Michele Bachmann has done it again: making false or outrageous claims and then playing the victim by leveraging her political paranoia into campaign cash.
And, once again, I'm forced to mount a counter-offensive against Bachmann with a tit-for-tat fundraising appeal of my own.
Bachmann Palinized?
Palin-Bachmann photo composite by Chris Steller / Minnesota Independent
On Aug. 13, Chris Steller reported in the Minnesota Independent that the Minnesota congresswoman had issued yet another "Bachmann Blast" (PDF) to rally her supporters and ask them to part with their money:
"Don’t let them Palinize me!" cries the subject line of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s email to supporters today. Laying claim to the Sean Hannity–bestowed title of "second most hated Republican woman," Bachmann makes a pitch for cash: "With Governor Palin taking a well-deserved step out of the spotlight, it appears that I may be absorbing even more of the liberals’ scorn. And, I’d really appreciate your support so that I can defend myself against their attacks."
On May 4, 2009, I reported that Minnesota 6th Congressional District Rep. Michele Bachmann responded to the newly established Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) Bachmann Watch site with a fundraising appeal.
In that fundraising letter, dated April 27, 2009, Rep. Bachmann wrote:
Dear Friend:
It's called www.bachmannwatch.com.
It's the Democrat [sic] Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) latest attempt to discredit every word out of my mouth and to paint anyone who disagrees with the liberal agenda sweeping through Washington as an extremist.
If you get a chance, check it out. It's incredible how fast and loose they are willing to play with the truth. We thought we saw the height of their spin machine last October, but, really, it looks like this is just the beginning. [...]
Can you help me fight back? [...]
Can you make a contribution to help me keep fighting for you?
I WANT TO HELP, MICHELE!
Can you share this email with five of your friends and ask them to help me too?
The Democrats are gunning for me because I refuse to shrink from a fight. With your help, I can keep fighting for your freedom, for your pocketbook, and for all that the Constitution has secured for the American people for generations.
Thank you for your generous support and your prayers.
Sincerely,
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann
(This was not the first time Bachmann had pulled a stunt like this. As I reported on Feb. 26, 2009, Bachmann sent out a mass fundraising email early this year after drawing fire for misleading statements on conservative talk radio regarding ACORN, the stimulus package, and health care.)
Bachmann's April 27 fundraising letter, excerpted above, is filled with self-serving hypocrisy, invective, and misinformation, but I want to draw constituents' attention to one claim in particular -- Bachmann's assertion that "We thought we saw the height of their [the DCCC's] spin machine last October ..."
Bachmann, of course, is referring to her infamous October 17, 2008 interview with Chris Matthews on MSNBC "Hardball," in which she said she was "very concerned" that Barack Obama "may have anti-American views" and that "the news media should do a penetrating exposé and ... take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out if they’re pro-America or anti-America."
When Fox News Channel's Alan Colmes confronted Bachmann a month later, on November 18, 2008, with the transcript of her remarks on "Hardball," Bachmann responded: "Actually, that’s not what I said at all. ... Actually that’s not what I said. It’s an urban legend that was created. That isn’t what I said at all."
My contemporaneous response to Bachmann's incendiary remarks can be read here (scroll down to Immelman rebukes Bachmann) -- or watch the video:
In response to Bachmann's April 27 fundraising appeal, I countered with an appeal of my own as Bachmann's Republican challenger:
Please send a strong message to Rep. Bachmann that enough is enough by contributing where it can make a difference, or volunteer to help at immelman@moderatemajority2010.com ...
Contribute to Immelman for Congress to help make sure that Bachmann doesn't even get through the gate on Primary Election Day, Sept. 14, 2010.
In response to my appeal, I received a $10 donation, for which I'm grateful, having spent about $10,000 of my own money the past year in an effort to defeat Bachmann (and contributing the maximum amount permitted by law to Bachmann's 2006 Democratic opponent, Patty Wetterling, in both the primary and general election).
And now, Bachmann is at it again . . .
Here are some screen shots, courtesy of the Minnesota Independent, of Bachmann's latest plea for money by preying on her fellow Americans' fears and uncertainty at a time of economic upheaval and social change:
Larger image available at the Minnesota Independent
In her letter, Bachmann invokes "Democrats' latest scheme to pick the taxpayer's pocket to pay for a $1.5-billion slush fund for ACORN"; Democrats' alleged "political patronage to groups like ACORN -- doling out billions of your tax dollars and partnering with them to collect your private information for the Census"; and Democrats' "government-run health care proposal that will put government bureaucrats in between you and your doctor and end up rationing care."
And, for good measure, Bachmann throws in a little gratuitous fearmongering by claiming she's "out there every day speaking the truth" about Democrats' "attempts to guide this nation into socialism."
It's time to hold Rep. Bachmann accountable for her inflammatory words and for cynically sowing the seeds of hatred and discontent to divide our nation against itself.
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Related posts on my personal website in order of relevance
Bachmann Fundraising Letter (May 4, 2009)
Bachmann: "DCCC is After Me" (February 26, 2009)
Bachmann Bears False Witness (November 20, 2008)
Bachmann Brainwashing Paranoia (April 8, 2009)
ACORN: Bachmann ‘Pants on Fire’ (July 2, 2009)
Census: Bachmann ‘Pants on Fire’ (July 1, 2009)
Bachmann’s Census Paranoia (June 27, 2009)
Bachmann Seeks to Block ACORN (May 15, 2009)
Bachmann Watch (April 25, 2009)
Bachmann ‘Marie Antoinette-ish’ (February 22, 2009)
MN GOP Ready to Ditch Bachmann? (April 11, 2009)
Bachmann’s March of Folly (July 10, 2009)
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Diary adapted from Bachmann Plays Victim ... Again