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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Michele Bachmann Is On the Money

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  November 23rd, 2010 at 05:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Michele Bachmann, for reasons unknown to me, decided to sit down with the BBC. God bless her for evangelizing and bringing the message of freedom even to places like that.

But she is being attacked and distorted for what she said in this interview. The interviewer kept asking Congresswoman Bachmann if she stood by a 2008 statement that Barack Obama was anti-American.

What she responded with was one billion percent on the money.

I’ve been very concerned about the policies that have come out of the White House and I share that agreement with people who voted at the ballot box on the first Tuesday in November . . . . The policies that are anti-free enterprise are ones that are not familiar to the people of the United States. And that’s why we saw such a strong reaction to the ballot box. In fact, the government takeover of health care is a great example, that’s not what was done here historically in the United States, and the people don’t want to see the federal government to control and dictate our health care.

The policies coming out of the White House are anti-free enterprise, hostile to entrepreneurs, and more recognized in more socialist oriented countries.

I’m glad she was willing to stand up and say it.

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  • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

    . . . that people are beginning to stand up and call a spade a spade. This is why despite his liberal flavor of Republicanism, Chris Christie is such a hero. Glenn Beck too.

    Now, my question is, when does this new fad become the new norm? When will Republicans start speaking truth about social security and medicare? When can we call our Islam for what it truly is — not a peaceful, “great” religion but rather one that seeks to impose its oppressive morals on the entire world?

    Nobody need be abrasive or combative – but truth needs to find its way into the limelight.

  • mirac777

    As in Obama’s Soft Shoe Socialism. Remember, to complete the leftists agenda of collapsing our country,they need to still stay somewhat behind the scenes. This explains why so many people are even afraid to mutter the words Socialism and Communism here in America. To be afraid to call it what it is, is to enable the Anti-Americans to further their agenda. Political correctness brainwashing has way too many people afriad to speak the truth.That is another ploy from the left to control the conversation and continue to hide behind the name-only Democratic Party of today.
    Its nice to see someone coming out and calling it what it is here… even if it is still in the watered-down half politically correct way .These radicals have taken over huge sectors of our economy, installed radical UnAmerican Judges to positions of power, stolen and redistributed a trillion dollars of so-called stimulus money that not even half of which can truly be accounted for, have injected people into the EPA, FDA and other agencies that are creating UnConstitutional laws with zero input from Congress, and corrupting our voting system to the point that most people say it isn’t trustworthy any more.

    Throw in there the fact that they are further crushing our country by not enforcing federal Immigration laws and want a defacto Amnesty to further entrench themselves in power and we no longer live in a free republic, period. Welcome to the USSA.

  • gmscan

    And I’ll give the BBC credit for at least allowing her the time to answer the questions. That never would have happened on MSNBC

  • sccrenny

    a jab at the correspondent that while I may have made a mistake in trusting a major newspaper for their reporting on the costs of O’s trip, surely BBC can find a more trustworthy source than Bill Clinton and the American media on my merits!

  • rsturm

    Sadly, the folks at (and fans of) the BBC will not comprehend a word of Ms Bachman’s statement. They have only ever known government control (insidious or total), and actually fear the responsibilities (yet many rewards!) of a system that denies political intrusion into the private enterprise and fair, if often harsh, competition among its citizens!

    So a free enterprise systems is not for sissies…. yet the weakest among us need not seek ‘Big Brother’s’ protection, because capitalism rewards everyone with jobs (to the best of our ability), and especially with the great products of our unlimited creativity. Government need only serve as an ‘umpire’ to maintain a fair playing-field; consequently, a career-umpire who has never played the game would be awkward, inept, and clearly useless at the job!

    Umpires creating and managing our enormous, science-specific, individual-oriented Medical Applications System is just too bizarre, incomprehensible, unsustainable, and childishly arrogant to be considered in the US. So a BBC audience who has never known anything else will respond like the self-imposed political (and enterprising) infants they will always be.

  • rsturm

    Sadly, the folks at (and fans of) the BBC will not comprehend a word of Ms Bachman’s statement. They have only ever known government control (insidious or total), and actually fear the responsibilities (yet many rewards!) of a system that denies political intrusion into the private enterprise and fair, if often harsh, competition among its citizens!

