Michele Bachmann's Census Theories Too Much For Glenn Beck

As we related yesterday, Michele Bachmann has drawn a line in the sand, and will not fill out the Census, and no one really cares because who in America really wants to see government resources allocated to the Bachmann demographic, anyway? Nevertheless, Bachmann is the Neda Agha Soltan of fighting ACORN and the Census. "Why does the government need our phone numbers?" complains Bachmann, making me wonder if she plans on robo-calling her constituents come re-election time. You know I'll be watching for that!

Anyway, yesterday, Michele Bachmann went on the Glenn Beck Common Sense Comedy Hour to talk about all of this. Understandably, Bachmann is concerned with whether the government should know about its citizens' "mental stability." And here is one of Bachmann's amazing insights:

BACHMANN: You know the question that's not on this survey, Glenn? "Are you a U.S. citizen?" This would be your perfect opportunity to find out how many illegal aliens are in the United States.

Of course! That is precisely the way this mystery should be penetrated! I can see it now!

CENSUS TAKER: Okay, next question...are you a U.S. Citizen?

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: RATS! You caught me!

CENSUS TAKER: I shall now deport you, with my ACORN magicks!

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: And to think I almost got away with it!

And that's the incredibly true story of how Mitt Romney had to start paying his gardeners actual money!

But here's the revelatory part of Bachmann's conversation: It appears that there actually is a point at which you can even out-bonkers Glenn Beck! Watch as the video gets to about the two-minute mark. That's when Bachmann starts up her "OMGZ! THE INTERNMENT CAMPZ" spiel. Beck starts shaking his head in disbelief, and then just shuts her down, mid-thought! Is that a bridge too far for Glenn Beck, who runs the most realistic Doom Room in Cable news? Maybe! Of course, I can't help but notice that Beck set Bachmann up perfectly to proffer that answer.

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[WATCH]

UPDATES, 1:40pm: Lots of emailers think I'm giving "too much credit" to Beck. That's okay with me, people. You can call it like you see it. I sort of detected a change of tone and enthusiasm when she launched into her "internment camps" speech. Remember, Beck himself softly advanced the idea of "FEMA camps" not too long ago. I seem to recall him saying it was something that, at first, he could not disprove. He kept that up, briefly, before finally doing a show, "debunking" it. With that in mind, I figured, well, maybe it hits a sensitive topic. But, lots of people write off his reaction to time issues -- he was hitting the end of his segment.

Naturally, I don't feel I was issuing a definitive opinion on the matter anyway. As I said in the post: "Of course, I can't help but notice that Beck set Bachmann up perfectly to proffer that answer."

As for Michele Bachmann robo-calling her constituents, an emailer tells me that these are, in fact, ongoing. If you have a recording of a Michele Bachmann robo-call, I would love to hear it!

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Comments

[MillinMn]

ACORN won't be canvassing for the census. They won't be getting contracts related to the census at all. It's just not true. The people who come talk to folks in households who don't reply are trained US Census workers, not ACORN employees.

If people hate ACORN, make it for something that ACORN is actually doing.

[CityGardner]

"If people hate ACORN, make it for something that ACORN is actually doing."
-- Wikipedia has an emotion-free description of ACORN., quoted below. Take a look, picture which 'people' don't want to pay fair wages or offer decent housing to the poor, and you'll know who wants the far right to help them wreck ACORN.

"ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is a community-based organization that advocates for low- and moderate-income families by working on neighborhood safety, voter registration, health care, affordable housing, and other social issues. ACORN has over 400,000 members and more than 850 neighborhood chapters in over 100 cities across the United States, as well as in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, and Peru. ACORN was founded in 1970 ...

ACORN's priorities have included: better housing and wages for the poor, more community development investment from banks and governments, better public schools, and other social justice issues.[2] ACORN pursues these goals through demonstration, negotiation, lobbying for legislation, and voter participat­ion.[2] ACORN is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that typically champions liberal and progressive causes. It is made up of numerous legally distinct parts including local non-profits, a national lobbying organization, and the ACORN Housing Corporatio­n."

[BoshSpong]

I was flabbergasted that Glenn Beck was showing even a modicum of moderation and clear thinking – with Ms. Bachmann’s record of zaniness it could be a plausibility - so I avidly looked at your post to experience this incredible occurrence - no such thing happened; he did not do what you attributed to him at all. It seemed as if he was simply running out of time, but I saw no sign of the common sense that you attribute to him.

Maybe you just wanted to see this in him, wishful thinking on your part - or maybe you wanted people like me to read your blog - in that case you accomplished your objective - I will in the future be much more careful with your reports you seem to have an overactive imagination.

[dromero234]

"Michele Bachmann has drawn a line in the sand, and will not fill out the Census....­"
Can she just go one step further and drop off the face of the earth?
That will take care of her issue.

[hortonhearsdawho]

let's just sandblast her...

[BlackMagicWoman]

Hey, if Palin runs in 2012, can she PLEASE be her running mate? Please!!!

[hortonhearsdawho]

dou.che/ba­g2012...wh­at a combo...

[Fernando]

Don't even joke about that. Seriously, the thought of having Palin anywhere near a presidential ticket freaks me out. That's one bad video or something scandalous away from having her in the White House.

[broses]

"...no one really cares because who in America really wants to see government resources allocated to the Bachmann demographic, anyway?"

LOL!!

