Last November, Michele Bachmann was the featured speaker at the Conservative Women's Network (how we missed this one I will never know). Now, let us forget for a moment that this is roughly the same time period that Bachmann was complaining about not having enough time to spend at home in her district due to the arduous five day schedule and examine the hour long conversation. For the record, that would be one hour MORE than she has spent speaking to constituents in open public meetings.
This event is hosted by the Heritage Foundation and the Clare Boothe Luce Institute. While most have heard of the Heritage Foundation, the CBLI flies under the radar of most people. This is an organization that has embraced the likes of Michele Malkin and Ann Coulter. Digging a little deeper, you can even find that the namesake of this institute was decidedly racist and nativist in her views.
In an interview given to Geo Magazine in the early 1980's, Luce claimed:
"In the 19th century, the U.S. absorbed something like 40 million immigrants. But the vast majority were of a fundamental culture, and they were all white. They were not black or brown or yellow."
She also made this claim:
"to prefer the ways of one’s own culture is not racist."
One has to wonder how closely the members and supporters of this institute abide by the beliefs of Clare Boothe Luce. Given the recent appearance of Bachmann on the O'Reilly Factor to demagogue illegal immigration, she may be studying up on how to more closely emulate Mrs. Luce.
Let the fisking begin...
Bachmann begins by parroting Republican talking points that ENDA (Employee Non-Discrimination Act) is nothing more than a bill to keep trial lawyers busy. While it is clear that Bachmann doesn't like the bill because it protects the homosexuals she has been fighting her entire life to discriminate against.
However, she doesn't go that far in this speech. She presents a weak argument that employers are "essentially guilty until they prove themselves innocent". Now I haven't read the entire bill, but it doesn't seem possible that the writers of the bill would go as far as to circumvent the Bill of Rights and thereby jeopardize the Constitutionality of the legislation. Additionally, the enforcement of this bill is tied to Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, unless Bachmann would like to make the claim that these too are discrimination against employers then this point is entirely moot.
However, she doesn't go that far in this speech. She presents a weak argument that employers are "essentially guilty until they prove themselves innocent". Now I haven't read the entire bill, but it doesn't seem possible that the writers of the bill would go as far as to circumvent the Bill of Rights and thereby jeopardize the Constitutionality of the legislation. Additionally, the enforcement of this bill is tied to Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, unless Bachmann would like to make the claim that these too are discrimination against employers then this point is entirely moot.
One further interesting comparison is to point out to Mrs. Bachmann that Minnesota has one of the most liberal anti-discrimination policies. How many illegitimate cases have come before judges in the state of Minnesota or any of the other states with similar laws? Certainly, if this truly were a problem, she would be hammering away some actual statistics rather than empty rhetoric.
Cross Posted on Dump Bachmann
Cross Posted on Dump Bachmann
2 responses to "Michele Bachmann Speaks At The Conservative Women's Network"
Warm lovable fuzzball?
Hey Buddy--
I am impressed with your total lack of content and complete misunderstanding of both CBL and Michelle Bachmann. That you are willing to accuse someone of being a racist from those two quotes is truly absurd. Preferring your culture to another makes you racist??? Your sloppy journalism and faulty logic are almost laughable, except that they reveal just how immensely removed from reality you are. Alas, my vote counts the same as yours. God help us all.