Thanks to Kos and the Kossacks for their generosity in trying to topple Michele Bachmann (MN-06) from her supposedly safe Congressional seat.
Who is Michele Bachmann? Bachmann is perhaps the craziest member of Congress, an ultra-conservative freshman legislator who came into office against the tide of Democratic tsunami. She was able to do that because the seat is normally won by a Republican and because Bachmann had the support of the national evangelical political machine.
Bachmann is a bigot, nut, and liar. She is a demagogue and hatemonger who leap-frogged over senior Minnesota Republicans by gay-bashing, denouncing the theory of evolution and courting the state's religious right. She's been featured several times on Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person of the Week" list. Here is an introduction to the paranoid, conspiracy haunted world of Michele Bachmann and her supporters. (continued)
Prior to her comments today on Hardball, Michele made headline by asserting that the cause of the current crisis in the mortgage and lending sector was the Community Reinvestment Act. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Bachmann told her colleagues that the crisis was caused by"loans made on the basis of race and little else." (Her source was an editorial written for Investor's Business Daily.)
Bachmann received criticism for the remarks from her Minnesota colleague Rep. Keith Ellison and the Congressional Black Caucus. She did not mention that her own, largely white congressional district is currently facing record home foreclosures.
After a failed attempt as a Republican candidate in a normally non-partisan small town school board race, Bachmann ran a successful campaign for a seat in the Minnesota State Senate. She was able to do this because she showed up at the nominating event with a large number of evangelical voters who took the nomination away from the incumbent (a "secular" Republican) and gave it to Bachmann.
Bachmann came into the Minnesota Senate as an obscure back-bench legislator, but she used her office as platform for her demagoguery. Her legislative accomplishments were, and remain, negligible. She focused her efforts on rallying Minnesota evangelicals to a campaign against recognition of gay marriage in Minnesota. (Gay marriage is not recognized in Minnesota, but Bachmann regularly went on local evangelical radio to tell that audience that it was about to be.)
Evangelical conservative radio in Minnesota devoted hours of air time to promoting Bachmann's candidacies and agendas. She appeared on programs such as "Prophetic Views in the News" and made statements like the following:
On the gay community and same-sex marriage: "This is a very serious matter, because it is our children who are the prize for this community, they are specifically targeting our children." — Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program "Prophetic Views Behind The News", hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.
On same-sex marriage: "... This is an earthquake issue. This will change our state forever. Because the immediate consequence, if gay marriage goes through, is that K-12 little children will be forced to learn that homosexuality is normal, natural and perhaps they should try it." — Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program "Prophetic Views Behind The News", hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.
There's much more in the same vein. Bachmann also urged the radio audience to attend her rally and to enter the offices of her Democratic opposition to get in their faces. She told the radio audiences that she had maps of the capitol and the offices of Democratic legislators:
On her same-sex marriage ban amendment: "We only have until May 17 (2004) at the latest. But really, it is this next week that the DFL is going to try to kill this bill. It’s within the Christian community’s hands to get face to face, in front of these Democrats." — Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program "Prophetic Views Behind The News", hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004
"If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement." — Senator Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004.
"They aren’t just kind of gay-friendly, they are gay advocates at Proctor and Gamble... Here’s just a few other companies that support the pro-homosexual agenda. They include Levi-Strauss, American Airlines, Sarah Lee Bakery, Jaguar and LandRover." — Senator Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004.
Bachmann's gay bashing rallies were wildly successful, in terms of turnout. Support from local affiliates of James Dobson's Focus on the Family organization was instrumental in bringing thousands to the capitol to denounce the prospect of gay marriage. (At the second rally, Tony Perkins of Dobsons' Family Research Council was the featured speaker. At the first rally, the presence of thousands of Bachmann supporter brought out Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty to address the assembled.)
Ultimately Bachmann's anti-gay demagoguery was unsuccessful; her "no gay marriage" amendment did not pass. But in terms of bringing Bachmann publicity it was a master stroke. One local Republican leader noted that Bachmann had succeeded in single-handedly bringing the business of the State House to a screeching halt, which contributed to a temporary shutdown of the Minnesota State government that year.
The rallies were covered by local television stations and the resulting publicity made Bachmann the local poster girl for the state's evangelical right.
But it's not all about bashing gays, for Michele. Since her entry into Congress, some Bachmann supporters are probably surprised that she's largely dropped the anti-gay aspect of her rhetoric, despite having told them the following:
On gay marriage: "This is probably the biggest issue that will impact our state and our nation in the last, at least, thirty years. I am not understating that." — Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program "Prophetic Views Behind The News", hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.
"We’re in a state of crisis where our nation is literally ripping apart at the seams right now, and lawlessness is occurring from one ocean to the other. And we’re seeing the fulfillment of the Book of Judges here in our own time, where every man doing that which is right in his own eyes—in other words, anarchy." – Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program "Prophetic Views Behind The News", hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 6, 2004.
The gay-bashing is largely gone at the moment. But the conspiracy rhetoric remains, as evidenced in her interview with Matthews today. Bachmann is a federal government conspiracy monger from way back. Her first political base was composed of local Minnesotans who are convinced that federal government education laws are designed to foster and create a one world, socialist government in the tradition of the Soviet Union. While serving as a State Senator, she wrote the following and distributed it:
On education reforms laws passed by the GOP-controlled US Congress:
"Federal law forms a new governance structure that opposes both free enterprise and representative government...A new national curriculum is used that embraces a socialist, globalist worldview; loyalty to all government and not America.". — Michael J. Chapman and Senator Michele Bachmann, "How New U.S. Policy Embraces a State-Planned Economy" © 2001.
