I’m one to believe that if any Congressional elected official decides to run for President that they need to suspend their Congressional commitments and take a sabbatical.
Why? Simple, because they are rarely in Washington for debate and too busy kissing babies and knocking on doors. For instance, Rep Michelle Bachmann has spent more time in Iowa over the past months then in Washington doing her elected duties.
Since 2007, she has missed 7% of her votes, but since beginning her presidential campaign she has missed roughly 37% of the votes. That’s outstanding considering what has been going on in Washington the past few months.
Meanwhile, Rep Ron Paul, another contender, has been able to make his way back and forth only to miss 10% of votes while campaigning.
It’s safe to say I am not a fan of either, yet of the two, Bachmann seems the most viable, but that’s only because of the Media exposure she has been receiving for Paul is more equal in the Tea Party virtue than she is.
So while Congress is off for yet another Recess, I swear they take more time off combined then Teachers the Republicans love to rail against, there still a lot left to do in Washington.
There is still no FAA agreement, leaving 4,000 employees on furlough with no paychecks, as well as another some 20,000 contractors missing payments. Not to mention the lost revenue to our government.
Plus, the Media will be all crazy for the Gas Tax debate coming up. Yet another reason to watch gas prices move up so be thankful that this Summer prices dropped a bit for the days of $4.25/gallon will return by October.
But don’t worry about Michelle Bachmann, she’ll be giving the Media and Comedians much late night fodder from zany quotes and misrepresented statistics to fill the void till after Labor Day.
Only a few weeks ago, Bachmann has stated “I am running for President, not my husband, so he is off limits.” There’s the problem, dear Marcus is part of your campaign and therefore fair game.
A spouse, just as a member of the campaign, is a representative of you. The exposure attached to Marcus is no different than the exposure Michelle Obama’s remarks received in 2008, especially by the Con-Opinionators, or that of Theresa Heinz Kerry in 2004. Even Cindy McCain took some heat for some small remarks during the 2008 campaign. They all represented their spouse on the campaign trail and therefore a Media target and Marcus Bachmann has opened his mouth quite a bit lately.
It’s easy to say Michelle Bachmann is getting comfortable in front of the cameras, but it’s those cameras that are helping her surge in the polls. After all, she is the current Media darling.
We hear nothing except small snippets concerning Santorum (gone by November), Pawlenty (gone by January), Cain, Paul and the new entry from Jon Huntsman, whom I do want to hear more from.
Bachmann’s personal past of being a working mom of 5 kids and opening her home to 20+ foster children is a great story and shows that there is compassion still in this world. However, it’s her “struggles” in that part that people should question. How many foster kids did she have at one time? Not all 20 I suspect.
She makes great story of many spaghetti dinners with all those foster kids, of which she did receive compensation from the State of Minnesota.
In the State of Minnesota, a family fostering a child at the age of 1 year old would receive $585/monthly and if a child is 16years of age, the compensation rises to $699/monthly. Yes, it is not a lot of money in the help to care for a child, but compensation is provided. And depending on how many children were in the care of the Bachmann’s at one given time, well that’s money coming in.
Also to mention Michelle was receiving a modest government salary as a tax lawyer for the Internal Revenue Service and “Pops” Bachmann’s business was bringing in the cash as well. Plus there’s the Farm subsidy payments for the family owned farm business and etc…. Oops, did I divulge too much?
But Bachmann wants less government, so would she do away with foster care compensation?
It’s a fact that she wants less government and to dismantle Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to which those two government entities are a disaster that government itself has destroyed since the Clinton Administration’s 2nd term.
But Bachmann, like many Americans, did receive a sweet $499k loan deal through Fannie & Freddie for her new abode in the DC area. Only to turn around a few weeks later and say the departments need to be shuttered.
She consistently misquotes or falsifies statistics throughout her campaign. From stating “a hidden $105 billion in Federal Health Care” yet $40 billion was actually attached to Children’s Health Insurance Programs or “the Obama Administration has only issued one new oil drilling permit since taking office” when today it’s 296 new permits issued or “the federal government owns 51% of the American economy” when it’s actually a little over 20%.
I think she got the last one confuse with 1944 UNDER Pres Roosevelt when it was 50%, but manufacturers were under contract to build tanks, boats, planes and other things for fight World War II. But hey, it’s only numbers, who needs true facts when campaigning?
I would love to ask her why she was “present” but didn’t vote on H.R. 2244. This was a piece of legislation to rename a Post Office in Geneva, New York after Cpl. Steven Blaine Riccione.
Cpl. Riccione volunteered to serve in the Vietnam War while so many were being drafted or dodging or getting deferment (Cheney 4xs). He died in combat at the age of 20 and to have something such as a Post Office or a bridge or roadway named after him is an honor to his service. What did she not see in that? The legislation passed with 1 Nay and 13 Present.
I suspect, with the Media help, Bachmann will be the only opponent left standing in May 2012 against Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
So the real question is will Americans put Religion ahead of all else in 2012 as they did in 2008? Reason being is that so many were afraid of Romney’s Mormon faith in 2008, are they still afraid in 2012 or has Glenn Beck made everyone feel safe about the hysteria and myth of the Mormon faith?
Or will Americans vote for the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” Washington Insider that Michelle Bachmann truly is?
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