Would-Be Personal Rapid Transit Vendor "Preparing a Citizen Suit" Against the State of Minnesota

Move over Bradlee Dean... Pod Promoter Steve Raney posted this email on the Transport Innovators forum to Tom Sorel, Transportation Commissioner for the State of Minnesota: Hi Tom We have refined the summary of the 28th Amendment as a basis to end government monopolies over power and transportation infrastructures. We are preparing a citizen suit in which we will name you and the State of Minnesota for blocking privately financed solar-powered mobility networks..... Read more at the PRT Boondoggle blog. Reporters should ask MIchele Bachmann, who wrote legislation for PRT for her opinion on this lawsuit. Good post by Phoenix Woman on the PRT boondoggle at FDL.

Will Newsweek Having Michele Bachmann as "Queen of Rage" Cover Girl Give Her a Migraine?

Check out the cover here.

AUDIO: Michele Bachmann, Janet Boynes and Marcus Bachmann Attend MacLaurin Institute Debate on Same Sex Marriage

The audio is no longer available on the MacLaurin Institute's website. However it is available via the way back machine (excerpts at the end of this post). This was a debate between Glenn Stanton from Focus on the Family and Dale Carpenter, Law Professor at the University of Minnesota. From the MacLaurin Institute Press Release following the debate: Gay Marriage Debate Draws Overflow Crowd For immediate release: September 17, 2004 Minneapolis--Last night's Gay Marriage Debate between Focus on the Family's Glenn Stanton and University of Minnesota Law Professor Dale Carpenter drew some 300 people to Moos Tower. The Debate, co-sponsored by the MacLaurin Institute, was an opportunity for people to hear arguments in favor of and in opposition to the issue of gay marriage. The Minneapolis "Star Tribune" sent a reporter and photographer to the event. To view the story, cut and paste this link into your Internet browser: http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4985663.html I sat in the front row at this debate, and directly behind me were Michele Bachmann, Janet Boynes and Marcus Bachmann. We all ended up asking questions. Avidor made a video that includes our questions. After the debate, I made a point of introducing myself to Michele Bachmann. She was very friendly to me and introduced her husband Marcus.

Janet Boynes is Busy Writing Letters About "Oral and Anal Sodomy"

Michele Bachmann's ex-lesbian sidekick wrote a letter to the editor of the ABC newspapers: To the Editor: I get so tired of the worn-out phrase that homosexual advocates like Melissa Thompson and the Gay Equity Team continually repeat — “Homosexuality is who they are.” Let’s set the record straight. It is not who they are. It is what they do. No one is born homosexual. We are all born heterosexual. That is how our bodies were designed. It only takes two eyeballs to see what goes where. Since “normal” is “that which functions according to its design,” homosexual acts — oral and anal sodomy — are not normal. And the misuse of our bodies is leading to oral and anal cancer, and AIDS (especially among homosexual young men). Here in the United States, gay and bisexual men account for more than half of all new HIV infections. According to the CDC, one in five men who have sex with men (MSM) has HIV. Think about this. If you knew that one in five people going off in a car would not come back alive, would you ride in that car? I don’t think so. No one is forcing anyone to commit homosexual acts, yet this is the risk that “gay” men are willingly taking. And then they proudly lure others into the lifestyle as well — especially young boys. For some of us, things happen early on in life that cause our feelings and desires to get off track. For me it was sexual abuse. As a result, I rejected men and for 14 years lived in lesbian relationships. It was a counterfeit to God’s plan for my life. Oh yes, I believed the deception that I was “born that way.” No longer. It is a lie. I have now been out of the “gay” lifestyle for 12 years and have no desire to return. My brother bought the lie as well — resulting in sexual confusion. He started stealing my clothes. During the day he was Robert, but at night he was Barbara. The world of transgenderism and cross-dressing soon led him to commit acts of homosexual sodomy. As a result, he paid the ultimate price for believing the lie — he died of AIDS. No one should be promoting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) behaviors. They are not born that way. There is no scientific evidence that proves they are. None. If we really care about our young people, we will do everything to steer them away from homosexuality and transgenderism, and the unhealthy sexual acts that are a part of these lifestyles. Parents, start telling your kids that homosexuality is unnatural, unhealthy, and changeable. As an ex-gay I am living proof that you are not born gay. Sincerely, Janet Boynes Para in District 11 Poor Janet Boynes, she needs to stop obsessing about anal sex.

