Michele Bachmann Gets Choked Up Over Reagan's Birthday

Here's some wacky scenes from a 2005 Minnesota Senate session debate on a Bachmann resolution to honor Ronald Reagan's birthday.

If you want to hear the entire debate on Bachmann's resolution go to the MN Senate archives. It begins at the 1:50 point.

Michele Bachmann's WCCO Interview

(Cross-posted from Dump Bachmann)

From Lawrence Schumacher's Saint Cloud Times blog:

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (not Michelle Bachman), R-Minn., called in to WCCO radio for an interview with Tim Russell Thursday morning. You can listen to it here (scroll down till you find the most recent Morning Show with Jim Lee (whom Russell was filling in for)

The brief interview covered Jim Ramstad's retirement, the failure of MN schools to meet the Adequate Yearly Progress goals of the No Child Left Behind law, a federal gas tax increase and transportation funding, her embrace of President Bush after the State of the Union address, and a bit of joking around she says she did with Bush at the site of the I-35W bridge collapse:

"The President and I enjoy a great relationship. When he and I were back visiting the collapsed bridge, he reached over because he wanted to give me a kiss when we were down at the site. I pulled back and he said "What? You don't want to embrace?" I said, "The people of Minnnesota love you, Mister President, but one kiss was enough."

...Listen here to that part:



Schumacher continues...

One quibble. Bachmann has been repeating this line since the campaign:

"I am a tax attorney and I hate high taxes."

The second part of that sentence, I'll grant her. But the first part doesn't seem to be the case anymore. At least, she's not authorized to practice law in Minnesota, according to state records.

Also, one question. During the interview, she says the following about transportation funding:

"We have been diverting money away, even though it has been meant to go for transportation, it has been diverted away for other projects. That's wrong."

Later, she says this:

"People would only be open to a tax increase if they knew exactly that 100 percent of that money would go to build more roads, more bridges, more interchanges. Then they might go for it. But not if it's going to be diverted away."

I'm curious to know what she means by this. Is she referring to Minnesota's Motor Vehicle Sales Tax, which was diverted into the general fund but voters have now dedicated 100 percent to transportation? Is she referring to the federal gas tax? Or the state gas tax?

King & Korb on Hellier & Hunting

The podcast of the King & Korb's Luke Hellier rant-fest is up on their podcast archive.

A reader has this observation:

"Remember the screed about lefties attacking Luke because he was holding a "rifle" in that picture? And won't deer hunters be mad?

I looked at the firearm and thought it was probably a shotgun (in much of the agricultural part of the state, the DNR allows deer hunting only with slugs & shotguns). I had an expert look at the piciture: indeed, a shotgun.

Pretty entertaining to listen to a vegetarian college professor and a suburban political operative do the he-man thing about hunting on air. LOL."

King Banian Goes Berzerk About Luke Hellier

Michele Bachmann & Norm Coleman in Blaine 4/28/07

They wouldn't let me videotape the speeches, so this is what I got:

Michele Bachmann - Living Word (10/06/2004)

From an article in the Naples Sun Times (10/06/2004):

While casually attending a local convening of Republican candidates, Bachmann found herself being drafted into the nomination for state senator. "I was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. I had my moccasins on. No make-up. No stump speech prepared," she recounted. "All of a sudden I'm running for state senate."

In this video I recently uploaded to You Tube (recorded from the Living Word webcast 10/14/06), Bachmann has another version why she ran for State Senate:


Technorati Profile

Michele Bachmann quotes Ann Coulter

Bachmann on the Jason Lewis show:

Jason Lewis Attacks Dump Bachmann & the Star Tribune

KLTK's Jason Lewis goes berzerk:

Michele Bachmann: "Black Tsunami" and Escalation"

In Bloomington yesterday, Bachmann talked about "the black tsunami that went across our nation November 7th" and more crazy stuff:



Here is a shorter video of Bachmann using the Vietnam-era E-word instead of "surge":

Michele Bachmann Is Totally Freaked Out

Michele Bachmann is worried about terrorists:

Bachmann Speech About Iraq War Resolution 2/15/07

Here's a video (missing the first part where she talks about watching the attacks on 9/11 at Perkins):

Bachmann Kiss & Tell

Michele Bachmann gave an interview to KKMS. Listen to MP3 audio file HERE.

Here's a You Tube video with Bachmann's words and pictures:

You Tube Video of Michele Bachmann's SOTU Gaffe

From TPMMedia via Youtube:

Video of Michele Bachmann SOTU Gaffe

AP Story and video at the WCCO web site:

Bachmann Raises Eyebrows With Long Hold On Bush

(AP) WASHINGTON On Capitol Hill, senators sometimes put holds on presidential nominees. But it was a House member, freshman Rep. Michele Bachmann, who put a hold on the president Tuesday night.

As Bush made his way through the crowd of lawmakers after his State of the Union speech, he signed autographs, including two for Bachmann, a Minnesota Republican. But after the president turned to greet someone else, Bachmann put her hand on his shoulder and held it there.

The hold lasted as Bush shook hands and chatted with other lawmakers on the other side of the aisle, his back to Bachmann. It remained there even as Bush turned back around to kiss a lawmaker next to Bachmann. Finally, the president leaned into Bachmann for a kiss.

All told, Bachmann had Bush in her grasp for nearly 30 seconds.

Bachmann's First Speech in Congress

Bill Bennett interviews Michele Bachmann

Link to interview and comment at the Dump Bachmann Blog.

Video: Michele Bachmann Caught Lying

When Michele Bachmann appeared at Boutwell's Landing in September, Bachmann said she'd never claim her opponent shared the beliefs of an organization that contributed to her opponent's campaign... on Wednesday Bachmann did exactly that. Bachmann went further to say Wetterling would "negotiate with Bin Laden".

See for yourself:

Michele Bachmann Up Close at the Debate

A few highlights from the MPR debate at the Andover High School yesterday:

Marcus Bachmann Speaks Again

A reader asked me to make a video of the Senator's husband's appearance in Andover last night without the music of the previously posted video "Mr. Michele Bachmann" Here is the shorter video without music:

 

Video: Did Michele Bachmann Spurn Wetterling's Handshake?

Skylark303 just posted this video on You Tube. Bachmann is not in the frame, but Wetterling's reaction clearly suggests Bachmann refused to shake hands with her. From where I was sitting, I couldn't see this. Did anyone else see Michele Bachmann flick-off Patty Wetterling?

This incident reminds me of another Bachmann handshake incident.