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Apr 25th, 2009


Michele Bachmann vs. The Truth

Gannett Washington correspondent Larry Bivens reports that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports Democratic candidates for Congress, has created a Web site “devoted to some of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s controversial statements.” The site is intended as a virtual “truth squad” to expose Bachmann’s “fantastic claims and lies — lies that can quickly be disproven.”

The new site launched April 24, 2009 under the header shown below, debunking Bachmann’s false claim about the cost of the Obama administration’s Cap-and-Trade proposals; Bachmann’s false claim that she did not accept earmarks; Bachmann’s false claim that the Obama administration’s economic recovery package includes $5 billion for ACORN; and Bachmann’s false claim that the “Democrat government” has already committed tax dollar expenditures that would equal “a check in the amount of $1,430 written to every man, woman, [and] child in the world.”

 

Bill Prendergast reports at follows on the Dump Bachmann blog:

It looks like the DCCC is going to focus on the “liar” portion of our characterization of Michele (“nut, liar, and bigot” — I knew I should have gotten trademark protection for that).

I don’t know how the other contributors [to Dump Bachmann] feel, but it just slays me that I’m not going to see a dime out all this “big Dem money” that’s going to be thrown at the monkeys who run this new DCCC-funded website. As you know, Dump Bachmann is and has always been a non-partisan blog, digging up Bachmann’s ridiculous lies and fact-checking them for free. And now the DCCC gravy train – going by us like that French bullet train full of big fat money, going by so fast that it look like a freakin’ blur, splashing mud on Dump Bachmann and the wind blowing our hair all out of shape, zipping by so fast that we didn’t even get a chance to wave — zooms right by our non-partisan asses.

I wonder how much the Dems are going to pay people to do the research and the web upkeep that we have been doing here for free, for all these years? I would really like to know that. They’re probably going through the DB [Dump Bachmann] archives right now, as I speak. Why not? They’re free, anybody can pick up any information they want out of the articles and cite it in a letter to the editor or a news or broadcast article. It’s sourced.

But it kills me that I’m not gonna get so much as free latte out of this frikkin’ salt mine we’ve been working in, after all these years — while some wet-behind-the-ears teen web design geek and some cigar chomping Dem insider editor live it up on contribution money. Because all of a sudden, after three years, the CFL light bulb over the national Dems’ heads go “on” and they think, “Hey — it might be a good idea to do some kind of a ‘web page’ (I think that’s what the kids call it) on how she lies all the time. That might be a ‘good thing’ to fund, since we have cash shooting our asses.”

Although I’m inclined to respond favorably to any initiative — irrespective of party-political affiliation — to expose Rep. Bachmann’s verbal atrocities and shameful refresentation, I can relate to Prendergast’s indignation.

For starters, the title “Bachmann Watch” is already spoken for — in my blog at St. Cloud Times online, which I have maintained since February (though admittedly – akin to Prendergast’s ironic observation that Dump Bachmann should have sought trademark protection for its characterization of Bachmann as a “nut, liar, and bigot” — I never had any realistic expectation of copyright protection).

More important, I share some of Prendergast’s frustration that those of us who have been working tirelessly in the trenches to defeat Bachmann will likely be left toiling in our mud-splattered trenches long after the Democratic gravy train has whizzed by. (Check out the reader comments on my Bachmann Watch blog at St. Cloud Times online to see the abuse we have to put up with from Bachmann apologists when we stand up for reason, sanity, and truth.)

——

Related report

Democratic Site Tracks Claims by Bachmann

By Larry Bivens
Times Washington correspondent
St. Cloud Times
April 25, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has created a Web site devoted to some of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s controversial statements.

The DCCC, which supports Democratic candidates for Congress, calls some of the statements “lies that can quickly be disproven.”

The page called “Bachmann Watch — Michele Bachmann vs. The Truth” can be viewed beginning tonight at www.BachmannWatch.com. In addition to the statements, it carries video clips.

It is the DCCC’s latest attack on the Minnesota Republican, who was re-elected last November to a second term after creating a stir during the campaign season by calling then-presidential candidate Barack Obama “anti-American.”

Bachmann’s opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg, donated $250,000 to the DCCC in two March contributions of $125,000 each, according to a report he filed April 15 with the Federal Election Commission.

“Congresswoman Bachmann is out of touch with the hardworking families of Minnesota who are looking for common-sense solutions to the challenges facing our country,” said Gabby Adler, DCCC spokeswoman for the Midwest. “Contrary to the congresswomans claims, she focuses her time and energy pursuing extremist rhetoric and promoting false claims in order to bolster her far-right wing ideology.”

Bachmann’s spokesman brushed aside this latest attack, saying it reflects a futility by the DCCC to sway Bachmann’s constituents against her.

“When you can’t defend your policies and you’re so far out of touch with the American people, I guess there’s nothing more you can do than nitpick your opposition, spokesman Dave Dziok said.

——

Nonpartisan site tracking claims by Rep. Bachmann:

PolitiFact.com

The Bachmann File





5 Responses to “Bachmann Watch”
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