Tea Party Express Rally at Noon Today in Hudson

This was confirmed to a Dump Bachmann reader by the Hudson police. Will Michele Bachmann be there? Developing... UPDATE: Bachmann wasn't not in Hudson.

GOP Deputy Chair of Minnesota Senate District 52 Says Charges Against Pulkrabek "a Mild Form of Abuse"

Karl Bremer at Ripple in Stillwater: Washington County Commissioner Bill Pulkrabek, the man who takes credit for launching Michele Bachmann’s political career, pleaded not guilty to domestic assault in Chisago County Court Aug. 4. He allegedly threw his girlfriend on his bed by her hair, tried to choke her and then dragged her down the stairs by her hair in a Memorial Day incident in Woodbury. But one Washington County Republican Party officer suggests that Pulkrabek is being persecuted for political reasons and described the domestic assault charges against him as “a mild form of abuse.” Here's the PiPress article : Washington County Commissioner Bill Pulkrabek pleaded not guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge that he assaulted his girlfriend in a Memorial Day incident. Scroll to the bottom of that article and you'll read the following comment by Eric Langness, "Deputy Chair at Republican Party of Minnesota Senate District 52" and former "Communications Coordinator at Senator Ray Vandeveer Campaign" (Linked In): Eric Langness · Top Commenter · Director of Career Services at Anthem College Who is in charge of this trial... They have 4 counties (Washington, Anoka, Chisago and Ramsey) all mentioned as players in it. Even if guilty this is a mild form of abuse in comparison to so many others I would question if we're causing all this trouble simply because the man holds elected office. For the record, I'm NOT defending the actions or the accused. Here's the screen shot... and yes, that is a picture of Michele Bachmann with Mr. Langness (click on the pic to make it bigger): Eric Langness left some comments on this Forest Lake Times article about Michele Bachmann: What a terrible opinion piece produced as news. Is this the best you could do for a local politician that is now in the national spotlight? Interesting how kind this newspaper can be when it’s Rebecca Otto of the DFL taking the State Auditor position as some sort of local hero but when it is a conservative you fill your paper with negativity. A tribute to the history of Michele Bachmann, her roots in our nearby community of Stillwater, representing Forest Lake in the Senate … you had so many other choices to write about. I recall articles about how ‘great’ Otto is because she lives ‘green’. Why not write a story about the many children Bachmann has raised both of her own and through foster care? Why not write about the humanity brought back for families in trouble that her family business provides? Some editor needs to look back and ask him/herself why they would publish such negativity when an option to be positive would be so normal. It is this type of ‘news’ that brings so many to question me about the validity of this ‘news’paper. Until then, please be honest and put this type of liberal lingo in the opinion section where it belongs. Mr. Langness continues to defend Bachmann: Rep. Michele Bachmann has done great things for the people of the 6th district, Minnesota, our nation and our world. I’m not certain she’ll ever be president but given the opportunity I’m sure she’ll continue the positive path she has taken in all her other political roles. Where is your proof she’s done ‘nothing’ as you say? Her beginning in politics was with public education not the marriage protection amendment. Facts help everyone come to more rational decisions. Try using them. The ‘Tea Party’ is a well suited name for the organization. The original Boston Tea Party was about the king taking too much and that is what current Tea Party members feel about our own government today. How has Rep. Michele Bachmann made the 6th district and Minnesota the laughing-stock? If you wanted to attribute politicians to making us a joke I might suggest that you look at an actual comedian (selected senator) Al Franken or possibly (former) Gov. Jessie Ventura as having made Minnesota politics a joke. Aside from that look at our own governor whom Time Magazine rated the worst US Senator of all time! Now that’s whom you should be fighting. The Republican Party, most of the members I know are not embarrassed by her but rather proud we have such a powerful and clear voice. Someone that is honest and truthful in her campaigns and delivers that same message once elected. It is my belief / guess that your frustrations come more so because you’re afraid of Rep. Michele Bachmann as being a great leader for the political right and that won’t help your liberal causes. If you’re so unhappy with your neighbors that you’ll publicly state your embarrassment about them for the world to see maybe you should consider moving. My guess is the feeling might be mutual and they would welcome new neighbors. It sure would be if you were my neighbor as you’d have seen a Bachmann sign in my yard every other year for about the past decade. Mr. Langness is apparently no stranger to controversy, having been censured by the Forest Lake School Board. More about that here: On Feb. 7, the board voted 5-2 to censure Gay and Langness for comments made at the Jan. 3 meeting that suggested disciplinary action be explored against Superintendent Lynn Steenblock. Gay raised the matter during discussion of criminal background checks and incidents last year involving an alleged sexual assault by a Community Education instructor, and the death of a Scandia student in a crash driven by a contractor who had not been subject to a background check by his private employer. Watch a video of Eric Langness endorsing Tom Emmer for Governor on You Tube - money quote: Hi I'm Eric Langness, Deputy Chair of Senate District 52, longtime conservative Republican and recovering school board member from Forest Lake. Too bad the video cannot be embedded.... Here it is: We here at Dump Bachmann remember when some Republicans supported Bachmann fellow traveler and mentor - former Representative Mark Olson's bid to stay in the legislature after being arrested and convicted for "placing" his wife on the ground.

