Tarryl Clark Responds to Michele Bachmann's Latest Ad

From the Tarryl Clark campaign: STATEMENT FROM ZACH RODVOLD, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, ON MICHELE BACHMANN'S LATEST MISLEADING ATTACKS, RECYCLED IN NEW AD Bachmann again attacks Clark for a voter-approved measure that she herself claimed to support "For the third week in a row, Michele Bachmann is on the air with a misleading attack ad featuring a paid actor calling himself 'Jim.' And for the second week in a row, Bachmann is using Minnesota's Legacy Amendment - which passed with widespread support in 2008, receiving 30,000 more votes in the 6th District than Bachmann herself - to attack Tarryl Clark. This line of attack has already failed the truth test, as have countless other claims made by Bachmann in the past year. Voters in this district and across the state are fed up with misleading, false, and over-the-top partisan attacks, which is all that Bachmann has offered her constituents to date. By contrast, Tarryl Clark has spent months speaking honestly to voters about the challenges we face. Tarryl is building a winning coalition of police officers, teachers, business leaders, nurses, fire fighters, farmers and working families from St. Cloud to Stillwater. They all know that the 6th District deserves better, and that's why they're backing Tarryl Clark for Congress." ### FACT CHECK LINE: Hi, It's Jim again. It's back to school time here in Minnesota and you guessed it, Taxin' Tarryl Clark has a tax for that. Wanna buy some crayons? She's got a sales tax increase for that ... Buy a backpack? She's got a tax for that, too. This is a reference to the voter-approved Legacy Amendment, a connection dubbed misleading and wrong by Politifact and KSTP's Truth Test, which gave Bachmann's last ad an overall D+. [http://minnesotaindependent.com/64505/mpr-bachmann-ad-wrong-on-corn-dog-tax AND http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1731503.shtml?cat=1] In fact, Bachmann herself apparently supported the Legacy Amendment, so Bachmann is attacking her opponent for an Amendment that she herself supported. "Coleman, Bachmann and Franken spoke in August at Game Fair in Anoka of their support of the Clean Water amendment. Coleman and Bachmann also displayed blaze orange "Sportsmen vote yes" placards in their Game Fair booths," according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune on 10/23/08. [http://www.startribune.com/sports/33174964.html] The Legacy Amendment was approved overwhelmingly by voters in the 6th District - 55%. It received nearly 30,000 more votes than Michele Bachmann did, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State. [www.sos.state.mn.us] LINE: Drive your kids to school? She's got a gas tax hike for that. Tarryl voted in favor of the bipartisan transportation veto override in 2007 [HF 2800]. The price of gas at the end of 2007, prior to the gas tax increase was $3.02 per gallon. The price of gas today is $2.76 per gallon. People are NOT paying more for gas as they take their kids to school. The bipartisan bill was negotiated with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce as well as hundreds of groups representing thousands of 6th District voters. Funds from this bill were used to rebuild the Hwy 23 bridge without federal support and despite Bachmann's objection. [Catherine Richert, MPR PoliGraph, September 3, 2010]

CNN Catches Bachmann Lying and Running Away

CNN catches Bachmann running away from the media at the State Fair. Bachmann restricts the CNN reporter to two questions (we only hear the answers which are likely not related to the questions). The fabulous Marcus appears but does not speak ( because he sounds like Charles Nelson Riley?). This comment sums it up: And there's Flamin' Marcus hovering over his beloved Michele. But if you want to talk about Taxin' Tarryl, how about Big Taxin' Bachmann who supported raising taxes on your State Fair corn dogs and fried bacon (where have we heard that before?). DumpBachmann, as always, has the scoop: http://dumpbachmann.blogspot.com/2010/09/big-taxin-michele-bachmann.html Best part is at the end when a fair-goer yells "You are an insane lady... could anybody believe the crap that comes out of her mouth?" Dump Bachmann caught Bachmann running around the State Fair in 2006:

Big Taxin' Michele Bachmann

Well, well, well, look who supported raising the state sales tax by .375 percent to support the outdoors and the arts in 2008: Michele Bachmann. That’s right — the same constitutional amendment that Bachmann has been tearing into Tarryl Clark for supporting — you know, the one that raised taxes on your State Fair corn dogs and fried bacon — was supported by none other than Ms. Teabagger herself. According to Star-Tribune outdoor writer Dennis Anderson’s Oct. 23, 2008 column: Coleman, Bachmann and Franken spoke in August at Game Fair in Anoka of their support of the Clean Water amendment. Coleman and Bachmann also displayed blaze orange "Sportsmen vote yes" placards in their Game Fair booths (Franken also might have, but I was unable to confirm it). So why haven’t our astute Minnesota political press reported on this fact in their fact-checking of Bachmann’s ad? Could it be because the real reporting on Michele Bachmann comes from the unpaid bloggers at DumpBachmann? Maybe it’s time for a new name for Michele: “Big Taxin’ Bachmann.”

