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The GOP's Worst Medicine
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Michele Bachmann's newest bungle (wrongly pinning the last flu scare on a Democrat) shows disdain for both facts and logic. Eric Alterman takes on Congress' mad bomber.
You may have noticed Rep. Michele Bachmann’s “interesting” (her word, not mine) observation “that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter.” Bachmann insists that she’s “not blaming this on President Obama.” Not her. Rather, she wishes to reiterate that she “just think(s) it's an interesting coincidence.” She said this on something called “Pajamas TV”—a name that puts one in mind, methinks, of the old cable show that Screw Magazine’s Al Goldstein used to host after midnight in New York for strippers, both male and female, to show their respective wares. Whether pajama-clad or dressed for excess, you’ve got to hand it to this Bachmann woman. After all, anyone can be incoherent, malevolent, and factually incorrect at any time. But it takes real talent to pull off all three simultaneously.
As amazingly idiotic as Bachmann’s swine-flu comments may be, they do not actually exceed her past levels of stupidity, malevolence, and factual incorrectness.
Think about it. What exactly is “interesting” about this alleged coincidence? Even Bachmann won’t say. Think of all the other potentially “interesting” coincidences that have characterized recent Democratic presidencies. The Mets bullpen blew easy games. The Who broke up and did a reunion tour. Liza went in and out of rehab. A member of the Grateful Dead died a drug-related death. Interesting….
Actually, it’s not so interesting, it’s wrong. The truth is that while even Bachmann cannot figure out how to link these things, she might not as well bother trying because Gerald Ford was president during the last outbreak of the virus. Damn.
Still, as amazingly idiotic as Bachmann’s swine-flu comments may be, they do not actually exceed her past levels of stupidity, malevolence, and factual incorrectness. Not long ago, she was complaining about Obama’s economic policies and sought to make an analogy to the disastrous "Hoot-Smalley Tariff," which she says led FDR to turn the “recession into a depression.” Again, we have a few problems here. In the first place, it was the Smoot-Hawley Act that raised tariffs to historic levels and which many economists blame for significantly reducing levels of international trade and subsequent economic activity. In the second, it was, alas, signed by a Republican: Herbert Hoover. It passed a year into the Great Depression.
Yes, this Bachmann woman sure is entertaining. Bloggers Dylan and Ethan Ris recently said, "We're seriously tempted to stop doing any work and simply replace our blog posts with an RSS feed of stories about Rep. Michele Bachmann." If this is your cup of tea, then be my guest. There’s Bachmann complaining of the totalitarian-style re-education camps that the Democrats have planned for America (by which she means the “Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act” for AmeriCorps). There are complaints that we are "running out of rich people in this country"; that her fellow representatives have "a real aversion to capitalism” and that following FDR and LBJ, Barack Obama represents “really the final leap to socialism.” Trust us, we could go on. (Here and here and here for instance.)
But my question is, does anyone in Republican Party—or the district in Minnesota that apparently elected her—know that this person sounds batshit crazy? I see that her party’s leadership recently picked Bachmann—a global-warming denier—to be part of a the GOP’s Energy Solutions Group. (Sample quote: "The big thing we are working on now is the global-warming hoax. It’s all voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax.")
Seriously, folks. I sort of get why most conservatives say the things they do. I know why Dick Cheney and Karl Rove want to blame Barack Obama for the consequences of their mistakes. It gets them off the hook. And I get why Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Malkin want to blame swine flu on undocumented aliens; it’s because there are racist demagogues and alas, there are ratings to be earned and money to be made there. I even sort of understand why Michael Steele says he wants to give his party a “hip-hop makeover" because, really, what else he is going to say? But why do voters in the sixth district of Minnesota want to be represented by a madwoman?
I mean, politics ought to be entertaining, I agree. That’s why we sent you Al Franken. Now send him to the Senate already and cut this ridiculous crap. We got the joke…
Eric Alterman is a professor of English and journalism at Brooklyn College and a professor of journalism at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is the author, most recently, of Why We're Liberals: A Handbook for Restoring America's Important Ideals.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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How E.L. Doctorow Does It
Eric Alterman is a professor of English and journalism at Brooklyn College and a professor of journalism at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is the author, most recently, of Why We're Liberals: A Handbook for Restoring America's Important Ideals.
There's crazy then there is batsh** crazy isn't it great that Republicans keep outdoing themselves
there is no option. she is just batsh*t crazy.