"Goals 2000, of which we’ve heard quite a bit, is a partnership between government and your local public schools to radically transform and change our public education system, as you’ve learned today, to train children to accept not freedom, but to accept and anticipate government central planning of our economy and our way of life." — Senator Michele Bachmann, EdWatch conference, October 10-11, 2003.
She also accused Minnesota governor (and would-be John McCain running mate) Tim Pawlenty of making economic policy in accordance with Marxism:
On Governor Pawlenty’s "Tax-Free Zones" initiative: "...it’s all for the planned redistribution of wealth which is also stated in this document, the redistribution of wealth which is based on a new concept called equity. And it says this: we must not lose sight of equity, or fairness based on need. Where have you heard that here, today? From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." — Senator Michele Bachmann, EdWatch conference, October 10-11, 2003.
Politicized sectarian religion remains a central factor in Michele Bachmann's career. Bachmann has the support of the Council for National Policy, the secretive national organization founded by former John Birch Society organizer Tim LaHaye. James Dobson organized a "get out the vote" drive to further her successful Congressional bid. She appears at local churches and is regularly "plugged" by local conservative evangelical radio.
At one such church appearance, she was captured on video claiming to have had two-way conversations with Jesus Christ, during which he told her to run for the Minnesota State Senate, run for Congress, etc.
Bachmann believes that the doctrine of separation of church and state is myth foisted on the American public by a liberal Supreme Court. Like Sarah Palin, she does not believe in the fact of biological evolution and has dismissed it publicly as "just a theory." She is a darling of local conservative talk radio; the remarks that she made about liberals during the Matthews interview about the "unamericaness" of liberals are boilerplate Bachmann. Bachmann is dismissive of the fact of global warming: she notoriously reminded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that there was no need to save the world from global warming, because someone had already saved the world two thousand years ago.
At this year's Republican national convention, Bachmann noted with pleasure that Sarah Palin had been called "the Michele Bachmann of Alaska." There are many similarities between the two; both are attractive conservative politicians that associated themselves with extreme groups from the outset of their careers; both have profited from use of sectarian religious support for political gain.
Bachmann is currently a kind of "Palin in miniature." But it was this year that she got her "big break." The powers that be in the GOP and the conservative movement began to use her as an unofficial spokesperson for GOP talking points. It was this year that Bachmann began to appear as a "talking head" on the news networks; on CNN, CNBC and the Larry King show, for example. In a year when the GOP is expecting serious reverses, Bachmann is being groomed as a familiar television and media spokesperson for a minority party. Her voting record is nearly flawlessly conservative; a record that would delight Rush Limbaugh or any of his knock-offs. She is being groomed for bigger things; the speculation in Minnesota is that she will use her new fame to run against Democrat Amy Klobuchar for a Senate seat.
This is no surprise to Bachmann watchers in Minnesota. In fact, the national exposure would have probably taken place earlier, had not Bachmann made so many gaffes early in her Congressional career. Shortly after she entered Congress, she told a local reporter that there was in existence an agreement to divide Iraq with Iran and create a new Sunni "terrorist state in the northwestern part of the country." This was of course false, and Bachmann steadfastly refused to give credible documentation for her claim. But it made national headlines for her--unfavorable press that cost her an invitation to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference with Dick Cheney and other luminaries.
Bachmann seemed to have a genius for generating embarrassing headlines. Most Kos readers probably recall her performance at the State of the Union Address, where she put her hand on President Bush and refused to let go until she was photographed giving him a big kiss on the lips. Again--not much of a surprise to long time Bachmann watchers. She has been a passionate fan of GWB since his entry into the White House, a fervent supporter of the Iraq invasion and occupation who told voters that the nuclear option against Iran must remain on the table (she said that in 2006.)
The only issues on which she ever broke with Bush were his No Child Left Behind Law (another federal government conspiracy, according to Bachmann) and the government bail-out bill and takeover of Wall Street (ditto.) It is amusing, but as of this week Bachmann is attempting to distance herself from Bush. This indicates that she thinks she's in trouble, even given that the race is for her Republican gerrymandered district.
It was incidents like these that slowed the GOP decision to turn Bachmann into a national conservative spokesperson. But that is what she became, this year. This summer she appeared regularly on television as a proponent of drilling in ANWR (lying about the absence of wildlife in the wildlife reserve) and accusing Democrats of causing the current financial crisis.
Viewers who watched her performance today in the Matthews interview were likely to get the impression that Bachmann is at heart a demagogue in the tradition of McCarthy, given to accuse political opponents of being "anti-American." That impression is entirely correct, as I hope I've demonstrated here. Bachmann is largely ignorant of the topics she chooses to discuss, but that doesn't stop her from attempting to demonize her colleagues or fellow Americans if she feels that will lead to some political advantage.
She is a representative of a dangerous trend in Minnesota politics, where lies and character assassination are combined with evangelical right-wing politics. And her success has already inspired imitators here in Minnesota.
I said that this introduction to Bachmann was going to brief. It is; there is so much more to tell you. We chronicle her doings at the Dump Michele Bachmann blog; she's given us years of hatemongering and the worst of right wing politics--far too much to set down in one diary.
Please help Minnesotans drive this hateful demagogue out of office. Please contribute whatever you can at her Democratic opponent's website:
http://www.tinklenberg08.com/