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Michele Bachman gets called onto the carpet! By a high schooler!
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<blockquote data-quote="trplnkl" data-source="post: 839111" data-attributes="member: 13254"><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> That's a little strange, I don't remember 0bama being to willing to defend himself for his very short past records and extensive affiliations. Maybe it's because she is female.</strong></em></span></p><p></p><p>Bachmann’s penchant for earmarks dates back to her days in the <strong>Minnesota</strong> state Senate. Despite her reputation as a fiscal conservative, from 2001-2006, then-state Senator Bachmann proposed more than $60 million in earmarks, including a $710,000 “Bond For Centerville Local Improvements Around Highway 14″ and a $40,000,000 “Bond for Lino Lakes And Columbus Township Highway Interchanges.”</p><p></p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> Not knowing the geography of Mn. all that well or the extent of the improvements, it's hard to tell if these two proposals should actually be called "earmarks". Of course earmark or not, it is spending of state tax payer money.</strong></em></span></p><p></p><p><strong>Doug Sachtleben</strong>, Bachmann’s communications director, sought to explain the earmarks, arguing that voters resent “taking money from taxpayers in one state to pay for a host of wasteful projects in other states.” He added that voters “also expect that things like road projects should be done at the state level, where voters can have a say through the selling of bonds.” These are not absurd arguments — bridges have to get build somehow — but <strong>Tea Party</strong> activists may find the argument that earmarks are fine at the state level as appealing as Mitt Romney’s argument that individual health care mandates are fine so long as they are enacted at the state level.</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> The argument that Sachtleben offers is sound on both points, state money spent on state projects and the selling of bonds. The author's comparison of bond elections and Romney's healthcare law is unequal merit. The voters get to decide if a bond election is passed or not, the voters had no vote on the healthcare law.</strong></em></span></p><p></p><p></p><p>The federalist argument is also severely undercut by the fact that since joining the U.S. Congress in 2007, Bachmann has appropriated more than $3.7 million in earmarks. What is more, when Republicans sought an earmark moratorium, Bachmann pushed to exclude transportation projects from the ban.</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong>WOW...3.7 million ???? What a big spender she is. She opposed an "earmark" moratorium on federally built US highways and interstate Highways, mmmm who's responsibility is that?</strong></em></span></p><p></p><p>Bachmann may also be plagued by her involvement in a controversial pardon. In 2007, Bachmann wrote a letter requesting a presidential pardon for a convicted drug-smuggler and money-launderer named Frank Vennes. Vennes was convicted of money laundering in 1988 and pleaded no contest to a cocaine and weapons charge. Making matters worse, he and his wife donated a total of $27,600 to Bachmann’s 2006 and 2008 election.</p><p></p><p>On October 2, 2008, Rep. Bachmann wrote a second letter after Vennes’ home was raided by federal agents investigating his connection to a billion dollar Ponzi scheme, this time admitting: “Regrettably, it now appears that I may have too hastily accepted his [Frank Vennes] claims of redemption and I must withdraw my previous letter.” Bachmann’s spokesman tells me, Rep. Bachmann “has remained disassociated from Mr. Vennes and is saddened by the latest charges that were filed against him.” Some have questioned whether or not evangelical Christians like Bachmann may be naive when it comes to claims of redemption. Should Bachmann’s campaign gain steam, she will likely have to answer questions about her judgment.</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> What a rarity, a politician admitting they made a mistake in judgement and then taking personal responsibility for that mistake. When has 0bama done that?</strong></em></span></p><p></p><p>Bachmann’s fiscally conservative positions will also need to be squared with the fact that from 1995-2009, the Bachmann Family Farm (still listed as being owned by her deceased father-in-law) collected $259,332 in federal farm subsidies. According to financial disclosures, Bachmann has personally reported income of between $15,001-$50,000 from “Bachmann Family Farm LP. Bachmann & Associates.” (Additionally, the Christian psychology clinic run by Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, has received nearly $30,000 in state funding since 2007.)</p><p>Bachmann’s team tells me the family farm was put in a trust in order to provide for succession, which means that while the financial disclosure paperwork shows her as benefiting by virtue of her role as trustee, she has not received any of the money and is not involved in any operational decisions. Nevertheless, for a candidate who portrays herself as a paragon of fiscal conservatism, this may raise difficult questions.</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> What is discribed in this paragraph isn't uncommon for family owned farm corporations. Like any other business they will try to maximize profits as any other business does. I would have to question if she was voting on a subside bill that would benefit her personal interest. I think ALL candiates should be asked the difficult questions.