Michele Bachmann Using "Terrorist" Quote by Biden to Raise $$$

Bachmann's campaign website: The Democrats have stooped to a new low. Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden reportedly referred to the Tea Party as "terrorists." Sign our petition and call on Biden to apologize for his outrageous remarks. The irony is Bachmannn herself supports a real terrorist group, the Mujahedin-e Khalq(MEK/PMOI) See Wednesday's post "Larry Klayman, Bradlee Dean's Lawyer Appeared With Michele Bachmann at Presser in Support of Terrorist Group". There's an article today in Al Jazeera about all the support the MEK is getting in Washington from politicians like Bachmann: Known for its cult-like behavior, the MEK (also known as the People's Mujahedin of Iran, PMOI or MKO) fought alongside Saddam Hussein's regime against its own country during the bloody Iran-Iraq war. This is one reason why it has almost no Iranian support, even if it refers to itself as the "most popular resistance group inside Iran" on its official website. It does, however, enjoy the backing of several US heavyweights with high national security credentials. Besides having a history of supporting Sadaam Hussein, the MEK is a freaky cult: Banisadr, 57 years old, has written a memoir about his life in the MEK until his departure in 1996 - an event he attributes to "luck". He said mind control was a normal occurrence at Camp Ashraf: "I remember being forced to attend a speaking session lasting for 3 days. In total I think we got around 2 hours of sleep a night." He was also forced to leave his family. "They told us to imagine sleeping with the corpses of our spouses. Not to think that they had been dead for a long time, but just long enough so that the body was still warm." Camp Ashraf is closed to most outsiders, but in 2005 Human Rights Watch released a report describing the "mass divorce" that was imposed on Banisadr and all other members and "abuses ranging from detention and persecution of ordinary members wishing to leave" to "lengthy solitary confinements, severe beatings, and torture of dissident members". The former MEK members interviewed also reported "two cases of deaths under interrogation". The article goes on to speculate why prominent politicos are supporting the MEK: But strategic reasoning may not be the sole concern motivating this advocacy: some of the MEK's prominent supporters have also reportedly received massive payments for speaking at their events. The New York Times reported that Ambassador Lawrence E. Butler, who has been trying to negotiate with the group, guessed that "about a million dollars was spent" on MEK lobbying "over the last six months". When he asked how much retired General Clark received, adding that "[h]e doesn't get out of bed for less than $25,000", one member replied that the group's advocates were not "doing it for the money". And Bachmann may have committed a crime by supporting the MEK: But in January, law professor David Cole wrote that Mukasey, Giuliani, Ridge and Frances Fragos Townsend could have committed a crime simply by vocally supporting the MEK's cause in Paris. While proving liability is again the issue, the Patriot Act's material support law makes it a felony to support an FTO by engaging "in public advocacy to challenge a group's 'terrorist' designation or even to encourage peaceful avenues for redress of grievances," wrote Cole. Reporters need to ask Bachmann why she supports the MEK.

