Michele Bachmann Links Swine Flu To Democrats, Gets History Wrong (VIDEO)

Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann, following Rush Limbaugh's cue, suggested on Tuesday that President Obama was to blame for the swine flu crisis. She went even farther than the talk show host, implying that swine flu epidemics are a Democratic phenomenon that dates back to President Carter.

"I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence."

Unfortunately, Bachmann's facts are a little off. As Glenn Thrush notes, Republican President Gerald Ford, not Carter, led the country during the last outbreak of the virus.

Video:

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Comments

[ChelseaC]

04:03 PM on 05/07/2009

For the life of me, I can't understand why Bachmann was voted in after her
let's see who's a "Real American" bruhaha.

Those of you who voted for Bachmann-- I must ask-- what were you thinking?????

[psyopswatcher]

06:41 PM on 05/04/2009

If you had swine flu in '76, would you be immune to it now? Could that be why it's mainly infecting younger people?

[TazoWolf]

12:02 AM on 05/05/2009

No. Flu mutates very rapidly. This is a completely different strain than was present in 1976.

[Tulsaslim]

11:37 AM on 05/04/2009

Here in Oklahoma we'd say that she just got back from 'Planet Inhofe'.

[TeamHuckNewYork]

06:57 PM on 05/03/2009

Let me lay another fact on you Dodie as yet another instance of bipartisan failure--quite different from the "Repugnants are the source of evil" inaninty so prevalent on this site. Senate Democrats, including our own Chuck Schumer, didn't deem flu vaccines appropriate in the last stimulus either as you will see in this clip of Senator Schumer bragging that the money allocated for additional vaccines was one o those "porky little things" that he was proud to see eliminated:

http://curtmaynardsnewestblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/chuck-schumer-bragged-about-cutting-flu.html

We need to get together my friends and stop the overly simplistic "us versus them" mentality because, after all, the OTHER party is the one that has screwed everything up for us! What we need is principled leadership not partisanship.

[GregJL]

11:05 AM on 05/06/2009

Oh wow..you want to be taken seriously, find a source that doesn't refer to Senator Schumer as "the Jew" and show a video that he claims no mainstream media will air because they're all owned by Jews.

You know what? On second thought, don't bother posting anything from anywhere else, just go wash your sheets.

[reagangirl]

11:39 AM on 05/03/2009

Wow! As a republican I am embarrassed! Viruses do not have political affiliations.

[bobo5]

04:30 PM on 05/03/2009

It's a PANdemic. PAN is the party of Felipe Calderon. Michelle will eventually realise this when one of her other personalities emerges.

[Dodie-California]

07:27 PM on 05/02/2009

Michele Bachmann, following Rush Limbaugh's clueless....... (ROFL) And you believe him. No wonder the USA is in such a mess!

My advise, go see a psychiatrist and start taking some Risperdal Oh, if you do not know what that is... look under anti-psychotic medications!!!

[Dodie-California]

07:14 PM on 05/02/2009

Michele, where are you getting your facts??? Where does "the Democratic Party is the root cause of the flu" come from? You need Risperdal as you are totally delusional. Just because The Democratic Daily discusses the flu does not mean the Democratic Party is responsible! ~Good Grief~ What is wrong with you! Michele, should be fired for publishing false information.

Fact:
1. The GOP deemed funding for pandemic preparation was extravagant in the stimulus package, therefore it was axed. Thank you GOP for your insightful decisions.
2. CEO Larry Pope of Smithfield Foods is Republican.
Michele, if you Google search on…Smithfield Foods & Granjas Carroll industrial pig farm in Mexico. You will find that is the suspected culprit with the UN now investigating. Oh yes, this is a US half-owned Granjas Carroll industrial pig farm. Now why does that Not surprise me???

I am very irritated that WE CONTINUE TO PLACE CORPORATE MONEY ABOVE THE HEALTH OF OUR PEOPLE BY NOT CLOSING OUR BORDER!! The border not being closed has a profound effect on me since I live 60 miles from Mexico.