    So a free enterprise systems is not for sissies…. yet the weakest among us need not seek ‘Big Brother’s’ protection, because capitalism rewards everyone with jobs (to the best of our ability), and especially with the great products of our unlimited creativity. Government need only serve as an ‘umpire’ to maintain a fair playing-field; consequently, a career-umpire who has never played the game would be awkward, inept, and clearly useless at the job!

    Umpires creating and managing our enormous, science-specific, individual-oriented Medical Applications System is just too bizarre, incomprehensible, unsustainable, and childishly arrogant to be considered in the US. So a BBC audience who has never known anything else will respond like the self-imposed political (and enterprising) infants they will always be.

  • ihateliberals

    people think. Congresswoman Bachmann has class and she handled herself well with the BBC. The truth of the matter is tht Hussein Obama is anti-American. it is evident from his church he attended for over twenty years, his policies as a community organizer and most recently his actions as the President of America. A true American cannot support socialism in any form. This President thrives on the idea of socialism. His policies, supporters, staff and goals are all structured to collapse the free market and have government takeovers of most if not all major industries and businesses. Michelle Backmann would be an ideal candidate for the 20112 run for the President. She would be much better than Sarah Palin.

  • yarrb53

    I’m in shock ! Congresswoman Bachmann has been a rabid supporter of the President and his policies. She has appeared on Fox News as the Democrat’s Joan of Arc carrying the heavy water jugs of this Administration. Either Ms. Bachmann has woken up to the reality of the situation, or has come to the conclusion you shouldn’t hitch your rising political star to anchor and soon to be progressive pariah Obama

  • fpete13527

    She is gracious, courageous, clear, and brilliant. As far as I’m concerned, she is among the very few who set the standard.

    She speaks the truth better than most any I know and she was doing it way before it was “cool” to do it. I could listen to her all day long.

    Rep. Bachmann stays strong and truthful even while speaking to a dish rag sewer rat like Maitlis on a Communist station like BBC.

    One of the things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving is Michele Bachmann. God bless you Rep Bachmann and thank you for what you do and who you are being.

  • yarrb53

    True, people in Europe are shocked that America is repudiating Obama’s policies. Of course they only have to look in their own backyard to see the failures of the liberal political system that team Obama is trying to institute here across the pond.

    Ironically they blame the reactionaries in the Tea Party for causing Obama’s problems, funny how history seems to repeat itself, England is worrying about the Revolution in America… again

  • scottb

    Congresswoman Bachmann has bee the biggest thorn in the Obama Administration’s side, a long with Palin who both stood together on stage and bashed this administration. The Democrats, including pelosi spent millions trying to get her unseated. By her winning in the double digits proves you wrong.

  • scottb

    I doubt if the BBC picked up on the Anti-free enterprise phrase, but the whitehouse sure did. Way to go Congresswoman Bachmann. You are a credit to your state and the whole country.

  • throwback59

    church, mentored by a rabid anti American pastor, who befriends a domestic terrorist, who critizes his country at home & abroad, not anti-American?
    Certainly not.

  • throwback59

    church, mentored by a rabid anti American pastor, who befriends a domestic terrorist, who critizes his country at home & abroad, not anti-American?
    Certainly not.

  • smitch61

    This morning.. He was having a meltdown over this interview. He said she is the most dangerous person in America…. LOL

    He went on to educate the listeners regarding Obama care. He stated that the government provided health insurance for 32 million Americans to PRIVATE companies, that there is no public option and that the righties are lying…….hahaha

    Which 32 million people got private health insurance? when did they get it?

  • Tbone

    Call it like it is and make him prove it ain’t.

  • johnt

    debate, our most important freedom. Or so it used to be. Boy, where did that one go ?
    When you’re stark mad it is difficult to hold a lasting belief, when your primary motive force is a raging, blind fury principles come and go with the wandering of the troubled mind.
    The worst thing about the Obama/ Democrat era is that in no time flat it fell on it’s ass. The intrinsic, inevitable mess is no surprise to the Normal People, but psychologically unacceptable to liberal[ ?] fanatics.
    They and he will have to figure out other ways to cause pain.
    One can still dream of destruction.