Michele Bachmann's 23 Foster Kids Upgraded to "Adopted"

The Blaze: In an exclusive interview with THE BLAZE, Michele Bachmann‘s son Lucas said women working in politics get the short end of the stick in terms of media coverage. And that’s true for both Republicans and Democrats, he said: “Look what happened to Sarah Palin. Look, for instance, at what David Letterman did to her — the nonstop, ruthless attacks. “And, it’s not just a conservative issue. Look at how Hillary Clinton was treated in 2008. She was absolutely raked through the coals by the media.” In the interview, Bachmann also talked about how he feels when his mother is publicly attacked, how often he chats with her and growing up with 23 adopted siblings.

Michele Bachmann's first Campaign Manager and BFF to Appear in Court This Morning

Oakdale Lake Elmo Review: Washington County Commissioner Bill Pulkrabek's arraignment hearing for a misdemeanor domestic assault charge is set for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 4 in Chisago County. Tenth District Court Judge John McBride will preside over the hearing. Pulkrabek's attorney, Ryan Kaess, said his client maintains he is not guilty of the charge. Pulkrabek, 41, was arrested May 30 at a Woodbury townhome after allegedly assaulting his then girlfriend, Jill Samuelson. Pulkrabek is reportedly living at the townhome while he is going through a divorce with his wife, Oakdale City Council member Lori Pulkrabek. The townhouse is owned by former District 56 Republican state Sen. Brian LeClair and is located in Pulkrabek's county commissioner district. Pulkrabek and Samuelson reportedly argued about his alcohol use after she stopped at the townhome to pick up her cat on May 30, according to the complaint filed against Pulkrabek in June. In the police report, Pulkrabek is accused of grabbing Samuelson by her hair and throwing her onto the bed after she attempted to take a bottle of Estee Lauder skin cream from the bathroom and put it into her purse. Pulkrabek later told authorities that he thought Samuelson was stealing the skin cream. The complaint alleges that Pulkrabek then pinned Samuelson down on the bed and pressed his right forearm across her neck, hindering her ability to breathe. She reportedly kneed Pulkrabek to get him off her. But, she said, Pulkrabek then grabbed her by her hair again and dragged her down the stairs and out the front door. Read the whole thing. Pulkrabek is the Washington County commissioner who referred to homeless people as "jackasses". More in this 5/31/11 DB post - "Former Campaign Manager for Michele Bachmann Bill Pulkrabek Arrested for Assault"

Truth Wins Out Special Investigative Report on Janet Boynes

TWO's Wayne Besen follows up the excellent undercover investigation into the pray-away-the-gay "reparative" therapy at the Bachmann Clinic with another investigation into Marcus and Michel's ex-lesbian sidekick Janet Boynes. Using Boynes own words from her media appearances and writings, Besen proves she is a con-artist and a liar. Read the whole thing. Here's Michele Bachmann's ex-lesbian minister friend in some photos (by Michele M) from the 2006 CD GOP convention in Monticello:

Larry Klayman, Bradlee Dean's Lawyer Appeared With Michele Bachmann at Presser in Support of Terrorist Group

We first blogged about Bachmann supporting the MEK in this November 22, 2010 post. Here is a re-post: Last week, Michele Bachmann appeared at a press conference at a Freedom Watch symposium titled "National security, freedom, and Iran—is it time for U.S. and Western intervention?" Bachmann voiced her support for The People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI, also known as the MEK), asking that they be removed from the U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Who is the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran? Reuters: -- The U.S. State Department has said the PMOI assassinated at least six U.S. citizens as part of the struggle to overthrow the Shah, backed the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran and opposed freeing U.S. hostages. The U.S. government designated the PMOI a "terrorist" organisation in 1997. -- In the 1980s, the group's leaders fled to France and also collaborated with Iraq during the 1980-88 war with Iran. -- In April 1992, the PMOI carried out attacks on 13 Iranian embassies around the world, causing significant damage. Human Rights Watch had a report a while back on the Mojahedin Khalq (MEK, People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran). HRW says the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran required its members to divorce their spouses: The leadership asked the members to divorce themselves from all physical and emotional attachments in order to enhance their “capacity for struggle.” In case of married couples, this phase of the “ideological revolution” required them to renounce their emotional ties to their spouses through divorce. When a reporter asked Bachmann about the lack of trust Iranian dissidents have for the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran, Bachmann replied with this money quote: "Not every vehicle is a perfect vehicle and we don't want to defeat the good because we are in search of the perfect." Oh, the irony... In the following two videos, Bachmann begins at 8:30, calls for supporting the The People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran, asking that they be removed from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. Bachmann is followed by Alan Keyes who says the U.S should declare war on muslim "imperialism": UPDATE: Here's Klayman:

Will President Bachmann Push for a Federal Law Requiring the Registration of Stillbirths?