I honestly have no idea how she is a senator. Seriously, at least try to act with some dignity when trying to push your agenda
fortunately, she's a congresswoman, not a senator.
I agree. She's intolerable. But don't paint all Repubs with the Bachmann brush. Are all Democrats as loony as Cynthia McKinnney?
I don't even know who that is? see?
The ones on the Left don't get a platform to talk crazy stuff like she does on a daily bases.
Progressive don't embrace crazys but Republicans do and I love it.
Couldn't agree more. I fully believe that Bachmann and Rush Limbaugh and Lindsay Graham are insane and even dangerous, but it's not like Cynthia McKinney or Keith Olbermann are that much more sane.
@newyorkcity
Lindsey Graham is not in the same league as Michele Bachmann. Maybe you're thinking of Jim DeMint, the junior senator from SC, who is about two kinds of crazy. But even DeMint is nowhere near as crazy as Bachmann, although McKinney comes pretty close, and it's probably worth pointing out that McKinney was defeated TWICE by her own party. Not Republican challengers, mind you, but DEMOCRATS. Rod Blagojevich probably comes close to Bachmann levels of crazy, but of course he was also removed from office by members of his own party.
@newyorkcity: I am an independent who voted for our President. Lindsey Graham is a passionately partisan Republican, certainly. However I don't believe he is insane, and I would not lump him in with the crazy crowd.
rowland
I agree. She's intolerable. But don't paint all Repubs with the Bachmann brush. Are all Democrats as loony as Cynthia McKinnney?
----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------
How can this fool, Alterman, call anyone crazy when he has a wild-eyed, screw-loose nutbag like Nancy Pelosi? Typical liberal Hypocrite
@Kegan974
The fact that you can't seem to (or are unwilling to) distinguish between a conspiracy theory-peddling demagogue and a political leader who disagrees with you goes a long way toward explaining why the Republican Party is hemorrhaging members. As I said before, Lindsey Graham is a perfectly respectable politician whom I happen to disagree with. Michelle Bachmann is a reckless fanatic, and she deserves all the ridicule now being directed at her. When you search for her name on Google, the second most popular related search string is "Michelle Bachmann crazy." Which means that a lot of people are searching on those terms. You should take that as a clue.
You are right. She is intolerable and all Republicans are not like her...yet. But it won't be long. Karl Rove empowered the narrow minded, dim witted hypocrites of the far right and now they won't go away. They are running and ruining the Republican Party. Soon no one with even half a brain will remain. The Republicans who are not like her will become Independents or Blue Dog Dems. It's poetic. Rove, the Architect, built his house of cards on a foundation of fools and now we get to watch it fall apart.
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I'm white, born, bred and remain in the deep, deep South. I sent money to Minnesota in hopes of defeating this mentally ill woman and voted for President Obama. However, an adverse opinion without just grounds, preconceived judgement or opinion is the definition of prejudice and when you paint a large segment of the population with a preconceive brush, you are engaging in prejudice.
President Obama won in three southern state and Georgia and Mississippi trended blue. Mississippi sent a democrat to congress while the GOP ran Rev. Wright 24/7. Bachman represent Minnesota. It's difficult to get any further north without being in Canada. The largest, growing segment of the KKK is in Pennsylvania. The White Knights were regular participants in Palin rallies. Alaska is as far north as one can get. If the myth that the GOP is a southern party persists, you are going to undo years of positive movement toward the middle that is occurring in the south. I don't know what an evangelical is, where they came from or where they live. They aren't mainstream Southern Baptist or United Methodist.
I'm surprised because my bats*** crazy father sends so much cash they sent him a flag with the GOP seal of some sort to fly out front. Thank god for Katrina; (ever thought you'd hear that from a New Orleanian?) My mother got to disappear it. They'll take you from the South. We have mean as a snake Republican Congressional members here. Rove is slinking about training Bobby Jindal. LOL
Hell, we have David Duke, Grand Dragon of the KKK, and David Vitter of ugly prostitute fame. The South's got Republicans.
Daddy gets junk mail from every Republican in DC every day, and every one of them has a hand out and for a couple hundred dollars, too! It takes some crazy to think some man across the continent will write checks for $500 every few weeks. Worse than TV preachers.
We weigh it before Mama disappears it. Average of 3.5 pounds every business day of solicitations from Republicans outside Louisiana.