Michele Bachmann's State Fair Ad Gets D + on KSTP's Truth Test

Watch it here.

Michele Bachmann Up Close on Anderson Cooper 360 Tonight

Will this be another puff piece?

Recent Article Mentions Bachmann Pardon Pal Frank Vennes

Tom Petters is cooling his heels in Leavenworth awaiting his April 25, 2052 release date. Deanna Coleman was sentenced to a year and and a day. The rest of the Petters Ponzi Party await sentencing... meanwhile, Petters associate Frank Vennes is featured in this recent article in the Florida Today website about a piece of oceanfront property: The building is being destroyed by vandals, by weather. It’s an unfortunate situation,” said Satellite Beach Realtor Tom Palumbo, co-owner. “My ex-partner was indicted on a $3.5 billion Ponzi scheme, and they have frozen all of his assets.” Dragon Point’s fate remains tied up in U.S. District Court in Minnesota. Frank E. Vennes Jr., who teamed with Palumbo to buy the estate for $1.5 million in March 2005, faces an array of federal charges. That case remains ongoing, and a court-appointed receiver has custody of the 5,707-square-foot home. Frank Vennes has not been indicted, but the legal morass he helped create continues to make headlines. Reporters should ask Michele Bachmann what motivated her to use her office to help Frank Vennes (not a constituent) get a pardon for his felony convictions for money laundering, drug and gun trafficking. Here's a screenshot from the FBI affidavit (PDF) that includes allegations about Frank Vennes Jr.: Here's Bachmann's letter in support of a pardon for Frank Vennes:

Bachmann Lit From the State Fair Shows Her With Her Hand Out

I was at the State Fair Saturday and picked up a few souvenirs I'd like to share with you (Click on the pics to make them bigger). First, there's this Bachmann lit I picked up at the MN GOP building - what is the greedy look and the upturned palm supposed to indicate? UPDATE: A reader points to similarity to depictions of Jesus with his hand out such as this one: Other souvenirs I picked up at the MN State Fair on Saturday - a sketch of Bachmann's favorite punk preacher at the AM 1280 Patriot booth: Here's a photo of Bradlee's long, flaxen tresses - does he or doesn't he? Only his hairdresser knows for sure: Here's a sketch of Bradlee's sidekick Jake workin' the crowd: A sketch of an audience member with Teresa Collett t-shirt: I stopped by the Independence Party building for this sketch of 6th District IP candidate Bob Anderson:

WCCO's Pat Kessler Puts Michele Bachmann's State Fair Ad Through the Reality Check. Ad Found Wanting

Watch it here.

Big Dick Borrell Flys Michele Bachmann Clone Governor Candidate Tom Emmer Around

Good ol' Big Dick Borrell. You remember Big Dick, don't you? Let's take a trip down memory lane: Wright County Republicans pulled their support from candidate Dick Borrell of Waverly ­ asking him to withdraw from the race for District 19B ­ following publication of an Oct. 5 Star Tribune article about sexual misconduct by Borrell 15 years ago. The article details an incident in 1987, in which Borrell admitted to tricking a woman into a sexual act by trespassing into her apartment bedroom in the early morning hours following a night of heavy drinking, according to court documents. The woman, who was in her 20s and was engaged to a relative of Borrell's, said she thought Borrell was her fiance. Borrell was 35 at the time of the incident. He is 50 now. The woman sought counseling and filed suit in 1993. Borrell paid her $20,000 in a settlement for "negligent infliction of emotional distress." "I have admitted to this error," Borrell said of the incident. "I have done everything in my power to make up for this, including paying the settlement," Borrell said. "I have learned from this experience and moved on. It is no longer part of my life," he said. The state Republican party supports Borrell. "I think it's over and done with," commented Bill Walsh, deputy executive director of the state Republican Party. However, local Republicans reacted by asking Borrell to drop out of the race entirely, and pulling their support. The Wright County Republicans, chaired by Randy Heuer of Howard Lake, distributed a release that indicated Borrell did not inform them about the indiscretion before they chose him. "As a local political unit, we believe it is imperative to maintain a high standard of integrity among candidates offered to the public," according to a release by the Wright County Republicans. "We have a search process . . . and request disclosure of any past incidents that may emerge during a campaign. To our dismay, the incidents recorded in Saturday's Star Tribune were not disclosed during the search committee interview." "At stake is the integrity of our local organization and public trust in the grassroots process," according to the Republican release. "Due to these considerations . . . the leadership team is withdrawing its support. We have also requested that Borrell withdraw from the race in District 19B." A Dump Bachmann tipster reminds us that Borrell preceded Emmer in that House district and that now, Emmer is paying Borrell to fly him around the state. On 6.16.10, Emmer's campaign paid Borrell $294.36 for airfare: Also, Borrell claims to run an "air musuem." Is this really just a scam to shelter all his airplane hobby expenses? Borrell was one of the original co-sponsors of the Bachmann amendment in the house. He was also one of the original co-sponsors of Arlon Lindner's bill to remove the references to gays from the human rights statutes. What does Michele Bachmann think about Dick Borrell's family values?