We first asked that question back in 2006 when she ran for Congress. Read about it in this 2/20/03 article from the Stillwater Gazette: Bachmann introduces bill to Senate requiring stillbirths to be certified (Created 2/20/03 8:31:00 AM) By MIKE MITCHELSON Staff Writer Deaths of fetuses older than five months would be catalogued, recorded STILLWATER - In a move that could be interpreted as a measure of respect or an inroad against legal abortion, a local senator has authored a bill that would require the state to register stillborn babies. Sen. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, authored the bill, which would require a "certificate of stillbirth" to be filed with the state registrar within five days for fetuses older than 20 weeks. The names of the parent or parents would be included on the certificate. Hospitals currently do not issue a legal document to the parents of a stillborn fetus, but they are required to issue Fetal Death Reports to county and state offices. Bachmann said she decided to work on the legislation (Senate File 191) after she was approached by a woman who had given birth to a stillborn baby. The woman told Bachmann that there was a coalition of families that was surprised to learn that they were not able to get a certificate of record for their stillborn child. "They wanted to be able to recognize that a child had been born," Bachmann said. "They wanted to have something, obviously it's not a live birth, but they wanted to have something that recognized that their child existed and was born. So, they came and asked if I would be willing to carry this legislation." Support for similar legislation has gained traction around the country. Arizona was the first state to offer a certificate of stillbirth, and legislators in several other states have passed bills or are working on them. "We are now in the process of requesting a first hearing," Bachmann said. She expects the hearing to happen in the third week of March. She does not anticipate any resistance to the bill, she said, because it does not have a financial impact on the state. "I think from a policy point of view, it's good to recognize that a part of our human family existed and to make a memorial of that. So I can't imagine any reason why anyone would resist this bill." How abortion rights advocates will react to the proposed legislation remains to be heard. The certificate of stillbirth could be interpreted as an inroad to reverse abortion rights. Which Bachmann totally denied: Bachmann said no anti-abortion groups asked her to write the bill. "I am pro-life ... but this is not phrased in any way to be a pro-life bill. This is a measure for grieving families to help them deal with grief." Yeah, right - by forcing them to do paperwork. Bachmann apparently wasn't eager to do the work (sound familiar?) to advance the bill through the legislature: For Bachmann to have her bill heard in the Senate, a House legislator will likely have to file a bill similar to it in the House. As of the Monday, February 17, a bill had not been introduced in the House. "We could hear it, but if there is no House File, then it's half a bill," he said. "It is sort of an unwritten rule, that if there is no House File, then there’s really no sense in hearing a Senate File." Bachmann still has plenty of time to organize a House File, he added. Reporters need to ask whether Bachmann will push for a similar bill when she is elected President. More about the 2005 Minnesota "Missing Angels" bill that Bachmann sponsored in Senate Weekly (PDF). A similar law requiring registration of miscarriages was part of the anti-abortion edicts of Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu: The Ceausescu regime took more aggressive steps in the 1980s. By 1983 the birthrate had fallen to 14.3 per 1,000, the rate of annual increase in population had dipped to 3.7 per 1,000, and the number of abortions (421,386) again exceeded the number of live births (321,489). Ceausescu complained that only some 9 percent of the abortions performed had the necessary medical justification. In 1984 the legal age for marriage was lowered to fifteen years for women, and additional taxes were levied on childless individuals over twenty-five years of age. Monthly gynecological examinations for all women of childbearing age were instituted, even for pubescent girls, to identify pregnancies in the earliest stages and to monitor pregnant women to ensure that their pregnancies came to term. Miscarriages were to be investigated and illegal abortions prosecuted, resulting in prison terms of one year for the women concerned and up to five years for doctors and other medical personnel performing the procedure. Doctors and nurses involved in gynecology came under increasing pressure, especially after 1985, when "demographic command units" were set up to ensure that all women were gynecologically examined at their place of work. These units not only monitored pregnancies and ensured deliveries but also investigated childless women and couples, asked detailed questions about their sex lives and the general health of their reproductive systems, and recommended treatment for infertility. The results of the Ceausescu regime's anti-abortion, anti-family planning, pro-birth policies were catastrophic.

