Michele Bachmann had her "coming out" party for the 2008 6th District campaign at an undisclosed location in St. Cloud. Leo Pusateri, a right wing water carrier in the St. Cloud area, has a glowing report of the Representative and how hard she worked during her first year in Congress. Let the games begin...
From Pusateri's Propaganda Page:
Fresh in from a Christmas trip to Iraq, and an earlier trip to Israel, MN 6th District U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann kicked off her 2008 campaign today at a home in St. Cloud. Looking even better than she did a year ago, Bachmann was her usual firebrand self, yet even more confident in her convictions than she was a year ago.
This is code for she hates gay people even more than she did a year ago! My thought is, how does one become "even more confident" when one believes that God ordained her for Congress? Apparently an ordination by God isn't the highest level of confidence in oneself.
Bachmann related how when Republicans were in the majority, an average of 600 votes were cast during a normal legislative year. Last year, according to Bachmann, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 bills were put up for a vote in the House. Of those 1200, only around 140 passed; and of those 140 bills, nearly half of those were for re-naming post offices.
I understand that Pusateri is no mathematician, but using the number 140 passed bills (which doesn't include further measures Bush has since signed) you get a percentage of 33% of those being re-naming post offices. So, to call 33% "nearly half" you really have to be in the business of inflating numbers. It seems to me that it is closer to one-third than "nearly half" but that is just me. Now lets forget the fact that the previous Congress had a percentage of 25% of its passed bills re-naming post offices and that Congress had a Republican majority and a Republican President. What Pusateri conveniently leaves out is the other record set by this Congress. The Senate forced obstructionist cloture votes 62 times throughout this year. In one year the Republicans have forced cloture votes one more time than the previous record set in the two years of the 107th Congress.
In other words, the U.S. House Democrat leadership got nothing done of substance. Bachmann described most of the 1200 bills brought to the floor as "vanity bills," bills designed to look good to constituents, but were short on substance and weren't even meant to pass.
Yes, "vanity bills" such as children's health insurance, minimum wage increases, ethics reform, veteran's health care, small business loans, military pay raises exceeding the President's, and emergency funding for a fallen bridge that Michele conveniently voted to adjourn on before voting to approve.
In her talk, Bachmann lamented the fact that she was required to spend so much time in Washington, as she didn't get nearly as much of a chance to visit with her constituents as her predecessor, Mark Kennedy, who was in office during a Republican majority.
This is by far my favorite part of this post. You see, poor Michele was forced to work an entire five day week and to top it all off she sat on ONE whole committee. It must have been a terribly stressful and time consuming year for her. I do recall, however, that we have at least one other freshman congressman here in Minnesota. Tim Walz sits on three committees and had to work the same five day week, yet whenever I go to Bluestem Praire (the unofficial authority on all things Tim Walz) there is another instance of Walz meeting with constituents in open forums and town hall meetings. Does Bachmann really believe that voters will buy the argument that working a five day work week and sitting on one committee was too arduous to bring her back for even one open meeting with her constituents when the Representative for southern Minnesota was able to do it numerous times?
Also present at the gala were Minnesota Representatives Steve Gottwalt and Dan Severson, as well as bloggers extraordinaire King Banaian (and his lovely wife) and Gary Gross; along with St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, and soon-to-be returning KNSI talk show host Dan "The Ox" Ochsner.
Would that be the same "Ox" who doctored Bush rally photos to make it appear as though it was his own rally? Oh, and that must be the same Steve Gottwalt who is so principled that when constituents speak he mocks them in front of en entire crowd of people. Along with you who convicts people before they have had their day in court, Bachmann has a "top notch" group of YES men!
Folks, there is no greater conservative voice in the United States House of Representatives than Michele Bachmann. Although I was a bit skiddish in the beginning, since I have come to know her I have every confidence in her conservative, principled leadership, and the residents of Minnesota 6th are more than fortunate to benefit from her unwavering dedication to conservative ideals.
If this is being fortunate, I would hate to see what unfortunate would look like!
Cross Posted on Dump Bachmann
5 responses to "Michele's "Coming Out" Party"
Actually, considering what Loretta Linus said, she should've been laughed at. Saying that people don't come to the United States from Canada for treatment isn't just dishonest, it's laughable.
Secondly, let me break this down for you. The House conducted over 1,200 votes last year. The vast majority of those votes were procedural votes before final voting on a bill. The 140 bills Leo's referring to are votes for final passage of a bill. Of the 140 bills that passed the House, more than half of them were to rename public buildings.
Your statement that "she hates gay people even more than she did a year ago" is laughable. Michele has a half-sister who is gay. Michele's on the record as saying that, though she disagrees with her, Michele still loves her unconditionally.
Disagreement doesn't equal hatred.
Michele also said she polled members of her her immediate family on her marriage amendment, and said they supported it 6-3 or some such nonsense. Michael LaFave, Bachmann's half-brother said this was totally inaccurate in the Chosen One.
It was only after Bachmann's half sister made it public that she was gay and opposed the Bachmann amendment, that Bachmann went on the record to say that she loves her half-sister, Helen LaFave. Her half-sister doesn't speak out publicly because this issue hurts her Dad - who is married to Michele Bachmann's biological mother.
Bachmann's record on gays in the State Senate shows that she has been a hate monger - and she should be called on that. If her rallies were about "traditional marriage", there wouldn't have been so many signs that talked about "sodom and gomorah" or "Death Penalty for Homesexuals" etc.
"Actually, considering what Loretta Linus said, she should've been laughed at. Saying that people don't come to the United States from Canada for treatment isn't just dishonest, it's laughable."
Gary, you know full well that that was not the only thing she said. During her entire speech Gottwalt was shaking his head and acting in a manner not becoming a legislator. You can defend him all you would like but the proof is in the video. His behavior is not becoming a person meant to listen to constituents.
Of the 140 bills that passed the House, more than half of them were to rename public buildings.
No, Gary, only 37 were to rename public buildings and that is 1/3 compared with 25% for the last Congress who had a friendly President on their side. 140 bills is pretty impressive given the level of obstructionism and an opposition President.
Eric, When someone says that Canadians aren't coming to the United States for their health care needs, that's laughable. When she said that "single payer is wonderful if it's managed right", that's laughable. When she said that "[Canadians] treat their people well no matter what their income", that's laughable. Steve's argued with many of these people on numerous occasions.
Linus omitted the part that Canadians have to buy supplemental insurance to cover what single-payer doesn't cover. Linus also omitted that Canadians experienced a massive tax increase when single-payer was implemented.
The truth is that single-payer sounds good but is a financial nightmare.
As for Eva's comment, I think she's projecting her hatred of Michele onto Michele. I've known Michele a number of years. Hater isn't an adjective I'd use to describe her.