  • http://www.thejoyofreason.com Greg Garrison

    I’m currently reading Radical-In-Chief by Stanley Kurtz. It’s a scholarly (read: dense and dry) examination of Obama’s past and his long association with the hard left. Kurtz digs into the archives of the Democratic Socialists of America, ACORN, UNO, and the Midwest Academy (a mainstream offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society, which also produced the Weather Underground); he finds Obama’s participation all over the place.

    Kurtz has uncovered a huge amount of very damning material in the last two years, and it’s hard to see how Obama can run for re-election if this book becomes widely read. It’s probably the most important political book this year (It is meticulously documented, and Kurtz is a very mainstream guy), and it helps to explain why his policies are “anti-free enterprise”, to borrow from Michele Bachmann (who put it mildly).

  • http://www.thejoyofreason.com Greg Garrison

    I’m currently reading Radical-In-Chief by Stanley Kurtz. It’s a scholarly (read: dense and dry) examination of Obama’s past and his long association with the hard left. Kurtz digs into the archives of the Democratic Socialists of America, ACORN, UNO, and the Midwest Academy (a mainstream offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society, which also produced the Weather Underground); he finds Obama’s participation all over the place.

    Kurtz has uncovered a huge amount of very damning material in the last two years, and it’s hard to see how Obama can run for re-election if this book becomes widely read. It’s probably the most important political book this year (It is meticulously documented, and Kurtz is a very mainstream guy), and it helps to explain why his policies are “anti-free enterprise”, to borrow from Michele Bachmann (who put it mildly).

  • http://www.plumbbobblog.com Plumb_Bob

    I believe he is talking about Medicare. The Medicare Advantage and Medicare Drug benefits are provided through private companies.

    What guys like Bill Press should be made to answer is why they think these programs are somehow an indication that the government should continue to provide health insurance in any form, given that Medicare is BROKE and is one of the primary reasons that medical costs in the US are out of control. Medicare is popular, as will be any program that gives people “free” stuff, but it’s a failure by any sane measure.

    Regarding prices, Medicare includes price-fixing; it tells providers what the government is willing to pay per procedure. This induces providers to meet the government’s price, but it’s a price that is usually below market rates, and sometimes below COST. Insofar as the doctor accepts Medicare payment levels, he/she has to charge his/her non-Medicare patients more to offset the losses.

    Regarding the program being broke, the total picture is that when using GAAP (Generally-Accepted Accounting Principles) to evaluate payments to which the government has committed itself, our national debt is not the $13 trillion currently in circulation in the form of T-bills; it’s more like $65 trillion, an amount that no government on earth could repay. The difference between the actual T-bill debt and the statutorily accrued debt figure, some $52 trillion, comes from four sources: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and federal pension plans (like the VA offers). It does not matter how “successful” Press thinks Medicare has been, it’s the death of the American economy.

    One last thing to recall about Medicare is that if Press, and guys like him, insist on pointing to the vast institution of government-controlled medical insurance, you should be able to get them to agree that we have not had free-market medical care in this country since at least the 1970s, and probably more like the 1950s.

  • uselogic

    Bachmann? I believe she’s been one of the most vocal critics of thsi administration and Dems in general. Certainly in every interview I’ve seen. Reason why they targeted her for redistricting.

  • uselogic

    Bachmann? I believe she’s been one of the most vocal critics of thsi administration and Dems in general. Certainly in every interview I’ve seen. Reason why they targeted her for redistricting.

  • powertothepeople

    Do you have another politician in mind and confused the two? Michelle has never been a rabid supporter of Obama so not sure what you are referring to.

    I have to assume you have her confused with someone else.

  • powertothepeople

    Logic, did not mean to parrot your post!

  • powertothepeople

    and it is too bad Michelle can not say it and survive politically.

    When Obama as a leader implements policies that are in complete contradiction to the American Way and our constitution, it makes him anti America. We can act PC or speak the truth, I chose the latter. Obama is for Obama, not this country and if taking us down pumps him up, he would nuke us in a sec.

