The Bachmann Agenda
The Bachmann Agenda: Do as I say, not as I do...
The Minnesota Independent reports:
Bachmann and Associates, Inc., a Christian mental health clinic founded and run by Rep. Michele Bachmann's husband, has been taking money from Minnesota's coffers since it was founded in 2003. It's the latest example of a disjuncture in Bachmann's rhetoric: the Sixth District Republican has seen her star rise in Tea Party circles for fiery rhetoric opposing government "handouts" and "socialized medicine," while, again, she's found to be directly benefiting from government funds. Since 2007, the clinic, run by Marcus Bachmann, has taken in nearly $30,000.
In recent months, Rep. Bachmann has sharply criticized efforts by Democrats to offer a "public option" or a public health insurance plan, calling such ideas "socialized medicine."
In November 2009, as she was gearing up for her House Call tea party to oppose health care reform, she said, "This is the most effective way we have to kill socialized medicine and to do it this week."
The Bachmann Agenda: Top of the Franking Charts
The St. Cloud Times reports (5/17/10):
WASHINGTON - Public opinion of Congress is hovering at an all-time low, but it's not because lawmakers are sitting by quietly.
House members including Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, collectively spent more than $45 million in 2009 on taxpayer-funded mailings, phone calls and electronic messaging to trumpet their records to constituents, alert them to town-hall meetings and seek feedback, a review of House documents shows.
The franking privilege, which dates back to 1775, can be a powerful advantage for incumbents in their efforts to fight off challengers.
The $45 million spent on constituent communications last year was more than double the $20 million lawmakers reported
Michele Bachmann: California Dreamin'
Video helps Bachmann catalogue her frequent California trips; remind us of her real priorities
St. Cloud, MN -- Today, Michele Bachmann flies right by Minnesota's 6th District on yet another campaign trip to California. Given how many trips she's made to California, and how many different campaign stops she's made there (at least eight this year alone), we thought a photo album might help her remember all her California travels.
Watch our video photo album:
Michele Bachmann: R-CA?
As Bachmann jets off to California again this weekend, Clark campaign releases video marking Bachmann's frequent trips
St. Cloud, MN -- This weekend, Michele Bachmann will log another couple thousand frequent flier miles traveling to one of her favorite destinations: California. She'll make at least four stops over two days at events hosted by the Tea Party and Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum.
Tarryl Clark's campaign for Congress today released a video marking Bachmann's latest campaign trip to California. View the video:
The Bachmann Agenda: Self-Promotion at Taxpayer Expense
Bachmann attempts to gloss over her failed record on jobs with glossy mailers and radio ads: the people of her district are footing the bill
St. Cloud, MN - Today, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann will sponsor a series of "2010 Jobs Forums." But instead of getting a job, Bachmann's constituents will get the bill.
Bachmann promoted her forums with full-color, glossy, campaign-style mailers delivered to residents across the district. Bachmann also recorded and purchased 30 and 60-second radio ads across the Metro area on stations including K102 and KFAN, as well as a number of stations in and around Saint Cloud. All of the advertisements were paid with official, taxpayer dollars.
The Bachmann Agenda on Jobs: Meaningless
After nearly four years representing the district with the state's highest unemployment and foreclosure rates, Bachmann spends one day on jobs but delivers no results
St. Cloud, MN - Today, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann will spend one day traveling her district conducting "Jobs Forums" in an attempt to gloss over nearly four years of inaction on jobs and relief for working families, despite her district having some of the state's highest rates of foreclosure and unemployment.
The Bachmann Agenda: Bachmann "rocks" California, but represents who?!
Michele Bachmann is grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons again, this time with the announcement that she will make yet another campaign tour of California next week. Details can be found at www.MicheleBachmannRocksCA.com or at www.teapartypalmsprings.com.
Tarryl Clark's campaign spokesperson, Andrea Mokros, issued the following statement:
The Bachmann Agenda: Rising staff costs, still no results
The St. Cloud Times reports (5/2/10):
While 6th District U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann has developed a reputation as a champion for cutting government spending, reports show her own 2009 congressional staff salary budget mushroomed by $176,868 - a whopping 26.4 percent from her 2008 staff budget, even though her congressional workload didn't appear to change.
At the same time, Bachmann's national media profile took a dramatic jump due to her frequent cable TV appearances and speaking engagements nationwide.
Are taxpayers subsidizing Bachmann's increased exposure with a congressional staff growing at more than twice the rate of the rest of the Minnesota delegation?
That's hard to tell because a number of Bachmann staffers also work as consultants to her campaign.
In 2009, four top staffers in her Washington office - including former Chief of Staff Michelle Marston and Communications Director David Dziok - collected $66,000 in campaign consulting fees while drawing congressional salaries.
The Bachmann Agenda: National stardom at taxpayers’ expense
As Michele Bachmann continues to pursue her own agenda and seek national stardom - leading Tea Party rallies coast to coast, and jetting off to Iowa, Ohio and Florida for Republican fundraisers - her efforts are coming at taxpayers' expense. While Bachmann portrays herself as a champion of the taxpayer, it turns out she's promoting her agenda on their dime.
Today, the Star Tribune reports that an anti-health care reform event Bachmann held in November in front of the U.S. Capitol "cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $14,000."
The Bachmann Agenda: Unbridled Ambition
Bachmann heads to Iowa, where she declares her love for Iowa and “dances around” talk of her national ambitions
Representative Michele Bachmann spent yet another day of her Congressional recess outside of her district, pursuing her agenda and ambitions instead of fighting for the people of the 6th District.
On Saturday, Bachmann traveled to Iowa to speak at another Republican fundraiser, this time for Representative Steve King, where she “danced around the question of whether she might run for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2012” according to local radio host O. Kay Henderson.
