Michele Bachmann in Debate Open Thread

Please share your thoughts about Michele Bachmann's performance during the debate.

Michele Bachmann's Campaign Imploding

Chris Cillizza at WaPo: Bachmann’s campaign team, to date, has been remarkably disciplined with few leaks about anything emerging. But, the decision by campaign manager Ed Rollins to take on an advisory role and deputy campaign manager David Polyansky’s decision to leave the team entirely suggests that there is some level of internal dissension about the direction of the campaign. When campaigns start to struggle, the people whose advice is not being listened to tend to take their complaints public and, in so doing, focus the coverage on process — the “why” and “how” questions that derail candidates’ preferred messages.

Strib Picks Up on Dump Bachmann Book Deal

Here: Meanwhile, Bachmann may have something else to worry about come December. The proprietors of the Dump Bachmann and Ripple in Stillwater blogs, anti-Bachmann online chroniclers from before she was in the national spotlight, have landed a contract for a new book with John Wiley & Sons. Don't expect the tome will be kind to the 6th District congresswoman. It is tentatively titled, "The Madness of Michele Bachmann."

Michele Bachmann's Latest Bleating

Today is Labor Day and the President's self-described "summer of recovery" is officially a bust for the second year in a row. Unemployment is still sky-high, our deficit is climbing, and Americans have now been without work for longer than any period in history. Yet, rather than address our nation's problems, President Obama's allies have returned back to their old games, falsely attacking our campaign on national television as they grow fearful of our increasing momentum. On CNN yesterday, notorious union boss and Obama advisor Jimmy Hoffa made blatantly false statements about our campaign's policies, calling me "anti-worker," and claiming that I am in favor of ending Social Security. As you and I both know, nothing could be further from the truth. While Hoffa and other Obama allies slander and misrepresent our beliefs and claim to know "what the American people want," their rhetoric blindly misses the point. The American people want jobs, and the big-government Obama apparatus isn't delivering. With zero net jobs added in August and millions without work, they're engaging in basic misdirection, lying about our agenda for America while hoping the American people will take the bait. The American people aren't easily fooled, but unions like Hoffa's will spend millions on President Obama's re-election, and are well equipped to continue these disingenuous attacks as long as they wish. As the campaign season heats up, they are sure to get worse and, with so much at stake, we can't afford to not fight back with the truth. That's why I'm asking if you will contribute to my campaign today to help level the playing field--will you make a contribution of $25, $50, $100, or any amount up to the legal limit? When they're not on the attack on CNN, union bosses like Hoffa in Washington, DC, are getting big returns on their election day influence, yielding unprecedented power granted by Obama appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, and costing Americans countless jobs in the process. Just weeks ago, I joined Governor Nikki Haley in Charleston, where the NRLB's activism is threatening thousands of jobs and billions of dollars by suing to stop Boeing from building new jets in South Carolina. Governor Haley has said it before, and I whole-heartedly agree: this is truly un-American and must stop. Big labor policies enforced by unelected and unaccountable Obama bureaucrats cost Americans jobs, while boosting the professional and political prospects of union leaders like Jimmy Hoffa. As President, you can be sure that I will respect the right of Americans to work, and enact policies that promote prosperity and economic freedom, not membership in declining unions. On day one, my singular focus will be putting America back on a path to prosperity, but I need your help to get there. Will you join our campaign by making a contribution of $25, $50, $100, or any amount up to the legal limit, and help us articulate this message to millions more Americans in the coming weeks? I am grateful for your continued support, and am thrilled to have you by my side as we continue this wonderful journey towards a better future. Sincerely, Michele Bachmann P.S. By throwing around terms like "anti-worker," Jimmy Hoffa and his allies on the left are engaging in class warfare, and I won't stand for it. As President, our policies will be truly "pro-worker," as we work together to rebuild our economy from the carnage of President Obama's mismanagement and restore jobs to the millions who are now unemployed due to his policies. We can put Americans back to work through lowering taxes on job creators, decreasing government spending, and getting rid of job killing regulations. As we travel around the country sharing this vision with the American people, we are continuously reminded that campaigns are not cheap--will you make a contribution today of $25, $50, $100 or any amount up to the legal limit to support our efforts today? Thank you!

