Michele Bachmann Downplays Swiss Citizenship

Michele Bachmann has been a Swiss citizen ever since 1978, she says now, following reports that she just recently exercised her eligibility for dual-citizenship.

Bachmann said in a statement:

“This is a non-story. I automatically became a dual citizen of the United States and Switzerland in 1978 when I married my husband, Marcus. Marcus is a dual American and Swiss citizen because he is the son of Swiss immigrants. As a family, we just recently updated our documents.

“I am proud of my husband, Marcus, the love of my life, and his Swiss heritage. Even though I have been a dual citizen since I was married in 1978, I have never exercised any rights of that citizenship. Rather, I have always pledged allegiance to our one nation under God, the United States of America. We live in the greatest nation humankind has ever known and I am proud to be an American.”

Even though Bachmann claims she has known she was a Swiss citizen for decades, she failed to disclose her dual citizenship during her presidential campaign.

“It wasn’t necessary to disclose, because she is an American citizen and always has been. She has a United States birth certificate and a United States passport,” Bachmann spokesperson Becky Rogness told Politico.

On Tuesday, Bachmann's office confirmed that she had just recently been granted dual citizenship.

"Congresswoman Bachmann's husband is of Swiss descent so she has been eligible for dual-citizenship since they got married in 1978," Rogness said in a statement. "However, recently some of their children wanted to exercise their eligibility for dual-citizenship so they went through the process as a family."

Below, a look back at some of Bachmann's most unforgettable and questionable remarks:

Comments

[Izzat]

09:16 PM on 07/14/2012

How appropriate that she became a citizen of a country that didn't allow women to vote until 1971! How appropriate!

[BlueKoi]

10:48 AM on 06/05/2012

I know its wrong but everytime I hear the name "Marcus" I think of Michelle , and it makes me smile.

[sheppard1]

03:43 PM on 05/14/2012

I don't think she is now or ever has been a U.S. citizen.. I demand proof, I tell you, PROOF!

[LGC1953]

04:13 PM on 05/11/2012

Yes, WHY is Michele Bachmann in the news? No, not even the Republican Party can be so stupid as to get her to run with whoever wins the Primary, can they?

[Patrick Fogarty]

08:14 AM on 05/11/2012

Why is Michele Bachmann in the news ? Is it that she is a significant figure of such intellectual integrity that what ever she does , where ever she goes or what ever she says must be recorded and broadcast to a hungry and anxiously waiting following ; or is it that the news media and its audience has finally hit bottom ? You choose !

[retiredfemale]

02:03 PM on 05/15/2012

I chose the hit bottom choice.

[concerned tax payer]

08:10 AM on 05/11/2012

Chase is looking at pre-paid debit cqrds that have HUGE fees. Chase is telling homeowners that they can not set up payment plans on homes in arrears on payments.

And the CHASE LOSES $2 BILLION MAKING GAMBLING BETS!!

Pull the charter!

[retiredfemale]

02:08 PM on 05/15/2012

I have understood the logic of forclosing on a home-buyer instead of working with them to catch up if they fall behind; anyone can hit a bad stretch and have to miss a house payment and at the high cost of house payments for those who have/had adjustable rate morgages most can not catch up in one pay check. Seems the banks rushing to forclose are hurting themselves; most of those homes that were forclosed on in my small town have sold for less than a third of thier value.

[concerned tax payer]

08:09 AM on 05/11/2012

Why do the citizens not get access to funds at 0.25%?

Chase got access to Federal Funds at 0.25%, and instead of making credit available to help the economy, they made huge bets that lost a whopping, incredibly ridiculous amount of money - over $2 billion accoring to their CEO.

NOT ACCEPTABLE!

Either lend money, or get your bank charter pulled. This is fraud, to take the tax payers money (it is our money until each and every penny of TARP is repaid from ALL banks) and use it to gamble for excessively risky schemes that they do not even understand themselves.

PULL CHASE'S BANK CHARTER!!!!!

[concerned tax payer]

08:06 AM on 05/11/2012

I love Michelle Bachmann and it IS a NON STORY.

Why aren't you writing about Chase, and their abusive $2 billion loss gambling, while they get access to funds at 0.25%?

They should be lending, lowering fees, and conducting banking.

Instead, they bet, gamble, take risks, and take advantage of the low rates from the Federal Reserve for personal gain rather than to help the economy... with banks like that, who needs banks?

[offcenterlevi]

10:41 AM on 05/11/2012

I despise Bachmann, but I also agree that this is a non story. I agree too with what you say about Chase.

[Jeffreygeez]

04:15 AM on 05/11/2012

The reality show continues, you cannot make this stuff up. How dumb does she have to be to apply for Swiss citizenship as she waves that American flag? Very dumb, yet she was in a position to be nominated to run highest office in our country. The Bachmann for President and Palin ticket as her VP would have been interesting, too bad that never happened, then we would never have any reason to watch reruns of the Three Stooges, they are only two but more than make up for being one less stooge with their actions.Ps The Three Stooges were acting, there for real- scary stuff out there in the world of politics.

[Ange Purs]

03:22 AM on 05/11/2012

How is that people like Bachmann can rise to such prominence??? Who on this planet wouldnt want dual citizenship with the Swiss? Cant we stop giving press time to the nut faction?

[glockenspiel323]

02:20 AM on 05/11/2012

Michelle and Marcus seem to be singing: Glory, Glory Hallelujah,
we are really gonna skru ya!

[Twizzler]

12:41 AM on 05/11/2012

Complete BS that her Swiss citizenship was automatic upon marriage.

[Sambadaddy]

11:37 PM on 05/10/2012

Marcus can see Geneva from his mirror!

[sadlesor]

10:10 PM on 05/10/2012

Well, if we are lucky, she would give up her US citizenship and move to Switzerland.

[TurnToTheLeft]

08:56 PM on 05/10/2012

Marcus Bachmann is a Swish citizen; so Michelle has a right to be Swish. Marcus is from the small dark town of Schrank (closet in english). Therefore Marcus is a Schrank Swish. You can take Marcus out of the Schrank; but you can't deny him the right to Swish.

[hsf124]

09:03 AM on 05/11/2012

LOL! Fanned!