And the Southern Baptists are crazy as loons. Plenty of Baptists in the South belong to another National group that allows cocktails and critical thinking. Two different sects.
Hey monet, the chairman of the GOP is BLACK. And if you've ever voted, you would know that anyone can register under any party. That was a pretty stupid statement you just made, I'm sure the GOP would be thrilled if non-whites and people from outside the south would join their party, it's just that the GOP doesn't appeal to those people. it's not by choice that whites from the south is all they're left with.
To 'newyorkcity' - there is no equivalence between this woman and Keith Olbermann. You may not like the way he delivers his news {which are inconvenient facts} in what could easily be conceived as an arrogant tone {I don't believe it to be so, but detractors of his certainly do} but they are facts nonetheless. I challenge any Conservative on this boardroom to post a link of Olbermann blatantly out and out putting out misinformation, half-truths, or lies like this Bachmann character seems to do on a daily basis.
There's a HUGE difference between an aggressive, confrontational tone when espousing the facts {Olbermann} versus making a completely false misrepresentation of an issue {Bachmann}.
One is entertaining for some and grating for others while the other is just plain dangerous for all.
You might also notice that when Keith Olbermann makes a factual error, he apologizes for it on his show. (Rachel Maddow does this too.) Has anyone heard Limbaugh or O'Reilly ever apologize for one of their lies (oops, I meant factual mistakes)?
"The ones on the Left don't get a platform to talk crazy stuff like she does on a daily bases."
I would urge you to consider the fact that the media tends to overlook crazy when it comes from the left and parade it around ad nauseum when it comes from the right.
"Progressive don't embrace crazys but Republicans do and I love it."
There are pictures of Obama *literally* embracing Hugo Chavez and Jeremiah Wright. And those two are crazier than Courtney Love in a sensory deprivation tank.
---and by embracing them that makes Barack crazy? Isn't that guilt by association? Well, I shouldn't be surprised about that because the Rethugs have been doing that for decades.
Hugo Chavez the elected president of Venezuala that dislikes Bush and Neocons just like most people around the world and in the US , please tell me how shaking and smiling to someone you meet is Embracing him?
What's more funny is that you went from someone saying batsh** crazy stuff to someone holding a hand and smiling(and call it crazy) to someone knowing another person (and call the person crazy for knowing someone that you say is crazy) LOL
Dems can't make these stuff up, you guys just keep outdoing yourself.
First of all, to say that there wasn't media coverage of Obama with Rev. Wright or with Chavez is being disingenuous. Along with other forms of trivia this was discussed among the talking heads for days if not weeks. Secondly, the media doesn't parade Bachman's mistakes. She goes out of her way to be in the nat'l spotlight. She's always gets on the talk shows (esp. FOX) despite being a fairly low ranking rep. Nobody makes her say what she says when she gets on TV; so if she gets mocked she brings it on herself.
Really? Are you really going to go there? Bush HOLDING HANDS with his Suadi boyfriend? The country that actually had the Al Queda training camps? Really? Obama was at a multi national conference, what's he supposed to do, slap Hugo? No, he was gracious and civil, something you must not understand. Pity.
Jeremiah Wright is a deluded product of another generation. I understand how he got to be the way he is, but his words are still completely unacceptable.
OH LORD! ...not the "liberal media" crap again! Seriously, that holds no water. In fact any claim by someone that's obviously getting all their info from FOX News is most certainly suspect. They are shamelessly partisan and make little attempt to hide it.
At any rate, if you disagree with me then so be it, but seriously Bachmann's not doing you any favors. You guys are all for this "ownership society" stuff right? Well let her go and save yourself the humiliation.
Bachmann shoots the GOP in the foot with a shotgun!
@rowland
Where are these pictures of Obama embracing ? I did a search, and all I could find was a handshake :-|
I found many pictures of Chavez embracing other people, Obama is embracing other people, but I can't find anything of him embracing each other.
Methinks you're parroting someone else's words without verifying whether it's truth or not.
Post an image link, please :)
I suppose one might say the House of Representatives, being the peoples branch of government, one might expect members that reflect all strata of our society, and believe me there are plenty more where this one came from, but surely there has to be some standards of behavior, however low. I expect she will continue to be reelected as a thorn in the liberals side no matter how outrageous her lies become.
As a Southerner, I'm just glad she's not from somewhere below the Mason-Dixon line. The last thing we need is another loudmouth dimwit with a Southern accent to help everyone laugh at us.