Transcript: Michele Bachmann Stump Speech in Blaine - March 2006

Ken Avidor and Eva Young travelled to Blaine to listen to Michele Bachmann give a stump speech at one of the Senate District conventions. This is a transcript taken from a video taken of the speech. Michele Bachmann: And they thought this would be a real kick to tell the world that their mother is turning 50. And so women are not supposed to tell their age, and so our children thought this would be great and let the cat out of the bag. And everyone now knows that mother is 50 and father is 50. And we’re having a party a little bit later and you’re all invited to – and this is their sense of humor – the Anoka senior citizens center. And so we’ll see you all there. I grew up in Anoka, Minnesota. This is my backyard where we are right now. I grew up in Anoka. My parents used to live at 10th and Washington where I grew up and I am just so honored and so grateful to be from this area from the 6th district where when you go all the way up and down highway 10 and you go all the way up and down highway 94 from one end to the other from Woodbury and Afton to all the way up to western Stearns county, what do you see in the 6th district? You see growth, you see new buildings, you see new construction. This is the most hopeful wonderful district. You know what Congressman Mark Kennedy told me last year – that this is the most pro-life district per capita in the United States. Isn’t that amazing? I want to let you know that my husband Marcus and I – we’ve been married 28 years. This is a man secure enough in his own right to have his woman run for congress. Marcus – show em who you are. The incredible man that I married was a dairy farmer and he now is a clinical psychologist. We own a Christian counseling clinic over in Lake Elmo, Minnesota and have 30 employees. I’m a federal tax attorney, and I spent my professional life fighting for individuals and for businesses to lower the tax burden on us so that we can have some sanity in our fiscal policy in our country and also here in our state. I’ll tell you that it is just an honor to be in front of you this morning and to have you consider me to be your candidate to run for United States congress. I am running for the right reasons and the right reasons are these. I so love our country. I so believe in who we are and what we stand for. I want to make sure we remain free and strong and proud. And I am so happy that at this point in our nation we are standing as strong as we are behind our military. My father was in the United States Airforce. My brother is currently in the United States Navy. Our son was recently in Army ROTC. We have a personal interest in what’s happening with our national security and defense now in our country but beyond that every one of us in this room has a personal stake in freedom. We have a personal stake in freedom. That is our coinage in the realm – not only for us as a nation but for the world. We continue to be that beacon. No other nation has produced what we’ve produced. There’s one reason only. We have freedom. We have freedom. And it’s something we need to hold onto with both hands. Because at every juncture someone wants to pull away from us don’t they? Whether it’s a foreign aggressor, whether it’s an economic powerhouse. Someone wants to take away our freedom. I will be there to champion our freedom for you. On a military level, on an economic level, on a cultural level. I’ve been willing these past few years to be the point of the tip of the spear on some of these – some of the most controversial issues here in our state. And I’ve seen success. When I first came into the Minnesota Senate my goal was to champion repeal of the Profile of Learning. I set my career as a federal tax attorney aside to speak all across our state. I spoke to over 35,000 people all over Minnesota to tell them about the controversial Profile of Learning and to ask for their help to repeal it. I worked with alot of other legislators as well. Do you know that in 2003 we were able to see that Goliath fall. The Profile went away and academic standards came back. Isn’t that awesome? (applause) Minnesota is now the fourth highest taxed state in the nation. We always have that ranking. And so I championed that Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights that would limit spending in our state to reasonable rates of growth – inflation plus population increases. Beyond that we have tax increases – you vote on those tax increases not the legislature. Isn’t that an awesome idea? We need to do that. We need to do that at the federal level as well. Most recently I worked on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as one man, one woman. Had a little controversy about that. (applause) Senator Dean Johnson has had a little bit to say with some hallucinogenic conversations with some supreme court justices. That’s all water under the bridge now. But we will continue to fight and work on those issues. I was honored just two days ago to receive the endorsement of the Susan B Anthony List one of the largest pro-life organizations in the United States for my work on pro-life issues. Marcus and I have worked with women for over 31 years, we have taken unwed women into our home. I’ve given birth enough myself, but I’ve held women’s hands as they’ve gone through the birth experience. And also I’ve had Focus on the Family ask me to be a national speaker for them across the country debating this issue of marriage as one man, one woman. This is the line in the sand for our culture right now. We need to hold strong on the definition of marriage. I have won extremely difficult races here in Minnesota. I have won them because even though this looks like bone [points to her back] back here, this is actually titanium in my spine. You need to know that. And I’m very excited about where we’re going. Patty Wetterling, she ran against Mark Kennedy last time, ran very strong, she was 8 points behind Mark Kennedy. We all know she’s running again this time. Patty Wetterling won Woodbury last time (Republican area). She won Lino Lakes last time (Republican area). I won those areas by 10 and 12 points. I can win those areas because those areas tend to like a female for some reason – but they want a conservative female. I can come out and can make that case and I will make that case. Please consider me to send me to Washington DC. I will work as hard as I can possibly work. I will not give up until I make sure we send a Republican to fill this seat in November. Thank you for giving me your attention.