Truth Wins Out to Release Report on Janet Boynes

TWO: Wednesday: TWO will Release a Report on Janet Boynes, the Bachmann Family’s ‘Ex-Gay’ Guru Posted August 2nd, 2011 by Wayne Besen Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, claimed that his clinic, Bachmann & Associates, did not take part in the discredited practice of “ex-gay” therapy. An investigation by my organization, Truth Wins Out, proved that he was lying. Included in our trove of evidence was a notorious book by Janet Boynes, Called Out: A former Lesbians Discovery of Freedom, stacked high and sold at the clinic. Hovering over the pile of books was a personal endorsement from Marcus Bachmann: “Janet is a friend. I recommend this book as she speaks to the heart of the matter and gives practical insights of truth to set people free.” – Marcus Bachmann, PhD Given her close ties to the Bachmann family, many people are clamoring to know: Who is Janet Boynes? Find out the answer to this question tomorrow…. In the meantime, you a profile of Michele Bachmann's ex-lesbian sidekick by Libby Copeland in Slate. Our readers know about Janet Boynes. For our new readers, here's Janet Boynes testifying about "gay bowel syndrome": Here is the DB trading card for Janet Boynes (click on the trading card to make it bigger for downloading):

Michele Bachmann Politicized the Collapse of the 35w Bridge

It's been four years since the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people and injuring 145 others. A memorial garden was dedicated yesterday for the victims of that tragedy. Most public officials put aside politics in the aftermath of the bridge collapse.. but not Michele Bachmann. Dump Bachmann. November 13, 2008: On the audio clip in the the previous post, Bachmannn talks about spending a lot time in Rm 219 at the Capitol confessing her sins and praying for forgiveness. Is "bearing false witness" a sin? She said the following on a radio show on the eve of the election: The other thing we are still waiting on is the National Transportation Safety Board will be issuing a report on the I35W Bridge and it appears that the Department of Transportation under his leadership knew or had reason to know that the gusset plates had already bent on the bridge. This is very serious and something that will become more clear when the report comes out.... Listen to her say it 4:00 into this audio file: Bachmann's accusation that Elwyn Tinkelnberg had any responsibility for the collapse is very serious... thirteen people died and 145 were injured in the collapse. So, the NTSB announced their findings today and this is what the MPR story says: Investigators say the under-designed gusset plate was the primary cause of the disaster that killed 13 people and injured 145 others. Did the NISB make it "more clear" who was responsible for the bridge collapse? I couldn't find anything. However, it's very clear that shortly after the bridge collapse, Bachmann had a "light-hearted" and "fun" encounter with President Bush at the site where thirteen people died and 145 were injured . Bachmann called in to WCCO radio and said the following: "The President and I enjoy a great relationship. When he and I were back visiting the collapsed bridge, he reached over because he wanted to give me a kiss when we were down at the site. I pulled back and he said "What? You don't want to embrace?" I said, "The people of Minnnesota love you, Mister President, but one kiss was enough." ...and... We were just joking. It was light-hearted, it was fun... Note: The link to the audio of Bachmann making those remarks on WCCO is broken. Additional Note: Loyal readers of this blog may also remember when Bachmann's pal at the Halloween-hating Minnesota Teen Challenge ministry, Rich Scherber claimed divine intervention for saving MNTC staff and charges from the bridge collapse. Here's a DB re-post from 2008: Rich Scherber, the Executive Director of Michele Bachmann's favorite charity, Minnesota Teen Challenge posted a bizarre article on the Across Pacific Magazine website the day after the collapse of the 35W Bridge in 2007. In the article, Scherber claims The Almighty protected MNTC staff and "students" from suffering the fate of scores of other motorists who were plunged into the Mississippi River. The Minnesota Teen Challenge program is thanking God on several