Have to agree with you there, I have enough to explain when I say I'm from Texas.
Surely the people of her state want something more from her. But Antinous I love the idea that stupid people deserve a representative too.
Bachman and Franken are a reflection of each other. Two big fat idiots.
Dorthea, if you're going to accuse Franken you need to show us your sources for his idiocy. We'll be waiting.
His books.
Damn that Franken and his well-researched, footnoted, verifiable, SATIRICAL, books. He was a fricking comedian when he wrote those books! Making up crazy lies and passing them off as true while a sitting congresswoman is irresponsible and downright dumb.
I don't expect everyone to like Franken, but he deserves some respect for at least understanding and using facts. Bachmann deserves the respect of no one except for Stephen Colbert for being a such great case study of truthiness.
Dorthea, don't be such a Republican and make crazy accusations without any merit. Tell us WHY Franken is an idiot.
Franken is actually one of the more politically enlightened. It just happens that he took the people you listen to/watch to the woodshed. He has time and time again asked anyone who wants to challenge his assertions (Hannity, Man-Coultier, Limbaugh..) to come on his show, or do it publicly in debate. But no takers.. he pulls the curtain back on your Wizards of Odd - -and they don't like it.
Please quote something hateful Mr. Franken has said, so we may be as enlightened as yourself.
Al Franken may be many things to conservatives, but he is not an idiot, nor is he insane.
Bachmann, on the other hand, is your protypical Oral Roberts University grad.
At least Al
Gets the joke.
Funny! Al Franken wrote an intelligent, well-sourced and hilarious collection of essays called, "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot." Dorothea, did you read it then turn it on Al? Or did you just steal the title?
Actually "Al" stole the title from me. Big fat idiot is what I used to call my playmates when I was about 5 or 6.
@dorothea: I preferred to call my playmates "poopyheads" :)
Do some research and reading first, then come back with actual quotes from Franken that you find idiotic. I'd be willing to bet you don't know one thing he's ever said.
Why not enlighten us connie with your wealth of knowledge on Franken?
I'm just wondering if you've ever read one of his books. You see if you just take it for granted that what you hear from others is true you're not really being fair. This is especially true if your sources are people who are already inclined to differ with him. That's not using good judgment.
THINK FOR YOURSELF!
...and yes I'm sure someone will say we liberals don't. *rolls eyes* Whatever, but if you're going to claim you do think for yourselves then perhaps you should start getting information directly from its original source!
I've been
Waiting for a
Michele Bachmann
Piece
But this isn't it.
Reads like
It was written in
A cab
On the way to
Somewhere.
Agreed, I've been waiting for one ever since her 'CO2 is a natural gas, duh' rant.
Someone do a more in-depth piece on this congresswoman.
Ritarita and Area-Man, I agree, however, I can't imagine a serious article on this woman. That's like imagining a serious article on Amy Winehouse. Both of these women are over the guardrail. Unfortunately, one of them is participating in making the laws of our country, the other, breaking the laws of her's.
jan-
How about
One that
SERIOUSLY
described her
Antics
The anti-Bachmann
Websites
And went in depth
About who she
Associates with.
This piece
Doesn't even scratch
The surface.
In an odd way the representative is doing the rest of us a favor,she's showing just what kind of crazy can get elected, when too many people stay home on election day.
The U.S. had (until recently) pretty poor showing at the polls. My guess is Ms. Bachmann won't survive the next round of House elections. I can just see the ads run by her opposition, from Democrats and more interestingly...Republicans.
The GOP can never hope to rebuild with Rep. Bachmann as their standard bearer.
As a Minnesota voter I've watched Rep. Bachmann the past two elections. She is from a district which is about 75% Republican but manages to get about 51% of the votes. I think the next census will even up the district more and Ms. Bachman will be history. The district she represents is the most convoluted layout of any district in Minnesota; its a strip about 20 miles wide raping around the east side of St Paul and following the I-94 and Hi-way 10 up to St Cloud, MN. All we can hope for in Minnesota is time and redistricting so we can remove our most embrassing liability.
No offense to you lefties, but she is just doing the same thing as the Bush haters. Blame everything on the current president. I mean, come on, wasnt it Bush's fualt we had so many hurricanes a few years ago?
And I have never heard Limbaugh say anything about the flu being from undocumented aliens, but I will admit, I probably only listen to him for about 30-40 minutes around lunch.
