Michele Bachmann’s time on the presidential campaign trail could be coming to a close.
For a brief moment, it seemed as if Michele Bachmann could, in theory, capture the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. That moment has passed.
While Bachmann still soars in opinion polls — she just crept ahead of Mitt Romney in a new Iowa poll — she’s facing a barrage of politically and morally embarrassing scrutiny.
On the political side, the Tea Party darling’s past work as a collector for the IRS has come back to haunt her, tarnishing her curated image as an anti-tax crusader.
Via Alex Pareene:
The tax collector business has been brought up on the Ron Paul forums by Paul supporters who are clearly irked that “Tea Party” candidates like Bachmann (and former Fed employee Herman Cain) are stealing grassroots attention from their preferred insurgent candidate. (“Bachmann was a tax prosecutor for the IRS – I can’t think of any professional less desirable to the tea party.”)
Meanwhile, Bachmann’s moral compass finds itself in the spotlight after The Nation and the LGBT group Truth Wins Out revealed that Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, makes his bread and butter by convincing gay people they can “turn” straight.
And now the mainstream media appears to be paying attention, too: ABC News ran a piece on the controversy last night, and spoke with a representative from the American Psychological Association who spelled out the dangers behind Mr. Bachmann’s unholy crusade.
“The harm is that when people are already in distress, and feeling conflict about their religion and their sexuality, to tell them they can change if they work hard enough, when in fact they can’t do that … just makes their distress and their shame — their depression — even worse,” said Clinton Anderson, head of the Association’s LGBT office.
As the negative press piles up, Bachmann’s campaign rivals are starting to take jabs at the Minnesota Representative, as well.
“With all due respect, she just doesn’t have that kind of experience,” Tim Pawlenty told Fox News yesterday, his second attack on her in so many days.
He went on: “Her record in Congress, as I mentioned before, is, you know, again, great remarks and great speeches, but in terms of results and accomplishments, nonexistent.”
Though voters like those in the aforementioned Iowa poll may not be fazed by all this bad Bachmann news, you can be sure the Republican elite are, and some suggest they’re already looking for ways to take wild card Bachmann out of the running. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Here’s video from ABC’s report on Marcus Bachmann’s anti-gay clinic:
July 12, 2011 at 2:04 pm, Andersonapp said:
Ah yes, the liberal media tries its’ spin once again…..
July 12, 2011 at 2:54 pm, Anonymous said:
Yeah. That’s why I like Dr Paul’s suggestion that the gov’t shouldn’t be involved in marriage @ all
July 12, 2011 at 2:11 pm, Anonymous said:
I got some bad news for Belonsky: the “brief moment” has just begun.
His clueless but amusing blog, which substitutes wishful thinking for reporting, omitted the latest polls.No one outside the Demented Left echo chamber gives a hoot for their “interpretations” of Bachmann’s views.
Juan Williams wrote:
“Whenever the press spotlights one of her stumbles at the microphone the Minnesota congresswoman gets a flood of support and money. She becomes ‘Every Woman,’ a misunderstood Tea Party mother of five facing down an elitist, arrogant, Obama-leaning press corps.”
“The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.”
7/10/11 Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has surpassed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in a recent Iowa poll that was conducted by The Iowa Republican.com
Bachmann received support from 25 percent of likely Iowa caucus goers in the poll, while Romney is backed by 21 percent.
Looks, like Andrew Belonsky’s “brief moment” of fame is over. *S*
July 12, 2011 at 3:11 pm, anon said:
wait, do you really think bachmann will get the bill? and if she does do you really think she will win? That is a complete joke, shes a evident idiot. Only the non-voters like her because they don’t watch enough news.
July 12, 2011 at 2:27 pm, ASeattleConservative said:
I can see how the mentally deranged Paulites are threatened.
As far as changing one’s sinful behavior: just ask God, He can do anything.
July 12, 2011 at 2:53 pm, Anonymous said:
I’m one of those mentally deranged Paulites, and I agree with you, ask God, He can do anything. I’m not too happy with this video. I also agree with Dr Paul, the gov’t shouldn’t be a part of marriage in the first place. As far as Bachmann working for the IRS? No excuses for that.
July 12, 2011 at 4:22 pm, Tyson Lauby said:
Were not threatened. Just pointing out that she talks the talk but has not walked the walk.
July 12, 2011 at 5:16 pm, jeffreylayne said:
FYI, ASeatleConservative, insulting God’s children (or anyone’s children) and then encouraging those same people to seek God is an incredibly successful method of turning people away from Him.
With Love,
AKnoxvillePaulite
July 12, 2011 at 5:16 pm, jeffreylayne said:
FYI, ASeatleConservative, insulting God’s children (or anyone’s children) and then encouraging those same people to seek God is an incredibly successful method of turning people away from Him.
With Love,
AKnoxvillePaulite
August 19, 2011 at 10:44 pm, aSeattleConservative said:
Just when all of you moral relative/atheist/humanist Paulites were ready to accept God into your life, aSeattleConservative comes along and ruins it all.
July 12, 2011 at 2:27 pm, ASeattleConservative said:
I can see how the mentally deranged Paulites are threatened.
As far as changing one’s sinful behavior: just ask God, He can do anything.
July 12, 2011 at 2:56 pm, Chuck Norris said:
Put a fork in her shes done.