</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> The author also implies impropriety on her part of her husband's business, without more info on that particular event it would be hard to decide. </strong></em></span></p><p>Putting aside questions of ideology and judgment, Bachmann’s effectiveness as a legislator will almost certainly come into question if she begins to gain traction as a candidate. Since becoming a member of the U.S. Congress in 2007, even her fans concede that her legislative career has been relatively unremarkable. During an interview with <strong>The Daily Caller</strong>, Matt Kibbe, president and CEO of FreedomWorks, called her an “articulate spokesman” for the Tea Party, but added: “She doesn’t have a long list of legislative accomplishments.”</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> OK, this is a really funny statement, does the author really want to state comparing "accomplishments" of legislative success? </strong></em></span></p><p>In fact, during her four years and four months in Congress, Bachmann has sponsored and passed only two bills (one recognizing the 150th anniversary of Minnesota and one honoring public child welfare agencies) and three resolutions. (Note: Her Healthcare Fiscal Accountability Act in the current Congress has 91 co-sponsors and her St. Croix River crossing legislation has bipartisan co-sponsorship and the support of Democratic Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. She is also talking with Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar about working together on this issue.)</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong>Hmmmm, bi-partisanship? We can have none of that! LOL</strong></em></span></p><p>Another concern about Bachmann has to do with her ability to manage and retain her congressional office staffers. Bachmann’s high turnover is a running joke on the Hill. As one conservative staffer who wished to remain anonymous told TheDC: “Any member of Congress who goes through five chiefs [of staff] is a nightmare.” (Bachmann is now on her <em>fifth</em> chief of staff in five years.) Former Minnesota GOP Chairman Ron Carey, who served as a Bachmann chief of staff, resigned from Bachmann’s staff after just five months. Carey recently told an AP reporter, “I don’t believe she would be ready for the position of the president of the United States.”</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong> Sounds like she is pretty demanding alright and not always genteel in her dealings with her staff(employees), maybe she expects the to do the job they were hired to do.</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong>I don't know if she is ready to be in that position either, but then I had the same thoughts about....you know who. </strong></em></span></p><p> <span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p>Sounds like another wannabee like Huckabee!</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong>Now this part I do believe you wrote.</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong>It's obvious that you didn't do the leg work on this extensive look into Bachmann's history so how bout providing your source? </strong></em></span></p><p>Peace.</p><p><span style="color: sienna"><em><strong>Yea, right</strong></em></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="trplnkl, post: 839111, member: 13254"] [COLOR=sienna][I][B] That's a little strange, I don't remember 0bama being to willing to defend himself for his very short past records and extensive affiliations. Maybe it's because she is female.[/B][/I][/COLOR] Bachmann’s penchant for earmarks dates back to her days in the [B]Minnesota[/B] state Senate. Despite her reputation as a fiscal conservative, from 2001-2006, then-state Senator Bachmann proposed more than $60 million in earmarks, including a $710,000 “Bond For Centerville Local Improvements Around Highway 14″ and a $40,000,000 “Bond for Lino Lakes And Columbus Township Highway Interchanges.” [COLOR=sienna][I][B] Not knowing the geography of Mn. all that well or the extent of the improvements, it's hard to tell if these two proposals should actually be called "earmarks". Of course earmark or not, it is spending of state tax payer money.[/B][/I][/COLOR] [B]Doug Sachtleben[/B], Bachmann’s communications director, sought to explain the earmarks, arguing that voters resent “taking money from taxpayers in one state to pay for a host of wasteful projects in other states.” He added that voters “also expect that things like road projects should be done at the state level, where voters can have a say through the selling of bonds.” These are not absurd arguments — bridges have to get build somehow — but [B]Tea Party[/B] activists may find the argument that earmarks are fine at the state level as appealing as Mitt Romney’s argument that individual health care mandates are fine so long as they are enacted at the state level. [COLOR=sienna][I][B] The argument that Sachtleben offers is sound on both points, state money spent on state projects and the selling of bonds. The author's comparison of bond elections and Romney's healthcare law is unequal merit. The voters get to decide if a bond election is passed or not, the voters had no vote on the healthcare law.[/B][/I][/COLOR] The federalist argument is also severely undercut by the fact that since joining the U.S. Congress in 2007, Bachmann has appropriated more than $3.7 million in earmarks. What is more, when Republicans sought an earmark moratorium, Bachmann pushed to exclude transportation projects from the ban. [COLOR=sienna][I][B]WOW...3.7 million ???? What a big spender she is. She opposed an "earmark" moratorium on federally built US highways and interstate Highways, mmmm who's responsibility is that?