Please dont forget our terrific Vice-President Biden telling us all how FDR came on TV to calm the fears of the nation when the stock market crashed in 1929 (hint: tv was not invented yet and Hoover was pres)
So really, it is the same 'ol same 'ol from our elected officials. Maybe you were complaining back when people blamed bush for everything?
No offense taken. I'd love Bachmann to be ubiquitous, 24/7. Fine by me if the majority of the right agrees with her. Her issue with Obama dates back to the general election (see Hardball). As long as her anti-science views (evolution and climate change) are not the policy of this country, I'd support a lifetime appointment for Bahcmann. Yes, there are any Bush bashers. But let's not forget that he had the lowest approval rating of any modern US president. Not all those polled are crazy lefties. Let's also not forget that after 911, Bush also had the highest approval rating of any modern president. Some may have faulted Bush for ideological reasons but many more faulted him for the incompetence of his tenure. As a party that constantly lectures others about responsibility, shouldn't Bush, the decider, be held accountable for leaving us with one of the worse recessions in US history, two ongoing wars, and no substantial legislative legacy outside of two tax cuts passed through reconciliation? I'm just saying....
all good replies to my post. Obviously I lean right. And all politics make me sick anymore. All sides, left and right, prove themselves more and more to be self-serving. I dont know didley about Bachmann, so maybe she is a total nutjob. Unfortunately, there are lots of nuts on both sides.
But just for example, the statement about him leaving us with the worse recession in 50 years, true he was the Pres, and it fall to him. But is there any blame to go to the Democratic House and Senate? They were the majority for the last two years. I'm just saying....
And after 9/11 and before the invasion of Iraq, Hillary Clinton is on record as saying her Husbands intellegence showed Saddam had WMD's. And that he repeatedly thumbed his nose at the UN sanctions. She agreed that he needed to go. I'm just saying....
These guys/gals always bash the opposition just so they get re-elected. The ALL seem to have some degree of a God complex after being there for a while. We really need term limits.
Thanks to all who are responding to this article for a polite and reasonable discussion.
The House was solidly blue for the since 2006, but the Senate was a virtual draw with Leberman siding with Republicans on many substantive issues and Dick Cheney as the the tie breaking vote. Republicans also set records early for procedural tactics to filibuster and stall legislation. Dems have to fight tooth and nail to get their stuff through Senate now; they weren't able to do anything then.
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Like the person you're trying to defend, you're getting your facts wrong. When Bush was in office, people on the left (or "lefties") never resorted to the depths of insanity, fear-mongering, or "factual freedom" that Bachmann has resorted to in the past few months. Also, their arguments, while somewhat far-fetched, at least were based in Bush policy. It may not have been the best logic, but you could see the logic, which we cannot say about Bachmann. Your reference of the hurricanes is a perfect example. During a particularly bad hurricane season, questions were raised whether Bush's environmental policies were contributing to the climate changes that might be increasing the likelihood of hurricanes. While it is going a bit far, you can actually find some nuggets of logic in that argument. Nobody went on camera and said "I find it interesting that the most deadly and costly hurricanes have happened when a Republican president was in office." Actually, had anyone done that, they'd be one step closer to sanity than Bachmann, as at least they'd be right.
The entire point of the this article is that Bachmann is going well beyond the same ol' same ol'. I expect an elected official to take liberties with logic to cast the other party in a not-so-flattering light. That's why I've accepted all the discussions about our "path to socialism" under Obama. But Bachmann has gone much, much further than that. She's accused Obama (and other elected officials) of being un-American; she's somehow cast a volunteer program as the beginning of "reprograming camps;" she's said how we should all be "armed & dangerous," in case the government tries something; hell, she's even tried to pass legislation to ensure we never get rid of the dollar in this country, even though such a prospect was not even close to even being thought about possibly bringing up in some random quasi-political action group. These go beyond "blaming everything on the President," and tread towards paranoid delusions.