Michele Bachmann's BFF Stillwater Mayor Ken Harycki Determined to Waste Taxpayers' $$$ on Bridge Boondoggle Lobbyists

First reported at Ripple in Stillwater, the MSM now picks up on the State Auditor's (OSA) determination that the $80,000 the City of Stillwater gave to the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing was an “unauthorized expenditure”. The OSA also recommended that the Stillwater officials “attempt to recover the money donated to the Coalition.” Today, the Strib picked up the story. Bachmann has Mayor Harycki's May 5th testimony in favor of her boondoggle bridge on her You Tube channel (Bachmann's testimony is there too). The video is embedded on the GOP.gov website with her picture - transcript of the Mayor's testimony on her congressional website. The Stillwater Patch has this defiant statement from Mayor Ken Haryck: At this point it doesn't make much sense to litigate this, Harycki said. "If we can't do this through TIF funds we'll probably do it through the city reserve funds or other means." Ken Harycki has a history of defying clear instructions from people in authority. Back in 2010, the Mayor was held at gunpoint after he failed to listen to instructions at a traffic stop in Bayport (MinnPost): "The officers gave Harycki 'loud verbal commands' to get back in his vehicle, but he did not listen, according to the report. While walking toward the officers, Harycki reached into his jacket, prompting the officers to draw their guns on the mayor. "'Fearing that he was reaching for a weapon, I drew my duty weapon and pointed it at him," wrote officer Jay Jackson in the incident report. "Police say Harycki removed his hands from his jacket, but still did not follow their instructions and proceeded to approach the officers with his hands on his head," the newspaper said. "Harycki eventually listened and was then ordered to his knees at gunpoint and searched for weapons, but none were found. Police say Harycki told the officers he was the mayor of Stillwater and later apologized several times." Here's the cop-cam video: UPDATE: A collection of funny videos about "Mayor Ha-Risky" HERE.

The Wit and Wisdom of Michele Bachmann Part Four

From The Cucking Stool, the final video in the series: Part four, a valediction of sorts, is the last installment of the series by the Drinking Liberally Players of the Minneapolis - St. Paul chapter. Recorded August 25, 2011. Part one, part two, and part three.

Bachmann Uses Veterans as Props for Her Campaign

The Strib reports Bachmann got a lukewarm reception at the American Legion convention today. Congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann spoke on the last day of the American Legion national convention in Minneapolis. Many seats were empty and the speech was criticized as too much of a campaign speech for the setting. Maybe the Legionnaires remembered when Bachmann wanted to cut their benefits. Bachmann got what she came for: Bachmann, who will attend a debate at the Reagan library in California next week, refused to answer any other questions from the media after her speech, instead going behind a black curtain for a photo session with veterans. Bachmann has a history of using veterans as props for her campaigns ... that's all they mean to her. Here's an Uptake video of Bachmann making yet another history gaffe at the convention: Representative Michele Bachmann stumbles as she tries to explain how the policies of President Ronald Reagan and Britain’s Margaret Thatcher strengthened the US. She says Britain fought a war in the Falkland Islands in 1992. She’s off by a decade. The Falklands war happened in 1982. UPDATE: In the video above Bachmann talks about the Iran Hostage Crisis. Bachmann supports a terrorist cult that supported the U.S. embassy takeover and opposed the release of the hostages in 1981.