fronts for His awesome protection during the bridge collapse on Interstate 35 yesterday. This bridge is located just ¼ mile from our main center and is traveled hundreds of times by many of our students and staff as the main route to the Northeast metro area. I have heard almost a dozen stories from employees and students who were on this bridge just minutes before it went down. I want to share three of the most powerful miracles. First, Jessica our admissions supervisor told me in tears how at 6:00 last night she was ready to enter the I-35 Bridge over the Mississippi. The Holy Spirit spoke to her very abruptly to turn off the freeway and go a different way home. She obeyed the Holy Spirit arguing with him all the way. Since she takes this same route every day and her commute home takes almost an hour, detouring from the freeway and not crossing over the bridge didn't make sense. Shortly after she detoured from I-35, the bridge went down. Jessica most likely would have been on that bridge. Okay... the Holy Spirit spoke to Jessica and she argued with him?!? That doen't make any sense. If a voice told me not to go over the bridge, I'd either dial 911 to warn other motorists or I'd seek the care of a psychiatric professional. This account is different than the account he gave with CBN (see below) in which he said Jennifer argued "with herself", not the Holy Spirit. The second testimony was told to me by dozens of our Teen Challenge students. Every Wednesday night for the past 3 years our buses and vans are loaded and a caravan of vehicles transport our men over the I-35 Bridge to a local church. They leave our buildings at 6:00 and cross over the bridge at approximately 6:10. As the caravan of vehicles left the building, a staff who normally drives the bus stayed back with a group of sick students. He called one of the drivers to say that it might be best if "just tonight" they didn't go over the freeway bridge and instead took an alternative route. When the students arrived at the church and heard what had happened, the vast majority got on their knees and wept. Lastly, my daughter who works at the University of Minnesota and is on that bridge every night at around 6:10 p.m. just happened to ask for the day off of work. She also could have been on this bridge. Right now they say that over 50 cars are lying near or under the bridge on the bottom of the Mississippi River. They believe that most of these vehicles have fatalities. Thank God for His divine protection! Please pray for our city! Yesterday we had our Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan and members of the Minneapolis City Council at chapel. It was a powerful time and at the end we prayed together for our city and for God's wisdom on our leaders and law enforcement. Little did we know that just hours later our city would experience the greatest catastrophe in Minnesota's history. Please keep us in prayer. Wait... he had the police chief and the leadership of the Mpls City Council in the chapel and God didn't choose that time to warn them of the disaster to come later in the day? Pastor Scherber doesn't explain why the Holy Spirit chose to save his flock and not the people who were maimed and killed in the disaster... it seems very disrespectful to make that claim. Rich Sherber made the same claims in a rambling interview with CBN news. Here is a slightly shorter version of the interview. (We apologize for the poor quality).

More Questions About Marcus and His Mystery Mileage Reimbursement

The City Pages Blotter took a look at the Marcus Mileage Mystery which this blog took note of back in 2007. Karl Bremer finds another piece of the puzzle at his Ripple in Stillwater blog: Then, on Bachmann’s next FEC report for First Quarter 2007, a mysterious entry showed up: a Feb. 22, 2007 receipt to the campaign from Marcus Bachmann for the exact same amount as the earlier mileage payment—$6,230. The entry is identified as “Offsets to Operating Expenditures,” which according to FEC rules includes refunds, rebates and returns of deposits. An aggregate total of $6,530 is listed in the same entry, but it’s not clear where the other $300 came from. Was this refund from Marcus Bachmann an admission that the “mileage reimbursement” was erroneously paid to him and if so, what prompted it? Read the whole thing.