If some person on the street came up to you talking about any of the things that Bachmann has so far mentioned, would you: a) think the person needed professional help; b) give the person a dollar in hopes they don't turn violent; or c) vote for them in the next election.
there are valid flaws on both sides, true. Are they equal? I don't think so. It seems clear to me that the libertarian / laissez-faire view of goverment involvement in the private sector is the #1 reason we're in the mess we're in today. It seems to be the foundation that this house of sh-t we've built seems to stand upon. It is also a governing/economic philosophy that is embraced by the Right more often than the Left, ergo people in power that helped contribute to this the MOST where from one party and not the other. Keep in mind, I don't think Democrats don't have a share in this calamity. We need an independent commission, 9/11-style, to spell out how we got here. I'd love to see who DOESN'T come out of that tarred and feathered and have a sneaking suspicion that one party would have more egg on their face than the other. I lean left, so go figure!
Back to Bachmann - Conservatives point out that 'there's nutjobs on the Left too', but take a step back and look objectively at the catalogue of this elected officials statements. There is NO current elected Democrat who has a list of completely baseless, false, misinformed, or generally flat-out-wrong quotes that comes close in frequency or bat sh-t craziness {to steal the authors pitch perfect description} to this woman.
And not to get too personal and mean, but she looks to me like a comic book villianess in citizens clothes before they change into super-villian gear to wreak havoc everywhere.
I would like someone to scrutinize the political affiliations that those in charge of the failed businesses really are. Look at Fannie and Freddie. Seems like a lot of top dog Dems hanging out there. The reason there has not been an investigation is there are more Dems than Rep on that list of idiots that regulated the banks and had buddies in the banks.
And I too, agree with JasonD73...
Theo thinks that because FAUX NEws and republicans screw that letting poor people buy homes is what ruined the economy. You do know that 80-90% of the mortgages out there are NOT in default?
Credit default swaps (basically people betting on loan failure vs success) are the real main component of the crisis? I know you don't, because the TV box didn't say that to you did it..?
"I mean, come on, wasnt it Bush's fualt we had so many hurricanes a few years ago?"
Of course it was. :-)
Assuming you meant that he had no control over the weather, I agree. However, I (and many others) do blame him for appointing "way to go, brownie" and many other incompetents to positions of power in our government, where they did great damage to all of us.
I've never heard anyone blame a hurricane on Bush. The response, that was all Bush.
Biden's reference to FDR's statement was mostly accurate. It was a RADIO address. Historical fact.
connie, "was mostly accurate" is kind of like being "mostly pregnant."
You're either accurate or not = Biden is a lyin' gaffe.
You Dem morons eat it w a full mouth. Biden makes you proud girl, you go for it!
Silly Connie47, please look up who was President when the market crashed in 1929. So actually, it was completely inaccurate. But hey, never let the facts get in the way of a good story, eh? That is the Democrat way, right?
Find someone accusing Bush of the Hurricanes.. and please post a link. I can find plenty of people blaming him for a shit-acular response to Katrina.
Limbaugh saying something overtly (or covertly) racist.. no way.. that would never happen. Wasn't he fired from ESPN because he can't not say something racist..?
I think the FDR thing with the TV has already been dealt with. He was on TV, not sure at what point but it was discussing the economic crisis. While TV was not 3 per household, i believe certain elites had them way before the rest.
I'd hit it.
Bet the real
Thing
Would change
Your mind
In a hurry.
Jason, I second that. Something about a batsh** crazy brunette that I just can't get enough of.
Please don't vote her out of office Minnesota.
There's just something about crazy chicks...
Love "But my question is, does anyone in Republican Party-or the district in Minnesota that apparently elected her-know that this person sounds batshit crazy?" That's the KEY question. Is her constituency now aware of what a wingnut they sent to Congress? She is divisive, racist and flat-out dumb -- not what we need for problem-solving of the worst recession in modern times. Please take her back, Minnesota.
I keep thinking about that, too. What part of Minnesota does she represent? It must be a part that was annexed by one of the Slave States, because I can see no other reason for anybody to vote for her.
And didn't she just get RE-elected in November?! By that time she had already come out with her suggestion to "investigate" people she considered to be un-American (and evidently not having a glimmer about the memories of Joe McCarthy that called up).
What are the people like in that district?
Please, just let me set the record straight. Not everyone in her district voted for her. Yes, a lot of us knew she was dangerous and scary and therefore we campaigned very hard to get her out of office. We're embarrassed enough by her comments, please don't smear us all because of our unfortunate geography.
In regards to "why" she got re-elected: unfortunately, the issue that won it for her was abortion. Too many people who voted one-issue on the basis of that and ignored all the crazy that comes out of her mouth.