Victory for the Taxpayers - MN State Auditor Says City of Stillwater's $80K donation to Bachmann Boondoggle Lobbyists is 'Unauthorized'

Karl Bremer has the scoop at Ripple in Stillwater: The Minnesota Office of the State Auditor (OSA) has determined that the $80,000 the City of Stillwater donated to the lobbying group Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing was an “unauthorized expenditure” and has recommended that the City “attempt to recover the money donated to the Coalition.” Karl Bremer filed the complaint - shouldn't the Taxpayers League give him an award? Also, MnDOT rejected the Sensible Bridge solution. NO surprise there. What credibility does the agency have after they wasted thousands of taxpayers' dollars on Bachmann's other boondoggle Personal Rapid Transit and when one of the would-be pod vendors threatened to sue MnDOT tried to scrub the pods off their website?

AUDIO: Bradlee Dean Falsely Denies His Affiliation With Michele Bachmann

The Ministry of Hate broadcast live from the Minnesota State Fair last Saturday on AM 1280 "The Patriot". Bradlee Dean and his sidekick Jake devoted a good part of their broadcast talking about his "prayer" at the Capitol. In the following segment, Bradlee starts off by calling Rep. Ernie Leidiger a liar and disputes the leadership of Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers for condemning his "prayer". Bradlee Dean also claims legislators called him and told him the Zellers condemnation of the "prayer" was wrong. However, Bradlee Dean doesn't think much of the legislators because they were too afraid to voice their support for Bradlee Dean to the media. Bradlee Dean also claims the recent controversies surrounding him have "destroyed" his ministry (2:00). Bradlee Dean goes on to invite Kurt Zellers on his next broadcast at the MN State Fair Saturday September 3rd to ask Zellers what was wrong with Bradlee's prayer (4:30). Bradlee Dean also says "We're not sprung chickens". (5:00) But here's the money quote (6:35): I want to let everybody know that what happened is after May twentieth of 2011, the media just started to inundate us. They kept trying to cover us up. Then the next thing they tried to do is was try to get me to affiliate with Michele Bachmann or Tom Emmer which in fact, is the furthest thing from the truth. If a shake of hand makes me best friends with people, I have a lot of best friends in the millions. Well, Bradlee & Jake can run, but they cannot hide from their VERY close affiliation with Michele Bachmann. The entire 2-hour broadcast can be downloaded at the Sons of Liberty website.

Michele Bachmann Pals Around With Another Kill-the-Gays Theocrat

By now, you know that Bachmann pals around with Bradlee Dean who yaks about the morality of killing gays, castrating gays and arresting and incarcerating gays.... here's another gay-hater Bachmann pals around with - Gary DeMar. Warren Throckmorton: Two American Vision writers Gary DeMar and Joel McDurmon both advocate the death penalty for gays. In his book Ruler of Nations, DeMar says about laws regarding gays: Obviously, certain sins often may escape detection. Homosexuals who practice behind closed doors are out-of-bounds for the courts, of course, unless others witness their criminal behavior. Such behavior may not be dealt with by courts in history, but will be dealt with by God, either in history (e.g., AIDS) or eternity. The law that requires the death penalty for homosexual acts effectually drives the perversion of homosexuality underground, back to the closet, to the dark realm of shameful activity. (p. 212). DeMar has some thoughts about others who are outside the evangelical rule: Fourth, we must elect public officials who say they will vote for Biblical laws. First and foremost, this means voting to prohibit abortion. While few Christians are willing to go this far, the longterm goal should be the execution of abortionists and parents who hire them. If we argue that abortion is murder, then we must call for the death penalty. If abortionists are not supposed to be executed, then they are not murderers, and if they are not murderers, why do we want to abolish abortion? In short, Christians must learn to think consistently. (p.218) I imagine I have just scratched the surface of Mr. DeMar’s work. Yup, for Gary DeMar, hating gay people for Jesus goes waaaaaay deep. And as you would expect, gay-hating Michele Bachmann has no problem speaking at the same conference with Gary DeMar. Bachmann & DeMar was a speaker at the same "Take America Back" conference in 2010. There's a ton of videos on You Tube featuring this hate-the-gays creep. In this video, Gary DeMar speaks about the death penalty for homosexuality in the Bible at about 3 minutes into this video: For laffs, watch DeMar try to explain away his savior's teachings about taking care of the poor while bashing Ayn Rand for being an atheist ..... hilarious! H/T Joe My God