Michele Bachmann: Occupy Wall Street Wants Other People To 'Pay For Their Stuff'

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann doubled down on Sunday on her criticism of Occupy Wall Street, saying the movement is far less likely to gain traction with the American people than the Tea Party.

"The strength is not with Occupy Wall Street," she said on CNN's "State of the Union." "If you go to the essence of what Occupy Wall Street stands for, it's having other people pay for their stuff."

Bachmann (R-Minn.) has repeatedly criticized the "Occupy" movement, in which protesters are asking for less money in politics and policies that benefit the "99 percent," or those in the middle and on the lower end of the economic spectrum.

OWS protesters interrupted a Bachmann event in South Carolina in November, saying she "promote[s] discrimination" and is not helping the American people.

Bachmann later criticized those protesters as "ignorant and disrespectful."

She said the Tea Party, a constituency she is courting in her attempt to win the Republican presidential nomination, is still going strong.

"That's why you'll see a very strong turn-out in the elections, because people are turning against Barack Obama and his failed policies," she said.

 

Comments

[C Peele]

11:17 AM on 12/11/2011

She could not be more wrong. OWS is about the crime of the century. Wall Street stole so much money it’s inconceivable that the populace would just stand around and let it continue. Rules need to be changed and fixed, and the bankers who perpetuated the fraud need to go to jail.

OWS is not against capitalism. They just want some reforms so that Wall Street can't hold the country hostage when they completely mismanage their businesses through greed and recklessness. We want guarantees they won’t be bailed out with hardworking taxpayer funds and then pay themselves lavish bonuses.

We need to end Citizens United which simply corrupts politics even more than it already is by stuffing corporate money into politician’s pockets.

And the "bailout" isn't over yet and the current figure is in the trillions of dollars of hardworking taxpayers money. Goldman Sachs alone sold $76.5 billion of worthless mortgage-backed securities to institutional investors like pensions, municipalities, school districts and insurance companies.

When it was "discovered" that the crap they sold to their customers was worthless, they demanded AIG pay off their bets. AIG was broke so $182 billion of hardworking taxpayer's money was pumped into AIG who promptly paid GS 100 cents on the dollar to the tune of $13 billion, GS them promptly paid themselves bonuses with - hardworking taxpayer's money. You don't just sweep this kind of white collar crime under the rug.

[grover5995]

01:32 AM on 12/07/2011

"That's why you'll see a very strong turn-out in the elections, because people are turning against Barack Obama and his failed policies," she said.

They certainly aren't turning towards MB if her support remains in single digits!

[Norcal2]

11:34 AM on 12/07/2011

Yes, I agree. what is her deal...is she looking to do book deals like the rest of them?

[1Truthseeker]

12:30 AM on 12/07/2011

Hypocrites like Bachman don't have the capacity to recognize truth: too enamored with her own lies.

She would rather continue using our tax dollars to pay for this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/datablog/interactive/2010/oct/23/wikileaks-iraq-deaths-map

[MotorcycleBoy]

07:19 PM on 12/06/2011

Clearly, this woman doesn't know wth she's talking about...totally clueless

[esoft]

12:02 PM on 12/06/2011

The sentiments of the Occupiers should be lucid enough for all to understand.....failure to grasp this clarity suggests a huge disconnect from reality - what beats me is when the poor come out in defence of the avarice of the 1% and promote trickle down theories that have clearly not worked; are they brainwashed or fueled by hatred of misguided targets?

[Freebird 1969]

11:29 AM on 12/06/2011

Did you hear about the OWS protestors building their own space ship? They just want to occupy space.

[snow flower]

09:31 AM on 12/06/2011

Wow, by reading this article I thought I might finally gain some insight into this poser who has the audacity to run for the leader of the free world. What a disappointment she can't articulate anything
of substance. Go back to whatever state you represent, Michelle.(I don't know enough about you to care where you hail from). There are enough women of your ilk out there that are setting the rest
of us back.

[1Truthseeker]

12:23 AM on 12/07/2011

I'm deeply ashamed to admit that she is from Minnesota.

[Candide33]

06:58 AM on 12/06/2011

What is she down to now... like 3% in the polls? People have already turned against her and her failed tea party policies... In a HUGE way!

[Martha Fair]

08:18 PM on 12/05/2011

You mean like the government has to pay for your tax-free change gay to straight clinic or the farm subsidies that your family has exploited from the American Taxpayers. How long do other people have to be forced to pay for your free stuff Ms. Bachmann? Now go get a real job you lazy good for nothing because you are much too stupid to become President. Didn't anyone tell you the truth yet? Why don't you just go on your book tour now and then all you have to do is look good because you don't have to open your mouth and put your foot in it anymore. Let your looks do the talking because that is all you have left and the days are numbered for that also.

[Kommonman]

06:27 PM on 12/05/2011

Hmm Bachman seems to like taxpayers to pay for her stuff in the from of farm subsidies and everything else she has applied for...Blatant hypocrit spouts off again...It is a sorry day when such a person fills the airwaves with such distorted views and inaccurate statements...all while hiding behind tha facade of false patriotism and false fiscal responsibility....It would seem as long as it benifits her the money is well spent but for the nation as a whole no money can be spent for anything but what her narrow minded ideology allows for....We have immigrnat take basic citizenry tests...perhaps it is time for Politicians to take them too...Though that would probably leave us with an empty Congress

[Sam D man]

05:17 PM on 12/05/2011

I don't want nobody to pay for my ( _ _ _ _).
All I wants the 1% to stop taking from my IRA & 401 k
so they can pay for there (_ _ _ _).

[1Truthseeker]

12:25 AM on 12/07/2011

Here is what the 1% uses our tax dollars to do.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/datablog/interactive/2010/oct/23/wikileaks-iraq-deaths-map

[suvariboy]

04:46 PM on 12/05/2011

Heading should have read: Michele Bachmann breathes.

[myviews]

09:26 PM on 12/05/2011

Is that the good news or the bad?

[Candide33]

06:59 AM on 12/06/2011

LOL!

[hhoc612710]

04:37 PM on 12/05/2011

Somebody needs to shut her up. She is doubling down on her criticism for protestors. She knows nothing about their claims . She needs to go down there and ask them directly who they are and what they want. She will learn a lot from the ground

[Aurical]

09:02 PM on 12/05/2011

She STILL wouldn't know. She is worse than ignorant, she is willfully ignorant. She doesn't want to know what the protestors want.

[hhoc612710]

09:42 PM on 12/05/2011

Today ignorance is quality for a republican

[myviews]

09:27 PM on 12/05/2011

When you think you know you cannot learn. Like she thinks you can pray the gay away and so she prays. How's it going there Michele...? Oh, not so good? Well, keep on a' prayin'!

[diomedes23]

04:22 PM on 12/05/2011

Bachman's argument is very weak. People everywhere just want a chance to make their own money. Nobody wants to sit around and be bored while spending charity pittances. She is either trying to protect her own piggybank or is in the pockets of big businesses and banks...or both.

[Candide33]

07:01 AM on 12/06/2011

You are right... doing nothing is way more exhausting than working ... I will chose working any day.

[jtandsonja]

03:33 PM on 12/05/2011

Please Michele, please don't say anything stupid and just go away.