on his view of United States, which is negative. Bill Ayers his negative view of United States. We've seen one friend after another. It calls into question his judgment but also what is it that Barack Obama really believes and we know that he is the most liberal Senator in the United States Senate and that's just after one year of being there. …[With Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid ] you have a Troika of the most leftist administration in the history of our country."[88] When asked if liberal views are anti-American. Bachmann said "The liberals that are Jeremiah Wright and that are Bill Ayers they are over the top anti-American, and that's the question Americans have. Remember it was Michelle Obama who said she was only recently proud of her country. And so these are very anti-American views. That's not the way that most Americans feel about our country. Most Americans, Chris, are wild about America and they're very concerned to have a president that does not share those values. …I am very concerned that he [Barack Obama] may have anti-American views."[88]
In light of Sarah Palin's comment about "pro-America areas of this great nation", Bachmann was asked which areas are anti-American "I don’t think it's geography. I think it is people who don’t like America, who detest America and on college campuses a Ward Churchill another college campus a Bill Ayers, you find people who hate America and unfortunately some of these people have positions teaching in institutions of higher learning but you’ll find them in all walks of life all throughout America."[88] When asked about the Democratic Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader, Bachmann said "I am not going to say if they are anti-American or pro-American."[88] When asked by Matthews "How many people in the Congress of the United States do you suspect as being anti-American?" she replied "What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that."[88]
Later in the same show Chris Matthews got reactions from Katrina Vanden Heuvel, co-editor of The Nation, and Pat Buchanan. Vanden Heuvel said "I think what we just heard was a Congresswoman channeling Joe McCarthy… There is an... extremism unleashed in this nation which you just heard on this program, which could lead to violence, and hatred, and toxicity, and against the backdrop of the great depression we're living through...could lead, and I don't use this word lightly, to a kind of American fascism which is against the great values of this nation and which people like that are fomenting."[89] "I think you have a socialist [[[Vermont]] Senator] Bernie Sanders who is a left-wing individual he’s not anti-American. You have liberals who are not anti-American." When asked if he thought that there were any anti-American members of Congress he said "No, I don’t know of any." Buchanan contrasted these people with Wright, Father Michael Pfleger, and Ayers, whom he compared to a Ku Klux Klan church bomber.
[edit] Reaction
Political commentators soon weighed in on Bachmann's comments. Don Frederick, an editor at the Los Angeles Times, wrote that "before Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota was done, she raised the specter of the days of Joe McCarthy."[90]
Minnesota's Senators shared their reactions to Bachmann's statements. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said that Bachmann's suggestion was "an outrageous thing to say," that "people were really outraged by what she said," and that "it really hurts us in terms of our national stature with the rest of the world."[91] Republican Senator Norm Coleman said that "I would not label his [Obama's] views as anti-American. Clearly, folks can look at past relationships, but in the end I have a different perspective than that."[92] Other Congressional leaders also took Bachmann to task, Representative Nancy Pelosi said "The Republicans are bankrupt in their ideas. They have no ideas about jobs and education and health care and eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. So what do they do? They question the patriotism of others. I think that a statement of the kind that Congressman Bachmann made dishonors the position she holds and discredits her as a person."[93][94] The five Democratic members of Minnesota's congressional delegation — Tim Walz, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, Collin Peterson and Jim Oberstar — issued a joint statement in which they called Bachmann's comments "embarrassing" and questioned her ability to "work in a bipartisan way to put the interests of our country first in this time of crisis."[95]
Republicans also distanced themselves from Bachmann's comments. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said on NBC's Meet the Press that Bachmann's remarks played a key role in his decision to endorse Obama's presidential bid. He said, "this business, for example, the congressman from Minnesota who is going around saying 'let's examine all congressmen to see who is pro-America, and who is not pro-America.' We have gotta stop this kind of nonsense. Pull ourselves together, and remember that our great strength is in our unity, and in our diversity. That was really driving me, and put this on people like Mr. Ayers, are trivial issues, for the purpose of suggesting that Mr. Obama would have some kind of terrorist inclinations. I thought that was over the top. It was beyond just good fighting back and forth. I think it went beyond."[96] When former Minnesota Governor Republican Arne Carlson released an endorsement of Barack Obama on October 23, 2008, it was reported that he "also took aim at U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, saying that her controversial remarks of the past week suggesting that Obama may have anti-American views, had led him to endorse the Democratic nominee. After hearing Bachmann's comments, he said he telephoned former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Minnesota Democrat, to tell him of his plan."[97] Governor and Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin also said she did not agree with Bachmann’s comments, "Well that's quite subjective. I would think that anybody running and wanting to serve in Congress is quite pro-American because that's what the mission is, to better this country, so I would question the intent of that."[98]
Bachmann's comments also had an impact on her re-election campaign. In the 24 hours after her appearance on Hardball, her opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg, received $488,127.30 in new donations[99] and a campaign urging Congress to officially censure Bachmann was launched with over 35,000 signatures in the first 24 hours.[100] In less than 72 hours, Tinklenberg received $740,000 in donations[101] and between Friday night and Monday afternoon he had received more than $810,000.[102] Tinklenberg said that he hears "in that kind of a call echoes of the House Un-American Activities Committee."[103] Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Brian Melendez said "The last politician who used that term that carelessly was Joe McCarthy, and Michele Bachmann seems anxious to step into his shoes."[104] He also stated "She said what she said and her meaning could not be more clear."[105] Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Doug Thornell said "We’re going up on TV this week and next week and we’re spending over a million dollars [to support Tinklenberg]."[106] In response to her comments, Aubrey Immelman, a Republican who lost to Bachmann in the primary, said he would begin a write-in campaign.[107][108] On October 22, 2008, it was reported that the National Republican Congressional Committee canceled several hundred thousand dollars worth of television advertising time slated for Bachmann's campaign,[109]
[edit] Partial retraction
Bachmann brought up the interview before business leaders and Republicans during a campaign stop in St. Cloud, Minnesota on October 21, 2008. She stated that she never intended to question Obama's patriotism. "I made a misstatement. I said a comment that I would take back. I did not, nor do I, question Barack Obama's patriotism...I did not say that Barack Obama is anti-American nor do I believe that Barack Obama is anti-American...[But] I'm very concerned about Barack Obama's views. I don't believe that socialism is a good thing for America."[110] Bachmann also said that she was led into the comment by Matthews, "Sometimes you make a decision about going on a show...I probably should have said no to Chris Matthews. I had never seen his show before, I probably should have taken a look at what the show was like...A trap was laid, but I stepped into it."[110] The next day she gave a radio interview with Mike Gallagher where she questioned Obama again: "What are Barack Obama's policies? Are they for America or will they be against traditional American ideals and values? And I'll tell you what, punishing tax rates, redistribution of wealth, socialized medicine, inputting censorship in the form of the un-Fairness Doctrine and taking away the secret ballot from the worker has nothing to do with traditional American values. That's why your listeners need to know. Otherwise the United States may be literally changed forever if Barack Obama becomes the next president."[111] She also stated that her campaign is "desperate for financial help."[111]
[edit] Personal
Bachmann's husband, Marcus Bachmann, operates a Christian counseling center in the St. Croix valley area. He has a master's degree in counseling from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a doctorate in clinical psychology from a distance-learning school, Union Institute & University in Cincinnati.[6]
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