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Bachmann Backpedals From "Anti-American" Comment, Blames Media
When God told Michele Bachmann to run for office so that she could play a part in saving traditional marriage and defeating radical Islam, she and her husband fasted and prayed for three days to make sure that was indeed His will. Appearing at Pastor Mac Hammond's Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 2006 to describe her heavenly epiphany, Bachmann called herself a fool for Christ and said that God was "focused like a laser beam" on her race for the U.S. House of Representatives.
"I don't want any more letters about how church and politics don't mix," warned Pastor Hammond after Bachmann's speech, "if that's your opinion, then you need to get saved." Bachmann could use some saving now after her disastrous October 17th stint on Hardball, in which she characterized Barack Obama as "anti-American", and called for the media to investigate him and other Congressional members. God may be looking the other way, but Bachmann's political foes are seething, and members of her own party aren't exactly rallying to her side.
Bachmann has been attempting to backpedal her way out of a firestorm that might well spell the end of her political career. National outrage over statements Bachmann made during her appearance caused a surge in campaign contributions to her DFL rival, Elwyn Tinklenberg, who collected $1M in the 96 hours after Bachmann's accusatory statements. Even the Republican opponent who lost to Bachmann in the primaries is after her seat -- Aubrey Immelman declared himself a write-in candidate the day after Bachmann's smiling invective, stating his belief that:
Rep. Bachmann has dishonored her office and brought shame to the Sixth District and the State of Minnesota by calling for a media investigation reminiscent of McCarthy-era witch hunts to "find out [which members of Congress] are pro-America or anti-America. " We cannot tolerate this festering brand of neo-McCarthyism in our midst. We cannot and must not tolerate elected representatives who abuse their high office and play into the hands of our enemies by sowing the seeds of hatred and dividing America against itself.
The problem with Bachmann's backpedaling is that she she doesn't have a leg to spin on -- her words were not, as she has variously claimed, "misread" or "misconstrued", nor did she make a "misstatement". Instead, Bachmann made a pointed accusation, defended that accusation, and when faced with the politically disastrous consequences, took a page out of Palin's tired right-wing notebook and blamed the media.
The problem for Bachmann, like Palin, is that it's difficult to lie against irrefutable evidence. Palin, confronted with an investigative report that clearly states she abused her power as governor, may hail it as proof that "there was no unethical or unlawful behavior on my part. ... No abuse of power there at all," but millions of others, reading the same report, see the words that are actually written -- "Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 2952.110" -- and can only wonder at Palin's mendacity.
Bachmann, grinning profusely, let loose a torrent of accusations against Barack Obama and others during her Hardball appearance and now, through the same kind of blinders-on mentality displayed by Palin, hopes that others will see her as a victim.
MR. MATTHEWS: So you believe that Barack Obama may have anti- American views.REP. BACHMANN: Absolutely. I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported Wednesday that Bachmann, appearing at the St. Cloud Minnesota Rotary Club, held Hardball host Chris Matthews responsible for the controversy. "I had never seen his show before," Bachmann was quoted as saying. "I probably should have taken a look at what the show was like. . .A trap was laid, but I stepped into it." At the same appearance, Bachmann outight denied ever saying that Barack Obama was anti-American, and said she does not believe that he is, although she remains "very concerned" about his views.
"I don't believe that socialism is a good thing for America," she told the crowd of 100 supporters.
Earlier in the week, Bachmann told WCCO-TV, "I feel his views are concerning, and I'm calling on the media to investigate them. I'm not saying that his views are anti-American." In other words, Bachmann is leveling the same accusations against Obama that she did on Hardball, but wishes to remove the "anti-American" label that got her in so much trouble.
MR. MATTHEWS: Well, he's a United States senator from Illinois. He's one of the people you suspect as being anti-American. How many people in the Congress of the United States do you think are anti- American? You've already suspected Barack Obama. Is he alone, or are there others? How many do you suspect of your colleagues as being anti-American?REP. BACHMANN: What I would say -- what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that.
Bachmann sees a trap where there was only an open door. She might have taken the opportunity to explain or elucidate her earlier anti-American statement against Barack Obama, but instead she extended the cold hand of McCarthyism to the entire Congress. Bachmann may be a fool for Christ, but it's her political foolishness that is almost certain to cost her the next election.
Follow Jane Devin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/janedevin
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Has anybody checked whether Bachmann even knows what McCarthyism was?
I bet she learned the term when she was taken apart after her appearance on Hardball.
Here's a good question for the next interview and press conference with Palin - of which there will be none -
Tell us what McCarthyism was. And how do you plan to make sure it won't happen again? Or do you think it was a good thing? Please explain the term 'witch-hunt'. And just why exactly did you personally find it relevant to make sure you're not a witch? Were you afraid of being hunted down? Was that it?
These poor guys and gals are always the victims. Bachmann trapped by Mathews, Larry Craig trapped by the feds in a toilet (hmmmm, wasn't that in Minnesota also?), Ed Schrock trapped in a toilet, and the list goes on. Victims of a vast left wing leftist anti American leftist socialist leftist un-American sting operation.
I am so fed up with the Limbaughs and Backmanns of the world who think they can "pimp" the First Amendment Right (free speech). They're not on MTV!!! WT*???? People like them use their public platforms to pit groups, particularly, racial and ethnic groups, against each other. They are careless, self-serving, and irresponsible to say the least.
It brought some consolation, knowing that the GOP pulled Backmann's campaign ads and that she is being held responsible for her comments. She just needs to own-up to her own demise. She self-destructed and now wants to blame it on Chris Mathews. Interesting? As far as Limbaugh goes, I seriously think he has an under-developed pre-frontal cortex.
My opinion is that if you're bestowed with a public platform where you have the opportunity to reach the masses, at a minimum, exercise some social responsibility and use your platform to contribute something meaningful to the world.
Her political career is done...Good For you Chris Matthews!! You got her to open her black heart!
POLITICAL TV AD ATTACKS!! http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/
Apparently Pastor Hammond thinks the Constitution needs to be "saved"....I agree. The difference is that he probably was referring to being saved by Jesus. I think it needs to be saved from the Republicans!
How is it that politicians on the right who wear their religion on their sleeves, tub-thump about how America is failing because so many are abandoning the church, and use their religion as a weapon against everyone who disagrees with them find it so easy to lie? To top that off, they expect the lie to be accepted when evidence to the contrary may be easily accessed by the general public.
In the last eight years I've had to replace my hypocrisy alarm twelve times as the 'publicans have taken lying, corruption, hate, divisiveness, and cronyism to levels even I, always deeply skeptical of 'publicans, thought would give even them pause. They've gone from brazen to bald-faced. Incredible!
Perhaps a few years with little or no power will bring some much-needed humility. Humility is another supposed trademark of christian believers that I've seen little evidence of in a 'publican since Eisenhower.
What amazes me, day after day after day, is how the Re-thug-licans tell lie after lie after lie, repeat it over and over again, spend endless hours wasting perfectly good oxygen trying to tell the world that somehow there must have been a conspiracy somewhere in there involving William Ayres or Tony Rezko or Kermit the Frog or maybe even that communist Miss Piggy for all we know, stir up hatred at a racial level, ignore the outbursts from the yahoo audience they attract such as "terrorist" and "kill him", and generally behave in a way that must make fascists from 70 years ago whose names should never be uttered, smile in whatever passes for their misbegotten graves... and when they are exposed for this, all they can do is blame those who exposed them?
If there is truly justice in this country, Obama should not only win in a landslide, but both the house and the senate should be loaded with Democrats to the extent of a filbuster-proof majority. When your Presidential candidate can do nothing but embrace the people who savaged him 8 years ago, and when your running mate is nothing but an empty-headed congenital liar, and when your campaign staff can think of nothing better to do than appeal to the basest of emotions such as anger, fear and greed, by all rights the party that supports them should be lucky to be allowed to post a candidate for dog catcher.
Bye, bye Bachmann!
Apparently God is not on her side. I have long suspected that God is not fond of fools.
Apparently, Bachman was not listening too good when God told her:
"Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?"
Ecclesiastes 7:16 (King James Version)
A "fool for Christ"? No, just a fool. Bachmann and Palin are cut from the same lightweight cloth. Let's stop electing people who put their faith forward as their key credential and start examining their IDEAS, their intellect, their ethics, their judgment. I hope that Minnesotans send her back to private practice in November. She reflects poorly on your state. You deserve better.
Buchmann is done....
Yet another "personal responsibility" pinhead refusing to accept theirs.
I'm sick of these hypocrites.
You nailed it! Well done.
sorry, ma'am... you cannot un-spill the milk.
we all heard you loud and clear the first time.
come on minnesota- join us in colorado- say no to the hate!
vote early! bring a friend.
Excellent post! Michele Bachmann was not trapped by Chris Mathews. Odd, isn't it that people think they can lie about something and get away it on a live television program.
I found her interview to be something I couldn't believe. It shocked me. Barack Obama has been vetted, and vetted, and vetted!
Yes. Hardball: You make the traps, you trap yourself in them, and then you blame the host.
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