  • blooch

    Looks like sombody’s been tippling one of them “heavy water jugs” lol

  • mspector

    is that it is often inconvenient. “Freedom of speech” provides us many examples. It is a clarion call for those not in power; it is a sinkhole for the “ins”. But I believe every true conservative should hold to that fundamental right whether in or out of office, and regardless of the nature of the person asserting the right. If someone advocating shariah law wants to stand up in the public square and make their case, that is their right under our Constitution: the answer to speech is speech. The only principles worth having are those that you hold and assert even when they may seem to be working against you.

  • kenchely

    She can speak as frankly as she likes and she will be re-elected in that seat. The Democrats thought they could knock her off and threw everything and the kitchen sink at her. They had a fairly attractive candidate. They raised uncommon amounts of money for her opponent. Bill Clinton came in. Michelle Obama came in. (Both of those are far more popular than President Obama.) The result? It wasn’t even close, a 13-point margin for her.

    I don’t know how well what she says plays outside the base; that’s a pretty Republican district. She would have to do well among independents to have a chance in a statewide race in Minnesota. If she is content to be a voice for the Republican Right and represent a fairly safe district in the Minneapolis suburbs–among other things, she is a Lutheran in a district that is better than half Lutheran–they can’t stop her. They certainly tried. The 6th Minnesota was for them what the 4th Massachusetts was for us–a place where a particularly prominent, and very partisan, Representative was the target of an all-out effort to take the seat, and the race just became a hopeless money pit.

  • onehutu

    to the conversation to say that the BBC is a “Communist station”. The BBC is the largest broadcaster in the world and it provides its services – tv, radio (AM, FM, shortwave), and web, on a truly global basis in over 30 languages. BBC was a key to the British war effort and, along with Radio Free Europe and other broadcasters, a critical part of bringing down the Iron Curtain. Check out their services; listen to a shortwave broadcast, find your local AM or FM carrier, check out their exhaustive web presence with its voluminous educational resources. I think you’ll find that the “Beeb” is a better, and certainly more comprehensive, source of information than anything found in the US. I know its easy to throw around epithets like “communist”, but calling the BBC a “Communist station” is not a serious comment. Cheers.

  • grndpaal

    Way to go…calling a spade a spade. I like that, but, Grndpaal wonders if / when some Socialist / Marxist will call the P.C. Police and chase you down, sir.

    I mean, if ‘they’ are strip searching a 3 yr old boy “at random” and refuse to call a terrorist type a spade ???One wonders.

    God Bless you & your’s.

  • eyeofnewtg

    Michelle Bachmann either needs to stand up and say “heck yes, I mean t what I said!” or she needs to admit that the India spending story was rubbish. Lying about the President with conviction doesn’t make you a good American; only a good politician…

    h ttp://jdrourke.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/memo-to-the-grand-old-phonies/

    Americans need to judge President Obama on what he does and doesn’t do, anything else is disrespectful to the very fabric of our great Constitution.

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    We need more Michelle Bauchman and less Sarah Palin doing the speaking. Its kinda like going to a Carrie Underwood concert of a Ke$ha concert.

  • powertothepeople

    but in the meantime, what are you talking about. You state she lied about India, yet the link you provide was written by some leftist scumbag and had nothing to do with the topic at hand.

    And listen up, we can judge Obama on whatever the hell we want to. But since you raised the topic, we on the right are pretty good at judging people on what they actually do, not taking credit when it is not ours, and not blaming past leaders for our own failures unlike your friends on the scummy left. Do not preach at us, get your own house in order first.

    And while the 200 million a day may be off, although funny even the President barely denies it is, it is a proven fact it is the most expensive trip taken by a president to date. The size of the entourage is the largest to date, and the size of the military escort is the largest to date. Here are just a few of the costs of this trip:

    The costs of the trips — borne by taxpayers — are difficult to measure, but they’re expensive. When (the president) uses the familiar blue-and-white reconfigured 747 as Air Force One, it costs $100,219 an hour to operate, according to the Air Force. And that’s just HIS plane.

