No questions about “did Jesus Christ really tell you to study tax law?” Softball, pretty much—that’s the price of access for Politico, I suppose. But there’s some interesting stuff in there, if you’re familiar with Bachmann’s nonsense and read critically. Here are some highlights…
The Shuttle: Rep. Michele Bachmann
By: Daniel Libit
June 13, 2008 08:29 AM EST
Editor’s Note: In a regular series, Politico’s Daniel Libit offers members of Congress a lift to the airport, train station or bus stop of their choosing. The price of the ride? The tape recorder is running. (Another Editor’s note: “Oh, what a clever endearing conceit, offering politicians a “free ride” in return for “media access!” Oh, what a lovely metaphor, for the relationship between the American political media and the people who are supposed to be covering them! I wonder what Politico will offer Larry Craig, when they take *him* to the airport…)
This week: En route to Reagan National Airport, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) talks about the price of gas, remembers what she loved about Jimmy Carter and says an Antonin Scalia dissent is like a "beautiful sonnet."
Politico: You're doing a handful of rising-gas-price press conferences this weekend. What's your take? What are your solutions?
Bachmann: It’s the No. 1 issue we may hear about from people back home. . . . As a matter of fact, in the parade we were at last weekend, people were shouting from the sidelines: “Drill in ANWR! Drill in ANWR!” One woman was sitting in one of those lawn chairs, and she had a piece of cardboard, and she had written on it, “Down with global warming freaks.” I mean, these people are just ready to find someone to shake and say, “Help me with my gas prices.”
Politico: Were you surprised that gas reached $4 a gallon?
Bachmann: I’m very sad that it reached $4.
Politico: Where do you think it’s going to go? How high?
Bachmann: Well, the last estimate I heard was $5 by the end of summer. I called my friend who lives in California yesterday, and she said, “We’re already there.”
Politico: What about this idea of a summer gas-tax holiday?
Bachmann: That’s something that’s being talked about, but unfortunately that won’t be the whole answer…
…Politico: Tell me what the life of being a tax litigator was like.
Bachmann: It was a full life. I handled civil cases, criminal cases, and my practice was exclusively in the federal tax court in St. Paul, Minn. I saw every side of life, and I think the thing I probably took away from those cases was that whoever was in charge of the money was the person who was usually the culprit, whoever had the access. (Editor’s note: Ms Bachmann is now a member of Congress, which has the “power of the purse.” On being elected, she stated that her first priority was “staying out of jail.”) …And it was all about accountability and dual controls on money. You have to make sure — even nice people, well-intentioned people sometimes can be tempted and there needs to be dual controls.
…Politico: What’s your deal with incandescent light bulbs? [Bachmann recently introduced the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act.]
Bachmann: Freedom is the No. 1 reason why I introduced the bill, in order to have choice on light bulbs. But, No. 2, there are some very real health concerns that need to be taken into account. There are people who don’t want to have mercury-laden light bulbs in their homes. These new light bulbs contain between three to six milligrams of mercury, and if one is dropped on the carpet or floor of your home, there is a massive procedure involved to clean it up. . . .
In the public schools, for instance, a public facility, you would have to have everyone exit the building, be out of the building for 15 minutes, open the windows. I remember my high school in Anoka, Minn. The windows didn’t open. So what are you supposed to do? You’re supposed to turn off the central air conditioning or heating? So in Minnesota, when it’s January, and it’s 30 below zero, and you drop a mercury-laden light bulb in a public school, you’re supposed to make the kids go outside for 15 minutes and shut the heating system down? (Editor’s note: It’s just a coincidence, but this is a recurring nightmare of mine. I wake up screaming.)
Politico: In the Senate race in Minnesota, Al Franken has taken some flak of late for the Playboy article he wrote in the past. Is that a fair thing to criticize a politician or a candidate for?
Bachmann: It is part of his public record and it is part of his body of work, because his work has been as a satirist. I would say it’s up to Norm Coleman to decide how he wants to conduct the campaign, but it is clearly an item that is causing consternation for Democrats.
I applaud Congresswoman Betty McCollum. She took a very courageous stand in coming out against Al Franken. It was more than just article that he wrote, he has an article in Playboy but he also had suggested a glorification of rape, and that’s not funny, that’s not funny to men or women. He also had items regarding sexuality and children, and that’s just patently offensive to quite a few people.
Politico: What’s on your agenda in the next few weeks?
Bachmann: Energy will be the big focus right now. Every weekend now when I go home, I will go to the grocery store, I’ll buy food for the family. We have five kids and 23 foster kids that we raise. (Editor’s note: Wait a second—the reporter missed something here—“five kids and 23 foster kids that we raise”—not “raised?” They’re all still over there, under one roof?) So I go to the grocery store and buy a lot of food.
Politico: How much is your bill usually?
Bachmann: Well, you know, this is what shocked me. I thought I was doing a little fill-in run to the store. You know, you do your big shop, and then you do your fill-in shops. I was doing like an in-between filler shop and it was $79 for three bags of groceries. And I’m really frugal when I go to the grocery store.
Politico: Coupons?
Bachmann: Oh, coupons, generic brands, I don’t get the fluff. I’m just buying staples. It’s always boring when Mom goes to shop, the kids like when Dad goes to shop. And it was $79 for three bags of groceries, and I went home and told my husband, "I just feel for families of young children right now, because energy has had a direct impact for increases in the prices of food." And I think we’re going to start to see that mushroom now for other products and services in the country.
(Editor’s note: Well, what did you expect. Twelve years of Republican rule in congress, seven years of Bush, gas prices doubled since he was inaugurated—did you really expect that trend to stop, Michele, after he invaded Iraq? All the crap conservative policies you’ve backed all your adult life have come home to roost.
How'd you like these hardball questions, eh? After reading this, you'd never know there was a war going on in Iraq and a GOP presidential candidate planning an invasion for Iran--but you'd know what she pays for a fill-in shop and the worst case scenario for using a green light bulb.
And yes, she does finish the interview by saying that reading a Scalia Supreme Court dissent is like reading a beautiful sonnet. But we’ve got to straighten this 23 foster kids thing out. Here she’s says she’s still feeding all of them. The first time I can remember her telling us about her five kids and 23 foster kids was many, many years ago, perhaps as far back as 2000. Are they still all living at home, as indicated here?)link |
|