This development was a long-time coming and is really quite a breakthrough. Minnesota's media have completely dropped the ball on Rep. Michele Bachmann (R). She's gotten a free pass to spew her conspiracy theories, to push any right wing lie and to fear-monger without the censure of public humiliation by our state's media.
There are three reasons why Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) got elected and has been reelected twice. First, she's in a conservative district. Second, Patti Wetterling and Elwyn Tinklenberg didn't run very good campaigns against her. Third, the media.
Aside from redistricting (or losing a seat), there's not much we can do about problem number one. Tarryl Clark is addressing number two by running an excellent campaign.
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) has taken a first step in addressing problem number three. They've got a little thing they call PoliGraph at which they analyze politicians and candidates statements. They finally analyzed something Bachmann said ...
-- cross-posted from MN Progressive Project, home of the Michele Bachmann Bizarro World --
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann had some choice words for a recently passed $26 billion bill meant to aid states hit hard by the economic downturn.
"Taxpayer money will essentially be laundered through the public employee unions, and spent to reelect those same Democrats this fall," Bachmann said on the Aug. 10 episode of FOX News's Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano.
The next day, she clarified her point on another FOX News program, saying, "Quite literally what will happen is this money will be shifted over to public employee unions. The unions will skim off the top; they'll put a good portion of that into political action committees."
Their ground-breaking analysis reaches a conclusion we've been trumpeting at MN Progressive Project and upon which the good folks at Dump Bachmann have been hammering since forever: Bachmann is a liar.
The Verdict
Bachmann is wrong to say that the state aid will be "laundered" through public employee unions and used to help reelect Democrats. In fact, the bill is clear that the money can only be used to keep teachers on the payroll.
Her claim does not pass the PoliGraph test.
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-- UPDATE --
Thanks for helping get this rec listed.