    There also are cargo planes, used to fly in armored limousines, helicopters, staff and other equipment, as well as the Secret Service. A single Air Force C-17 cargo jet, for example, costs $6,960 an hour, according to the Congressional Research Service.

    She has no need to clarify a thing for you and since you make the claim she and so many others are wrong, show us. Your simple minded post and simple minded linked post do not do a thing but show your simple mind. Show us she lied or shove it!

  • fpete13527

    The US stations have become far more leftist. Communist was the wrong choice

    Dish rag and trash interviewer alone would have been far more accurate, for that interviewer at least.

    I’m aslo clear that the BBC does have some decent information at times. It also have tons of GARBAGE.

    But if you’re saying the BBC has no bias, at minimum toward Soicialism, and worse, than you’re the one that adds little.

    Here’s all you need to get. The interviewer had the intent to discredit one of the top patriots and Conservative politicians in our country. End.

    Again…zero interest in debating you on this. I got your point about Communism.

  • wayfarin

    looked like waffling to me. either say ‘i stand by my statement. he holds anti-capitalist ideals, views american power as a neo-colonial menace, and emphasizes collective rights over individual rights, and is therefore anti-american’ or ‘i don’t stand by that statement. he holds misguided ideals but isn’t anti-american.’

    i don’t know why everyone thinks her tip-toeing around the central question is some sort of courageous triumph deserving of all the back patting going on here.

  • commonsensesays

    I was watching as Kieth Oberman attacked Michelle Bauchman for her comment about Obama?s expressed anti-American sentiment. He has been a rabid dog with a bone ever since. I just wish Bachman would be more specific. E.g. Obama?s spiritual mentor for 20 years was Rev. Jeremiah Wright who literally, ?G-d damned,? America from his pulpit. Perhaps if Obama had been raised in the United States he would know there are 50 and not 57 states,(check youtube.com), he would salute the American flag, he would not take every opportunity to denigrate America with ridiculous apologies for his misperceptions of America?s supposed shortcomings while on foreign soil and not propose policies that undermine the Constitution while on American soil. Is Obama anti- American?

  • JadedByPolitics

    don’t throw your trash about Obama and the Constitution at US, we recognize a statist when we see one and Barack Hussein Obama is one! now run along little leftie because you are not welcome here!

  • wayfarin

    but she did make the mistake of trusting journalists.

    eyeofnewtg is obviously looking at this with more sobriety than almost everyone else posting here. why criticize the president on such petty issues like security costs? have you stopped to think of the costs to taxpayers if there was an attempt on the life of the president? the cost of retaliation, the inevitable stock market crash, the cost of strained relations with india, etc…

    every moment we spend on trying to raise this non issue, we are spending less time hammering him on issues that actually resonate. like his fear of standing up to union interests, addressing social security and medicare costs, north korea. etc. etc…

    the list of things more important can go on and on.

  • powertothepeople

    you out to try them. They are called dum dum suckers. I come to the conclusion they named them after you right after I read your nonsense post.

    Now answer this question:

    After reading many of your replies, why are you here and what is your agenda?

  • powertothepeople

    and what is funny about you is that you actually think you are fooling people. Listen tiny mind, I know you think you are one clever leftist, but since there are NO figures available to the general public as to the cost and Obama tried to sweet talk past the question and really has not denied it fully to this point, you are speaking out of your ass.

    I could care less about your rationalizing of his expenses, there have been plenty of presidential trips prior to this ignorant bum that did not take the amount of people, did not utilize the mass amount of military equipment and personnel he has, and did not cost nearly as much as his trips have even if it did not quite reach 200 million a day.

    So stop with the disguised troll behavior. You are not that clever, you make little sense, and you are not fooling anyone. Now go to my other reply to another of your nonsense replies and answer my question so we can have an answer prior to you obvious upcoming ban.

  • http://www.thejoyofreason.com Greg Garrison

    It seems as though you look for a way to bring Sarah Palin into everything and say something negative or insulting. One assumes that Dr. Freud or one of his spiritual descendants would find something in that (though I won’t speculate).