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while i do not disagree that she is an idiot, i think it is frivolous to write an article about this. And for TDB to feature the this. Articles could easily be written about her adversaries. As Dorothea mentioned, Al Franken is a joke in himself. Joe Biden is another idiot of a politician. Not only does the white house have to do damage control every time he speaks, but he has been wrong in his facts several times in the past 100 days.
LOL!!!!
Yeah, I bet you thought it was "frivolous" to write articles on how vapid Sarah Palin was, too, but that's the stuff that finally turned her original tepid approval ratings to complete shit. 'buh-bye, Sarah!
Bachmann doesn't have as high a profile, but we still can work the same magic with her. There are people tied to beds in the throes of schizophrenic delusions, fighting off armies of bleeding angels in their heads who make more sense than this nutjob does, so it's just a matter of time-basically embarrass her constituents into throwing her out.
I'm with "catlady1". Bachmann's statement does merit an article because it exposes how vapid her mind is. That she opened her mouth at all to express this "interesting coincidence" is scary in itself. That is the only kind of content that she spews is scarier still. This is not a politician who balances occasional bloopers with smart behavior; Bachmann does nothing but string these asinine (and inaccurate, for more humor) remarks together as her total congressional record! Moreover a lot of her remarks aren't simply dumb; a lot of them are divisive, racist, right-wing nutso material (like FEMA prison camps and Obama's civil army [AKA "Americorp"). She's not just a ditz; she's a dangerous ditz.
The point is (I"ve been writing about this freakshow) is that she actually makes things up. She has said Carbon Dioxide is harmless because it is natural. Yet, it will certainly kill her in an enclosed room as it displaces the oxygen. Where Biden gaffes and can be irritating, he doesn't purposely lie and create a "facts" that do not exist. He does not call for people to get armed and dangerous. Neither has Franken. This woman is stupid and dangerous. I call her a traitor. Google her or read http://www.clydefitchreport.com/?p=1694 to get actual statements she has come up with. I think her inciteful and hateful rhetoric needs to be called on and made public. Granted Biden needs to think more, Bachmann simply decides what her truth is then speaks out on these "truths."
Alter, Blumenthal and the rest of the JournoList rabble - got them all on board, Tina? I can see why it was necessary to put McCain's daughter on the payroll. But, really, she's not much of a fig leaf.
C'mon, Banjo. Aren't you just a little embarrassed by Bachmann? Just a little? I loathe both Alterman and Blumenthal, but I can't blame them for hitting the hanging curveball that is Michelle Bachmann out of the ballpark.
Eric, I think u are taking this all wrong. Rather than expecting the reasonable, that a member of a legislative body that once brought us Lincoln should behave rationally, u should instead see Bachmann for what she is: a lonely C-Span caller from Minn who happened to be elected to office. From Virgina Foxx to Steve King, the GOP caucus is brimming with sanctimonious and frankly delusional self-appointed watchdogs of our democracy. As long as these people continue to fill the airwaves with their hateful hysteria, liberals like u and me should be jumping for joy. Regardless of the issue, Bachmann never disappoints. Let her rewrite history while Obama marches on with his transformative agenda. I'd take that trade anyday. What is one inconsequential vote when u have an overwhelming majority?
Look at it this way, in the current climate where Dems control the WH and Congress, would u rather have Bachmann and Palin be the face of the GOP or thoughtful people like Paul Ryan and Jon Huntsman? Would u prefer the 21% of self-identified Rep agreeing with hatemongers like Malkin and Rush or that same 21% following the intellectually engaged words of Brooks and Douthat?
Looks like a real estate agent, sounds like Joe McCarthy.
Yes, and she is earning a living on the taxpayers' backs. Shouldn't that frost the voters who put her in office? Even a little?
Meant to put earning in quotes.
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she is frightening because she is vicious and dumb. her racist mouth can't speak for the majority of her state...someone do something. she's sarah's evil twin.
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" . . . divisive, . . . and flat-out dumb . . ." Both have always been true of politicians to a certain extent. They are a reflection of what exists in our population as a whole, particularly since public service - representation of and for the people - is not considered a particularly honorable career.
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Oh please, as if....
Bachman is the ONLY whack job in the G.O.P...... You left a few out...
1) Limbaugh.
2) Dick Armey.
3) Tom Delay.
4) Glen Beck.
5) Bill-o-the-clown
6) Sarah ( I can see Russia from my door step ) Palin.
7) Michael Savage.
8) Sean Hanity.