Call the State Fair and Ask Them Whether They Are Endorsing Michele Bachmann

If you see the "new" Bachmann ad featuring the "new" State Fair logo, please call the Fair Board and ask them why Bachmann still is implying that the State Fair has endorsed Bachmann. The "new" logo looks very similar to the old one and if the Fair Board gets a few calls like that, they're bound to ramp up their complaint against Bachmann. Fair Board Media Office: media@mnstatefair.org Phone number is: 651.288.4452 A DB reader emailed me about his call to the State Fair: The gal who answered said they're working with the attorney general's office to get the ads pulled. I told her the "new" ads still look like the State Fair logo and she said they're working to get the logo AND the name pulled from the ads. I asked her what was so difficult about calling tv stations and simply telling themj to shut the ads down and she tried to play it straight and said they're "trying to keep the peace." I told her this is not doing the Fair's image any good at all and they should shut her Fair booth down too. I think they need more calls. At 6:05, KSTP TV reported that the Bachmann campaign had sent all media outlets copies of the controversial ad without the State Fair logo on it. At 6:10, the same ad--featuring the revised logo that the Fair is still contesting--is on her website. I just checked the Bachmann website, and the ad with the fake Minnesota State Fair logo is still up on the website.

Truth Wins Out Takes A Look at the Fabulous Marcus Bachmann

Yesterday, Evan Hurst at Truth Wins Out posted this Dump Bachmann video without comment. But Truth Wins Out readers offered their own observations: he’s a flamer. No doubt in my mind he’s gay. gaydar goes *PINGGGG!!!* Wow. Glass closet doors are not a wise idea… He’s FAHHHHBULOUS!!!! Come out, Mary!! Okay, I say he is as queer as a three dollar bill…no doubt about that! I mean look at the way he walks…he’s practically sashaying his way down the hall! I didn’t know Michelle was gay married! No wonder batsh!t Bachmann hates teh gay. And no wonder she is such a control freak trying like hell to keep EVERY thing in control cause she knows she can’t touch THAT! Wow! I’ll bet she keeps this “Dorothy” hidden as much as possible. GUUURRRRRLLLL!!!!!!!!! As my Minnesota relatives would say, “UFF-DA!” Which translates to “OMG, what a fucking flamer!” This may explain in part why the Minneapolis airport was so popular with Sen. “Wide Stance” Craig. I just can’t wait until this “open secret” in DC gets out! Good lord, he looks like a fem Benny Hill. Oh my! Who should really wear the pants in this family? Nothing he could do or say would outshine that walk down the hall. The only thing missing was “ruby slipers”. Today, Evan Hurst has another post about Mr. Michele Bachmann titled "Completely Un-Gay Husband of Michele Bachmann Can Help Your Gay Child, For Money" Yesterday, we laughed and laughed at a candid video of Dr. Marcus Bachmann, husband of Michele, and the funny thing about the video didn’t even have to be stated, but simply was understood by writers and commenters alike! If the joke had a name, though, it would be “Mary.” Read the rest of the hilarious post at Truth Wins Out.

State Fair Still Questions Whether Michele Bachmann's Ad Passes Muster

MPR Polinaut: GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign posted a revised ad today, which uses a generic State Fair logo instead of the actual one. Fair officials had objected to the campaign's use of the logo. The Bachmann campaign said yesterday they believed they had the legal right to use the logo but agreed to pull it and substituted it with a generic logo. Michele Bachmann has never believed she has to follow the same rules every one else does. But the matter still isn't resolved. Brienna Schuette at the Minnesota State Fair says Fair officials are talking to the Minnesota Attorney General's office about whether the new, generic logo is okay. Schuette says "there's still discussion" about this. The actual content of Bachmann's ad hasn't changed, despite the fact that the claims in the ad were not altogether accurate. UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: State Fair spokeswoman Brienna Schuette says "the AG is now involved in getting the Minnesota State Fair name and logo pulled. It appears that the ads with the original logo are still running on some stations." Glad to see the AG is getting involved. Hat Tip: MN Publius.

Deanna Coleman Sentencing Tomorrow

Deanna Coleman, the government witness who blew the whistle on the $3.6 million Ponzi scheme is scheduled for sentencing tomorrow at 9:00 AM. Deanna Coleman was the source for some interesting information about Frank Vennes Jr. (for more about Bachmann's close ties to Mr. Vennes, see yesterday's post about Michele Bachmann and crime). Here's a screenshot from the FBI affidavit (PDF) that includes allegations about Frank Vennes Jr.: Here's Bachmann's letter asking former President George Bush to pardon Frank Vennes Jr. for previous convictions for money laundering, drug and gun trafficking: