Category Archives: Michele Bachmann

by | January 4, 2012 · 2:58 PM

Michele Bachmann’s Greatest Hits

By Luke Brinker

In an uncharacteristic bow to reality, Rep. Michele Bachmann ended her quest for the White House today, after finishing sixth in last night’s Iowa caucuses.

I can think of no better tribute to the Minnesota congresswoman than a compilation of some of her more notorious moments on the campaign trail. Here, in video form, are some of Bachmann’s greatest hits.

On working for the IRS: In August, the fiercely anti-tax Bachmann explained her employment history with the IRS by stating citing the dictum that “the first rule of war is ‘know your enemy.’”

On vaccinations and retardation: Following a September debate in which she took Texas Gov. Rick Perry to task for ordering Texas schoolgirls to receive the vaccination against HPV, Bachmann told the Today show about a supporter who approached her with the information that the vaccination made her daughter retarded.

On Revolutionary War history: In a speech in Concord, New Hampshire, Bachmann erroneously identified the state as the location of Lexington and Concord.

On the founding fathers and slavery: Like any good Tea Party member, Bachmann extols the virtues of the nation’s founders. Her affinity for them is so great that she incorrectly claimed this year that they were committed to ending slavery.

On the need for McCarthyism: Shortly before the 2008 election, Bachmann rose to prominence by calling for an investigation of anti-Americanism among members of Congress.

 

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by | August 12, 2011 · 3:21 PM

Ridin’ Dirty: The GOP Presidential Debate

Last night was the first time the kid gloves came off and punches were thrown.  There were three main battles that occurred last night:

1. Bachmann vs. Pawlenty:  Minnesota nice became Minnesota mean as the congresswoman faced off against the former governor.  Mainly, it was battle over their records.

2. Paul vs. Santorum: Everyone knows Rick Santorum, the strong social conservative in the race, has serious issues with Ron Paul, the libertarian, states rights candidate.  On the issue of gay marriage, these two split.

They also split on Iran.  Paul was against sanctions on Iran and supported engagement and even, gasp, Iran getting a nuclear weapon.  Santorum was not too happy about that point and defend the traditional, conservative stance of getting tough with Iran.

3. Gingrich vs. the media: Newt Gingrich has been lost in the woods for the last few weeks.  I hardly heard anything about him until last night.  After he lost 5 of his major staffers, it looked like his campaign imploded. When Chris Wallace asked about this, he got angry:

The first two fights were useful, the last one was just Gingrich posturing at a hopeless enterprise.  Although, he got a lot of cheers from GOP viewers.  I like when candidates get tough with each other, it provides clarity between each of the different conservative camps.  The Paul and Santorum camp are very different, and it needs to be known to conservative voters.

Do you think campaigns should get nasty and are these types of debates helpful?

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Filed under debate, fox news, Gingrich, GOP, independent internationalist, Iowa, media, Michele Bachmann, Santorum, Tim Pawlenty

by | August 9, 2011 · 5:20 PM

The Inspiration of Michele Bachmann

The entire blogosphere has been a buzz over the controversial Newsweek cover where Michele Bachmann looks like a scary lady ready to take you down if she doesn’t get what she wants.  The story inside the cover is not that appealing or well written.  The better profile is one from the New Yorker which outlines more details about Bachmann’s life and delves deeper into her intellectual influences.

My biggest problem with the New Yorker piece is that it is not that much different than when Glenn Beck talks about the influences of Obama or when Dinesh D’Souza writes a book about the source of the president’s rage.  Quite honestly, I hate these stories about the influences of a person.  It makes the assumption that every controversial book you read or radical college professor you have provide the entire foundation for your thinking.  It’s basically the guilt by association model propaganda device, except more sophisticated.

That being said, if someone says, I’m deeply influenced by a radical philosopher of some kind, I will take notice. However, wouldn’t asking a person what specific part of that thinker influenced them be a more beneficial question then just assuming they agree with that thinker’s whole philosophy?

For example, I might agree with Ayn Rand’s philosophy about art as a function of life, but disagree that capitalism is the most moral economic system or agree with Karl Marx’s point about superstructures being a product of the market place, but disagree with his solution to the problem.  Humans are very complex individuals and we all process information and use it differently.  I would think a magazine like the New Yorker would understand that.

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by | June 15, 2011 · 2:41 PM

Morning Memo: Wednesday, June 15

Good Morning!

Mitt Romney looks like Ken doll

Top Topics:

Foreign Policy:
- President Obama visits Puerto Rico
- GOP sings a different tune on Foreign policy
- Boehner sends Obama a letter about the Libyan intervention
- U.S. has concerns about connections between Al-Qaeda in Yemen and Somalia
- Military increases airstrikes in Yemen
- Meet the new commander in Afghanistan
- Gates predicts congress will side with Obama on Afghanistan plan
- $649 billion approved defense spending backed by House panel
- Romney’s confusing Afghanistan statement

Politics:
- Bachmann comes out strong after debate
- Obama must be jobcentric for 2012
- Sen. Tom Coburn – the agitator of the senate?
- Federal Court upholds Prop. 8 ruling
- Romney heads to California for fundraising
- Bernake calls for an end to politics on debt ceiling
- July 4 new deadline for debt ceiling agreement to be written

Figures of Note:

Potential GOP Candidate Images Among Republicans and Republican-Leaning Independents

Opinions of Note:

Eugene Robinson discusses Romney’s predicament

Todd Graham offers debate analysis

David Brooks protests covering this next election cycle- but will anyway

My First Thought: The Foreign Policy Shift

I will confess now, I did not see the foreign policy section of the debate.  I was busy working on some computer issues.  Although, from the statements I have been reading, it was the most exciting part of the debate.  Most are talking about the change in tone with the GOP.  Suddenly, the Bush-era nation building strategy is out and good ole’ fashion neoisolationism is back in!  The trend is not surprising.  People are mad that the economy is in bad shape + the war has been going on for ten years = a political opportunity for the right.  Attacking the war is not a new strategy.  The Democrats did it in 2006 and 2008 with great success.  Republicans have also attacked Democrats for past positions on needless intervention, remember the attacks on Clinton about Somalia  and Balkans nation building?

Foreign policy has more wiggle room now than it ever did. The truth is, both parties have shifted significantly on military action in foreign lands.  At different points, both parties become the “interventionist party.”  Right now, the Democrats are it.  My take is that no person can say he or she would not intervene in a scenario.  Lots of problems come up during a presidency that could require the use of U.S. intervention.  Unlike the economy, interventionist foreign policy is not unique to any one party.  So therefore, the shift makes it a very fluid political topic with a potential win for Republicans and a pain in the side for Democrats.  That would be irony, if Obama lost the election on one of the very issues he was elected to change.

Photo Credit: Rolling Stone

Figures from Gallup and the Economist

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Filed under Congress, Democrats, foreign policy, GOP, independent internationalist, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Morning Memo, Obama