9) Karl Rove.
10) Grover Norquist.
11) Anne Coulter.
12) Newt Gingrich.
Good thing there are no whack jobs in the Democrats ranks!!! Whew!!
Name ONE Democrat that is even close to as WHACKY as Bachman.....
Muddog, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool dem, and I can give you two... James Trafficant (the hair alone put him in the Crazy Hall of Fame), and William "money's in the fridge" Jefferson.
Though both of them are gone now, so maybe they don't count... But they were pretty nuts.
How about Oberman and Garofalo?
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Yea,. I like Meghan McCain :)
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You forgot to mention Michael Steele
My guess is optimus is very familiar with the symptoms of syphilis.
As you Banjo are very familiar with the conseqeunces of inbreeding.
HAR HAR!!!
Good one Munodi!!
I absolutely LOVE Michelle Bachmann!! She's dumb as dirt and arguably attractive; two key ingredients that catapult women to star hood in the GOP.
Isn't it just like the GOP to not only like their women dumb and pretty, but to parade them around and put them in front of the media every chance they get?
She is the best thing that happened since Caribou Barbie.
Forget 9-5 opening on Broadway, I see a Bachmann/Palin Coulter variety show as one of the most entertaining-easy-on-the-eyes bat-sh*$-crazy moments in entertainment history.
I'd stand in line to buy tickets to that comedic train wreck.
You have a point there, look at that woman on Fox and Friends, or now Miss. California.
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Palin-Bachman 2012!
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monet - you're the whore for writing such a comment. Grow up!
Please Pease keep her in Congress, heck I am a major Progressive & I going to send her money to help get re-elected. Nothing, no one even Sean, Rush, Billo, Laura,Michel, Joe the plumber, all of Fox pretend news could help the cause of reality more then this person. No one could be this stupid & be re-elected by her fellow stupid republicans. Here is a woman that is even more stupid then George Bush when it comes to knowing anything about anything. If she had even an ounce of brain power she would take a second look at what she has said, see how really ignorant the statements have been & SHUT UP, but thank goodness not her. SOOO I say keep it coming PLEASE!!!!!!!!! This woman if she wanted to help the Confederate republicans would change parties & become a Democrat. (Now that is a horrible thought is it not?) This woman also helps us all to see how the so called Confederate republicans don't have the principles to tell her to SHUT THE HELL UP. Again thanks for that. I think I wll send money twice, the second time for a tour across the nation for Palin & Bachman to speak their minds (However small their minds really are) & let the American people who have brains (Small portion) who & what the Confederate republican really are. Bottom line the whole group are gifts that keep on giving. :) :)
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Ironic donations! I love it!
NOOOO! Please, take pity on those of us who live in her district, did not vote for her, campaigned as hard as we could against her, and sob with embarrassment every time she opens her mouth!
Please tell me you at least mention this disappointment to her. I'd hate for her to suffer under the illusion that her district is happy with her.
I know this sounds dumb, but don't run Tinklenberg again. His very name suggests weakness. Get him to change it to Punch Rockgroin or something. That's why he lost to this glassy eyed bimbo.
I liked the original headline: House Idiot.
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What do you expect? This is the woman who thought Sarah Palin was VERRRRRRRRRY qualified for the Vice Presidency of the United State !!!!!!!! and that questioning her qualifications was Sexist !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This woman is a nut case.
A female version of Biden except she's a tad smarter.
There is seriously no comparison between the two! Biden is nowhere near this woman's level of insanity. Biden says things he shouldn't. I'll grant you that, but seriously he's not even close to her. She doesn't just make the regular gaffe in public. She's certifiably stupid!
Why do you keep calling her "this Bachmann woman"...would you say "this Specter man" or "this Feingold man?" Unless it's some reference I'm missing, it sounds sexist and undermines your credibility. You don't need to bring her gender into the argument; the evidence of her batshit craziness is enough to impeach her without ad hominem (feminam) attacks.
Well if you want to make links here is one: when Obama started to run for president, he was told only when pigs fly will he when. Now that he has won everyone is talking about swine flu.
But on this character, she is the perfect example of why we need education reform and teach kids proper history and how to use more than the reptilian brain we have evolved over the years.
How did she never graduate college?.... Winona State University and later received her J.D. degree from Oral Roberts University and a LL.M. degree in tax law from the College of William and Mary's Marshall-Wythe School of Law.
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