  • wayfarin

    isn’t going to get me banned. your unfounded personal attacks on the other hand?

    i guess we’ll just wait.

  • Scope

    now, even Liberals are post worthy? Are there any positions that Redstate finds offensive? I’m really beginning to wonder. I am near to tears with some leaving, and, some wanting to institute seperate groups right here at Redstate. Nothing, absolutely nothing at all whatsoever from Redstate. Is anyone minding the store, or, has it become a free for all? It sure is feeling like that lately. It has become a FREE FOR ALL, we accept every idea anyone has. Political correctness has destroyed this country. Are you supporting that?

  • Caleb Howe

    Who or what are you referring to?

  • uncleherbert

    She is a god loving woman, with logic. God bless her and her family.

  • uncleherbert

    She is a god loving woman, with logic. God bless her and her family.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    How’s Canada?

    Don’t actually care, sorry.

  • Bill S

    Send an email to the contact link.

    We don’t exactly get paid for this.

  • eburke

    I think you missed your meds, dude.

  • Scope

    I actually typed a longer than necessary reply, but, realized that it would just be more words than are necessary. There are people posting here that are not on “our” side, period. I am really wondering who is considered to be on our side, or, who can post with abandon. Go back and look at some of the comments, in particular some above on this post.

    Lineholder didn’t post something that was abhorrent to the philosophies of this site. He was attacked by a few, and, not a person here interjected that the conversation needed to be at least a little civil. Doc Holliday posted a comment that he wanted to start a separate group of his like minded people here at Redstate.

    The site is most definately breaking down into factions, and, I’m not sure where it is going to wind up? That should be a warning sign, maybe someone will see that. Ban me if you choose for saying that.

  • Scope

    Oh I know I’m on shaky ground now. I promise I’ll shut up after this post.

  • trackfodder

    George Sorros seems to want to destroy nations on an ego trip and for financial gain. Is he too big to be taken down? It seems to me he is guilty of sedition and as such can be arrested. If there is any justice left, LET IT HAPPEN .

  • Caleb Howe

    Your comment seemed to be in reply to Erick’s post. I couldn’t figure out who you thought was the liberal, Erick or Michelle Bachmann. It’s not clear that you were referring to other commenters. At least not to me.

  • JSobieski

    The site is breaking down into factions, but some appear to be more concerned about it than others.

    No group should ask any other to shut up.

    Nor should any group imply that there is some conspiracy to shut them up or that some individuals are suggesting that they shut up.

    its only going to get worse when the 2012 primary gets into gear. We thought 2008 was bad here (and it was heated much of the time), but 2012 is going to be far more “challenging” to the cohesion of redstate.

    i don’t want anyone to leave Redstate or refrain from arguing their values. However, if we mischaracterize what people say and what people support, particularly on certain critical fissure lines, the “community” feel of the site will go down.

    People need to give each other some benefit of the doubt. If people start reading statements like “lets focus more on what unites us” as “social conservatives should shut up” instead of “we disagree on some things, feel free to advocate those things, but respect my right to do the same and gosh, aren’t the things that unite us important too”—-Redstate will find the upcoming 2 years to be very painful.

  • Bill S
  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    I’m willing to entertain reasonable doubt and turn your account back on; but you are explicitly now being told to never, ever give me or anyone else the impression that American politics are domestic politics to you. Non-negotiable.

  • eddie74

    We are all beginning to recognize that the Once Great American Democrat Party of America has been taken over by Extreme Leftist Marxist-Socialists.. All the Street-Level Patriot American Genuine Democrats will not regain control of the Democrat Party Apparatus for a long time to come – if ever.. This present infestuous Group knows how to Gain & Keep Power, and voting once every two years will not clean them out.. We may have to repeat 1776 and it won’t be the British on the other side of the Line, because they may jion us in the Battle to save a Free Enterprise America from these Marxist Socialists..
    It’s about time for all regular street-level Democrats to recognize that the Democrat Party is now composed of 28 separate-single -agenda splinter Groups and the strongest-most powerful of the Group, the Marxist-Socialist elements are now in Total Control, and the True Patriot American Democrats are now without a Political Party ..