I called 9 pharmacies, 3 hospitals, my medical clinic and MD.

((( NO ONE HAS TAMIFLU AVAILABLE. )))

It is all back ordered. I work for a southern California County Health Care Agency in a city called “little Mexico as 1 in 5 can NOT speak English” and the county does NOT have Tamiful nor face masks with N95 respirators.
Its seems NO ONE is prepared.

[catmando]

11:18 AM on 05/07/2009

I hate to break it to you Dodie but Tamiflu will not work on swine flu. Neither will those masks.

[MysticMirage]

05:19 PM on 05/02/2009

Why do members of the repug party have an iq equivalent to that of a goldfish (Ron Paul is an exception)?

[DesertRatzoRizzo]

01:23 PM on 05/02/2009

Minnesota is a state I've always held in very high esteem. Its residents seem to be sensible and thoughtful people with oodles of common sense. What I cannot fathom is how Michele Bachmann came to be elected in the first place in such a progressive state, much less re-elected this past November!

[MNJim]

08:17 PM on 05/02/2009

There's already a PAC forming to oust her in the next round------ hopefully we will be successful. People from around the state are contributing as she is an embarrassment to MN. This is a progressive state with clean politics and enlightened leaders. Minneapolis was the first city in the country to adopt a civil rights law in 1949 when Hubert Humphrey was mayor.

[MNJim]

01:04 PM on 05/02/2009

I find it interesting that the 1st case of swine flu in Minnesota occurred in the 6th Congressional District, represented by Michele Bachmann. It was diagnosed this week. Now I'm not blaming Bachmann, but I just find it interesting that our 1st case was in her district.

[SHALU]

05:34 PM on 05/02/2009

Thats funny:-)

[MNJim]

08:12 PM on 05/02/2009

Thanks, Shalu-----but it's actually true! The 1st case of Swine Flu diagnosed here in Minnesota was in her district and people here are ROFL about it. What a hoot.

[YLS2007]

11:55 AM on 05/02/2009

Who among us as children didn't say and do the most ridiculous things in order to draw attention and reactions from people?

The more attention, the more stupidity. When we stopped getting reaction, we stopped. The more publicity you give this buffoon, the more she will talk.

You can't stop people like her from talking, but you can stop encouraging her et al by stopping to publicize everything they say...

[brandon102]

11:42 AM on 05/02/2009

I absolutely LOVE the Republican party these days!

They have Michele Bachmann and Rush Limbaugh as celebrity spokesmodels. Michael Steele "running" the party while a secret cabal of new, idealistic, radical thinkers (Gingrich, McCain, Romney) comes up with a "New Ideas" agenda (but not too new, 'cause those religious types like their change over centuries, not mere decades) (and no African Americans, and no women, 'cause -- oh come on, you have to ask?) and a more-than promising 2012 ticket of Palin/Hannity (well, one of them has to be pretty at least).

Wonderful work, Republicans. You've shrunk from a "big tent" to a "big umbrella" to a "big condom." Oops--make that no condom at all; at some point you'll need to increase your numbers, although virgin birth apparently works in the Palin family. What ever happened to that boy? Oh, there never was one. Never mind.

[vidivici]

11:25 AM on 05/02/2009

David Letterman - The Republican Party "We got nothing" .

[Victorinox]

10:16 AM on 05/02/2009

Is this crazier than her bill to prohibit the dollar from being replaced by non-existent global currency? She's so dumb and paranoid, she makes Palin look like Clinton.

[cybersense]

08:13 AM on 05/02/2009

Oh my. I should tell you that M. Bachmann is a good reason to vote for the infamous "lizard people'.

it was a cold hellish winter in Minnesota when she some how won that election. People were so boared they needed some type of entertainment.

Next up - Aliens are Democrats?