The FRC, of course, being the Family Research Council. You know...theocrats.
Since 1983, Family Research Council (FRC) has advanced faith, family and freedom in public policy and public opinion. FRC's team of seasoned experts promote these core values through policy research, public education on Capitol Hill and in the media, and grassroots mobilization. We review legislation, meet with policymakers, publish books and pamphlets, build coalitions, testify before Congress, and maintain a powerful presence in print and broadcast media. Through our outreach to pastors, we equip churches to transform the culture.
Strategically located in Washington, D.C., FRC is the leading voice for the family in our nation's halls of power.
Strategically locatedness is next to Godliness, I reckon. But I digress, as the point of this diary is the...ummmm...colorful remarks of Michele Bachmann, who was a speaker at FRC's recent shindig.
Bill Prendergast mentioned this the other day, but we all know none of us is masochistic enough to have actually watched the video. But it's amazing what insomnia can do! So I wandered over to C-SPAN to see what was happening today and caught a repeat of Bachmann's performance. And I do mean "performance," full of teary-eyed remembrances of WWII chaplains, invocations against Hitler, melodramatic paeans to unborn generations, the woiks.
It was a stunning performance, but not in the way she thinks. She spent a lot of time making wild assertions, such as Nancy Pelosi racks up $100,000 bar tabs on military flights and, of course, sticks the taxpayer with it, or that the Tea Party is the largest political movement we've seen in modern times. She also called Social Security, etc. ponzi schemes, saying "thou shalt not covet what does not belong to us."
But that was nothing compared to the nonsense she had to say about Obama and life in America today. Accusing Pelosi of being a lush was for pikers; Obama and Congress are, apparently, "trampling on the rights of people who voted for them," and have "clearly betrayed our trust, the trust of the American people." Trampling, I tell you! She admonishes the audience to read the Declaration of Independence and then asks them, "doesn't this sound like a newspaper account of the last two years of what's been going on this country?"
Even none of that, though, holds a candle to what is presumably her overarching point. The following is a combination of paraphrasing/verbatim transcript:
In 2008, people voted their values because they wanted change fueled by their values. But the policies they got are ones that aren't even recognized by most in our society, like "government takeover" of health care, GM etc.
The pursuit of happiness; it is not about hedonism. It is the right of people to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The government doesn't create wealth, doesn't create money. We do. But now they're trying to be our doctor, banker, etc.
Tea party believes governments are instituted by men, believe consent of the governed, and GOD gives us power. Power emanates from an almighty God. He confers power on people, who confer a small portion to the government.
When any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it becomes our legal right to alter it or abolish it. So do you want to alter your congress? Would you like to alter the presidency? Would you like to alter the Supreme Court? What about those federal agencies? The Declaration goes on to say and to "institute a new government." That’s what we get to do this November!
People are reclaiming their "God-given" rights.
I think the government will be fearing the people and liberty will be refreshed in our country.
She pretends to be talking about voting and Congress, but I think we all get the not-so-veiled reference in that last line:
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
- Thomas Jefferson.
Remember, this is the woman who blithely invoked Guy Fawkes day for her Capitol Hill rally, which, yes, was on the 5th of November. It's easy to dismiss her as laughable, especially when she says, of HCR, things like "This bill could potentially collapse the economic economy." It's really easy to compare her to this woman. But she is seriously scary, if one actually pays attention.
Which is why we need to GOTV like crazy for Tarryl Clark. Remind Michele that yes; we are excited to vote and change Congress, starting with you, in November. Despite her incumbency, Bachmann only leads Clark by 9 points. Even the Big Dog himself is going to bat for her fundraising efforts, both by writing a letter on her behalf and ripping Bachmann to shreds in person.
At a late-night fundraiser for state Sen. Tarryl Clark, Clinton described Bachmann as the epitome of a trend he regards as profoundly dangerous to the nation’s future. "Your opponent," he told Clark, "is the ultimate example of putting ideology over evidence."
"I respect people with a conservative philosophy," he continued. "This country has been well-served by having two broad traditions within which people can operate. If you have a philosophy, it means you’re generally inclined one way or the other but you’re open to evidence. If you have an ideology, it means everything is determined by dogma and you’re impervious to evidence. Evidence is irrelevant.
"That’s how I see Rep. Bachmann. She’s very attractive in saying all these things she says, but it’s pretty stupid."
Clinton has always had such a way with words. He just happens to be absolutely 100% spot-on here. And if he can make time to help get Tarryl Clark elected, I'm hoping we kossacks can find an hour or two or $5 or $10 to give to her campaign. Because, ummmm...yeah.
Update [2010-9-21 9:55:36 by Cedwyn]: More info on Clark's campaign in this comment.