[/B][/I][/COLOR] Bachmann may also be plagued by her involvement in a controversial pardon. In 2007, Bachmann wrote a letter requesting a presidential pardon for a convicted drug-smuggler and money-launderer named Frank Vennes. Vennes was convicted of money laundering in 1988 and pleaded no contest to a cocaine and weapons charge. Making matters worse, he and his wife donated a total of $27,600 to Bachmann’s 2006 and 2008 election. On October 2, 2008, Rep. Bachmann wrote a second letter after Vennes’ home was raided by federal agents investigating his connection to a billion dollar Ponzi scheme, this time admitting: “Regrettably, it now appears that I may have too hastily accepted his [Frank Vennes] claims of redemption and I must withdraw my previous letter.” Bachmann’s spokesman tells me, Rep. Bachmann “has remained disassociated from Mr. Vennes and is saddened by the latest charges that were filed against him.” Some have questioned whether or not evangelical Christians like Bachmann may be naive when it comes to claims of redemption. Should Bachmann’s campaign gain steam, she will likely have to answer questions about her judgment. [COLOR=sienna][I][B] What a rarity, a politician admitting they made a mistake in judgement and then taking personal responsibility for that mistake. When has 0bama done that?[/B][/I][/COLOR] Bachmann’s fiscally conservative positions will also need to be squared with the fact that from 1995-2009, the Bachmann Family Farm (still listed as being owned by her deceased father-in-law) collected $259,332 in federal farm subsidies. According to financial disclosures, Bachmann has personally reported income of between $15,001-$50,000 from “Bachmann Family Farm LP. Bachmann & Associates.” (Additionally, the Christian psychology clinic run by Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, has received nearly $30,000 in state funding since 2007.) Bachmann’s team tells me the family farm was put in a trust in order to provide for succession, which means that while the financial disclosure paperwork shows her as benefiting by virtue of her role as trustee, she has not received any of the money and is not involved in any operational decisions. Nevertheless, for a candidate who portrays herself as a paragon of fiscal conservatism, this may raise difficult questions. [COLOR=sienna][I][B] What is discribed in this paragraph isn't uncommon for family owned farm corporations. Like any other business they will try to maximize profits as any other business does. I would have to question if she was voting on a subside bill that would benefit her personal interest. I think ALL candiates should be asked the difficult questions.[/B][/I] [I][B] The author also implies impropriety on her part of her husband's business, without more info on that particular event it would be hard to decide. [/B][/I][/COLOR] Putting aside questions of ideology and judgment, Bachmann’s effectiveness as a legislator will almost certainly come into question if she begins to gain traction as a candidate. Since becoming a member of the U.S. Congress in 2007, even her fans concede that her legislative career has been relatively unremarkable. During an interview with [B]The Daily Caller[/B], Matt Kibbe, president and CEO of FreedomWorks, called her an “articulate spokesman” for the Tea Party, but added: “She doesn’t have a long list of legislative accomplishments.” [COLOR=sienna][I][B] OK, this is a really funny statement, does the author really want to state comparing "accomplishments" of legislative success? [/B][/I][/COLOR] In fact, during her four years and four months in Congress, Bachmann has sponsored and passed only two bills (one recognizing the 150th anniversary of Minnesota and one honoring public child welfare agencies) and three resolutions. (Note: Her Healthcare Fiscal Accountability Act in the current Congress has 91 co-sponsors and her St. Croix River crossing legislation has bipartisan co-sponsorship and the support of Democratic Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. She is also talking with Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar about working together on this issue.) [COLOR=sienna][I][B]Hmmmm, bi-partisanship? We can have none of that! LOL[/B][/I][/COLOR] Another concern about Bachmann has to do with her ability to manage and retain her congressional office staffers. Bachmann’s high turnover is a running joke on the Hill. As one conservative staffer who wished to remain anonymous told TheDC: “Any member of Congress who goes through five chiefs [of staff] is a nightmare.” (Bachmann is now on her [I]fifth[/I] chief of staff in five years.) Former Minnesota GOP Chairman Ron Carey, who served as a Bachmann chief of staff, resigned from Bachmann’s staff after just five months. Carey recently told an AP reporter, “I don’t believe she would be ready for the position of the president of the United States.” [COLOR=sienna][I][B] Sounds like she is pretty demanding alright and not always genteel in her dealings with her staff(employees), maybe she expects the to do the job they were hired to do.[/B][/I] [I][B]I don't know if she is ready to be in that position either, but then I had the same thoughts about....you know who. [/B][/I] [I][B][/B] [/I][/COLOR] Sounds like another wannabee like Huckabee! [COLOR=sienna][I][B]Now this part I do believe you wrote.[/B][/I] [I][B]It's obvious that you didn't do the leg work on this extensive look into Bachmann's history so how bout providing your source? [/B][/I][/COLOR] Peace. [COLOR=sienna][I][B]Yea, right[/B][/I][/COLOR] [/QUOTE]
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