Bradlee Dean Complaint Against Rachel Maddow & MnIndy Spells Michele Bachmann's Name Wrong

We're used to seeing Michele Bachmann's name misspelled with two L's or one N, but the crackerjack pettifogger Bradlee Dean hired used a spelling in his complaint you won't see even on a placard at a Tea Party rally: 15. Defendants Maddow, MSNBC and NBC’s published statements have widely proliferated in the media and have caused significant harm to Plaintiffs, particularly during this highly charged political season leading up to the presidential elections in 2012. By harming Plaintiffs, Maddow, MSNBC and NBC sought to significantly harm the “big political prize” which they loathe, Christian conservative presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, who they sought to link to Plaintiffs. Congresswoman Michelle Backmann is regularly and maliciously disparaged, defamed and held in a false light on many other NBC and MSNBC cable shows, including but not limited to the broadcasts of television hosts Chris Mathews, Ed Schultz, and Lawrence O’Donnell. In sum, by destroying Plaintiffs, Defendants Maddow, MSNBC and NBC sought to destroy Bachmann, a Christian conservative presidential candidate who they despise and hate for her religious and political beliefs. We agree with The Cucking Stool, there really needs to be a trial for this lawsuit. LET BRADLEE DEAN HAVE HIS DAY IN COURT!!!

Please Tell Governor Dayton to Stop Supporting Bachmann's 3/4 Billion Dollar Boondoggle Bridge

Message in my inbox from the Sierra Club North Star Chapter: Dear Ken, Make your voice heard today! New design proposed by Sensible Stillwater Bridge Partnership The Lower St. Croix River, a federally-protected river, is currently threatened by a $690 million highway project that calls for the construction of an immense, freeway-style bridge through the heart of this regional and national treasure. Last fall, the National Park Service ruled that the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act prohibits the construction of the current massive proposed bridge. Now, legislation has been introduced that would set a troubling national precedent -- to exempt the current proposal from the Act. Ask Governor Dayton to reject this approach, and instead direct the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) to move quickly to evaluate a new alternative design. This new design, developed by a partnership of Stillwater residents, business owners and other groups, utilizes a smaller three-lane bridge. It has never been studied, and is different from any of the previously-evaluated, rejected alternatives. The Sierra Club has analyzed the proposal by the Sensible Stillwater Bridge Partnership and believes it is a balanced and reasonable compromise, consistent with community needs, federal protections, and it preserves the character of the river. Estimates show that the new design could be built for about $283 million, less than half the cost of the current proposal. This would free up funds for critical infrastructure needs, and complement efforts to increase transit and transportation choices across the state. Send your message today to Governor Dayton, asking for continued protection of the Lower St. Croix and for Mn/DOT to evaluate the new alternative to the current $690 million proposal. Read about the plan for a less expensive bridge - a sensible Stillwater bridge.

More Sloppy, Questionable Paperwork From Presidential Candidate Michele Bachmann

Karl Bremer has the details at Ripple in Stillwater: For the second time in a week, Ripple in Stillwater has discovered Michele Bachmann using a false address on official government filings. This time it’s on two Federal Election Commission (FEC) receipts for “mileage reimbursement.” Bachmann’s old Stillwater address where she hasn’t lived for three years was reported on two campaign disbursement receipts that her campaign filed with the FEC earlier this year. One was for $74.80 on Feb. 3, 2011; the other was for $562.51 on Feb. 7, 2011. Both were for payments to Bachmann. It would seem to be hard to explain how a candidate’s own campaign could still be using a 2008 address for the candidate on 2011 FEC reports—particularly when one of the disbursements to the candidate requires a “receipt, invoice or cancelled check.” Karl mentions another example of questionable paperwork: It's also not the first time Bachmann's mileage reimbursements have been questioned. DumpBachmann.com noted a suspicious FEC receipt for $6,230 in "mileage reimbursement" to Marcus Bachmann, Michele's husband, back in 2007. If anyone thinks this scrutiny is petty, they need to read the job description for President of the United States (Scholastic.com): Job Description The Constitution assigns the president two roles: chief executive of the federal government and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. As Commander in Chief, the president has the authority to send troops into combat, and is the only one who can decide whether to use nuclear weapons. As chief executive, he enforces laws, treaties, and court rulings; develops federal policies; prepares the national budget; and appoints federal officials. He also approves or vetoes acts of Congress and grants pardons. We can't have a President who can't manage to handle the paperwork... it's part of the job. It's not all fun and games, like sending troops into battle, launching nuclear weapons and pardoning convicted criminals... speaking of... can we expect President Bachmann to pardon fraudster Frank Vennes AND his alleged cohort Jim Fry (read more about the upcoming trial of Bachmann's pardon pal at the Vennes Info blog).