On Saturday, September 13, 2009, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) held a town hall meeting in St. Cloud to criticize President Barack Obama's health care reform proposals, after which she headlined an anti-Obama tea party.
Blogger Dusty Trice estimated that only about 60 constituents attended the meeting, with six police officers for security. According to Trice, "Bachmann arrived at the event on time, saw the bleachers were empty and disappeared for 30 minutes hoping they'd fill up."
Dusty Trice's report, with photo of Bachmann's audience
The St. Cloud Times reported, "Hundreds of residents met with U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., today to talk about a health care reform package the congresswoman has fought."
I cannot reconcile the divergent attendance figures reported by Trice and the St. Cloud Times.
As reported by the St. Cloud Times:
"Freedom of choice was at the heart of Bachmann's message."
"I agree with President Obama that we want to fix what doesn't work and keep the best that does work," Bachmann said. "We can all agree there that's a good place to start."
Bachmann said she sent a letter to President Obama to take him up on an offer to meet with Republicans to hear their "positive alternatives" to the Democrats' health care proposal.
"I'd like to share with you what that positive alternative is," Bachmann said. "It is simply this: Americans as individuals, we can own our own health care policy, not the government, not our employer. ..."
"Why don't we try a positive solution first before we have government takeover and put the burden of trillions of dollars in spending on the next generation?" she said. ...
After her town hall meeting, Bachmann was the headliner at a tea party, where she expressed support for Rep. Joe Wilson who had heckled President Barack Obama with the words "You lie" at a joint session of Congress last week:
"Thank God for Joe Wilson. ... he apologized for violating the rules of decorum in the House. ... But Joe didn’t back down from his assertion because Joe was right."
Dusty Trice captured the moment on video:
Related report:
Bachmann: 'Joe Wilson spoke truth'
More comprehensive report and photos: Bachmann Heads Teabaggers