[JustSoTired]

This leaves elite wingnut Michelle Malkin with a dilemma. In 2004, Malkin wrote a highly controversial book called "In Defense of Internment: The World War II Round-Up and What It Means For America's War on Terror."
From the product description on Amazon:
"This diligently documented book shows that neither the internment of ethnic Japanese--not to mention ethnic Germans and Italians--nor the relocation and evacuation of Japanese Americans from the West Coast were the result of war hysteria or race prejudice as historians have taught us. "
The book also claims that, regarding the West Coast camps: "tens of thousands of ethnic Japanese were allowed to leave; hundreds voluntarily chose to move in." Also, the book purports to show "how both Japanese American and Arab/Muslim American leaders have united to undermine America's safety."
So what's a wingnut pundit to do? Defend Bachmann and refute her own book? Decry Bachmann and commit GOP heresy? The other option, of course, is for Malkin to come up with a completely convoluted, insane, irrational diatribe that no one in their right mind could predict. I'm going with that one.

[pleadthe5th]

Let me get this straight..­.Liberals have a HUGE problem privacy issues in general and especially when it comes to FISA and teenage abortions but NO problem at all with ACORN going door to door asking how many people are in your house, your telephone number, income, transportation, education, origins and languages, physical characteristics of your house, financial characteristics of your home, any disability­/caregiver­s, residence changes within the last 5 years, etc.? I wonder if it has anything to do with WHO is doing the collecting? Hmmmmmmmmm

[been2there]

ACORN is not doing the door to door.

[nicole5]

I have no idea if they'll be going door to door, but they are "census partner", whatever that means.

"Acorn, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, signed up in February with the bureau to be a "2010 Census Partner," which includes, among other things, identifying job candidates, encouraging its members to participate in the count and distributing literature explaining the importance of the census."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623459227366517.html

Personally, I don't care if ACORN is involved or not it's the actual questions on the Census that bother me. They seem very intrusive.

[papapj]

.....ACORN going door-to-do­or...shees­h!....Igno­ramus...

[golferman]

All lies, ignorance is bliss!!

[BEHM777]

I am too lazy to look it up right now, but I am SURE the census is provided for in the Constitution, which begs the question "What does Michelle Bachman have against the Constitution?"

[pleadthe5th]

The census is provided for in the Constitution, what bothers Ms Bachman is that ACORN will be going door to door to collect the information. If George Bush, in 2000 had the Conservative Caucus go door to door asking personal questions libs would be going crazy.

[MillinMn]

No, ACORN will not be working the Census. You've heard inaccurate stuff.

[Bingo-Long]

And all this from someone who suggested that the press should do an exposé on congressional backgrounds to find out who was "Anti-American" or "Un-American"

[phylliscooper1]

Not an attack of conscious or an insult to his intelligence, just Geico or Gold Line.

[tb1010]

Shouldn't she be sponsoring an amendment to the constitution? Also WTF is up with being pro-wiretaps but anti-census? The government can information but only if it is being sneaky. I am hoping she argues this violates her third amendment rights because clearly those census workers are on your porch are just like troops being quartered in your house.

[CityGardner]

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/

Watch a new video on the 2010 Census

Countdown to Census Day: April 1, 2010

What is the Census?
* The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years.
* The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
* The next census is in 2010.
* Your participation in the census is required by law.
* It takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
* Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
* Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.
----------­----------­----------­---

[SheilaC]

I do not trust our government to use the information gathered in a legal fashion,

[sueinmn]

You simply do not trust our government. Simple as that!

[DanBest]

What part of "We the people" confuses you?

[hortonhearsdawho]

make parole and get involved..­.

[papapj]

Do you vote?

[onepotatotwopotato]

Illegals should in no way be counted when it comes to allocating government benefits or Congressional representation.

[bleedveldt]

they should not be counted? why do they get all source of benefits in california? is that ghost money?
maybe if california would count them they wouldnt be in the mess they find themselves.

[FreelanceMinion]

But we might want to know how many LEGAL foreigners there are living in what part of the USA. And if we just did the headcount Bachman wants we WOULD change our representation patterns based on the presence of foreigners (legal status or not).

Besides, if local governments have to give aid to everyone who asks for it (emergency rooms, schools) and the federal government won't stop non citizens from coming, such information could be used to demand the Fed compensate states with higher non-citizen populations, as they should since the states are paying higher costs due to Federal inaction.

[barrycourage]

I am not one of those paranoid hermit-in-the-woods types, stocked with an arsenal and an underground shelter filled with enough canned food to last a decade. But I understand Bachmann's general point about privacy.

Census data is used for some productive purposes, true. But Americans' privacy has eroded significantly over several decades. Consequently, we have fought for laws that protect the privacy of our medical records and financial records. People should have the right to refuse to answer the census.

The $100 fine is Big Brother-like arm twisting. It turns the census into an exercise of forced submission to an informational colonoscopy. The census isn't like paying taxes or registering for the draft, which are legitimate obligations, exacted regardless of personal demographics, and are necessary for society's well-being. The government has no absolute necessity to look up random individuals' behinds.

Bachmann's arguments might be over the top but her gripe is justified.

[chameleon59]

And yet the actual Census asks no more than it has for almost a century. If Bachman can't even figure out that she's actually objecting to the American Communities Survey NOT the 10-year census, I can't take her concerns seriously at ALL.

[formercon]

I want to know just who are these people who put her in office. They must be investigated and their mental health determined if they are a danger to themselves or others. Certainly a most irrational congressional district.

[sueinmn]

They need to start playing the song "they are coming to take me away" next time shes on TV!

[wolfgangmo]

Wait a minute. Not all of us are bad. It is just that she is in what is likely the most gerrymandered district in America. It looks like a snake with legs. And Bachmann herself engineered a takeover of the local GOP by a group of radical evangelical theocrats.

Check out the website Dump Bachmann for some fun, but factual information of Minnesota's most embarrassing congress critter.