July 12, 2011 at 2:56 pm, Chuck Norris said:
Put a fork in her shes done.
July 12, 2011 at 3:09 pm, anon said:
Bachmann is an idiot, period. She is the embodiment of all presidents of the 20′s to 50′s lol. In fact she may be posessed by Nixon himself.
July 12, 2011 at 3:39 pm, Tyson Lauby said:
Bachmann’s boat set sail now it’s going “Glug glug glug”
July 12, 2011 at 4:16 pm, Dennis Dornfeld said:
When you work with people all your life, you really get good at reading people. From the very first, I had this feeling Bachmann’s 60 watt bulb was burning more like a wax candle (Produces very little light but leaves a big puddle.). There was just something too simplistic about her to qualify her for any position above dog catcher. Well she’s proven it. She has also been exposed as a beneficiary of federally funded programs; you know, the kind she says need to be eliminated like the farm programs and the grants that were obtained to run a very questionable anti-gay clinic. How someone like this ever got into a political career that requires brains and ability I’ll never know. We already have enough people like her in responsible positions that far surpass their abilities to perform, we sure don’t nee Bachmann in the white house.
July 12, 2011 at 5:02 pm, butkog said:
Bachmann is an Establishment GOP Neocon. She does not stand for personal freedom, she stands for continual undeclared wars and the destruction of the Bill of Rights. She has NOTHING in common with the Tea Parties. She works for the same Republican Establishment as Gingrich, Romney, Palin and McCain.
July 12, 2011 at 8:18 pm, Eric Pusey said:
Andrew,
As a Minnesotan and as a progressive blogger (http://mnprogressiveproject.com), I’ve watched Bachmann for a long time. Consequently, when I say that your conclusion is wrong, I say that from experience.
Bachmann’s base does not care that she lies that she embarrasses herself frequently or that she’s factually-challenged on nearly any topic. She’s built a base of evangelicals, teabaggers and conspiracy loving right wingers who accept all of the nonsense she spews as gospel.
When she groped the President at the SOTU address in 2007, she wasn’t stopped. When she claimed to know of secret Iranian plans to divide Iraq a few months later, it didn’t slow her down.
Her infamous appearance on Chris Matthews show claiming Obama and other members of Congress held Anti-American views should have cost her the race in 2008.
She lost her play to get a leadership position when the GOP retook Congress. Didn’t slow her down.
While Bobbie Jindahl’s horrid SOTU reply ended his national political hopes, Bachmann’s psychotic-looking diatribe into the wrong camera made no difference to her fortunes.
You name the embarrassment or controversy and it hasn’t slowed her down.
Neither will proof that Marcus’ clinic tries to cure The Gayness.
Her supporters whole-heartedly believe that homosexuality is a choice if not a disease and would only applaud her strong stand by sending her more money.
Anyway, I’ve organized her insanity in a thing I call the Michele Bachmann Bizarro World which you can find at my blog if you’d like more info on her:
http://www.mnprogressiveproject.com/page/Michele_Bachmann_BIZARRO_WORLD
Sincerely,
Eric Pusey
aka The Big E
July 13, 2011 at 4:59 am, Blackwater said:
Bachmann is a friggin’ loon! Her outrageous hatred for gays is beyond the pale.
I know the left wing JournoList© hacks would LOVE for Bachmann to be the nominee so you can hammer her silly azz with all of the nutty things she’s done, and even out her “husband” who’s gayer than Liberace’s houseboy, but it ain’t gonna happen.
Bachmann won’t last to Iowa, let alone past it.
We need actual leadership, and Bachmann doesn’t even know what that means. Thankfully Conservatives are waking up to this fraud. It’s time for her and her scam artist husband to disappear.
July 13, 2011 at 5:16 am, Ja Stoddart said:
Just think, since she submits to her husband in all decisions, she is just his minion, he will make all the final decisions.
July 13, 2011 at 2:16 pm, Wayne said:
….she’s a SLAVE to publicity!
July 13, 2011 at 5:43 pm, Cynthia Layne-Gordon said:
Told ya.
July 13, 2011 at 9:03 pm, Roboslk said:
yes and after all the gotcha moments the Republicans have pulled on Democrats Andrew Biethart I dare them to say that they are being treated unfairly.
February 11, 2012 at 3:43 pm, a4348621 said:
I’ve said that least 4348621 times. SCK was here
February 12, 2012 at 3:41 am, halitosis cures said:
Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
February 12, 2012 at 3:50 am, life insurance premium tax deductible said:
Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your blog. You have some really great articles and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d really like to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Thanks!
February 12, 2012 at 7:24 am, Nell Drakos said:
Thanks for all of your work on this site. Ellie take interest in making time for internet research and it is easy to see why. Most of us know all regarding the dynamic means you provide helpful tips and tricks by means of the web site and even cause response from other ones on this content while our favorite child is actually learning a whole lot. Take advantage of the rest of the new year. You’re the one carrying out a remarkable job.
February 12, 2012 at 3:41 pm, Agnus said:
Thanks a ton for giving your thoughts. Being a author, I am generally trying to find unique and different tips on how to think about a subject. I find fantastic enthusiasm in doing this. Thank you so much once again
April 02, 2012 at 12:24 pm, Government Subsidized Housing said:
Does anybody here no where the rss feed thingy is?
February 28, 2013 at 11:19 am, Don’t misunderestimate Michele Bachmann said:
[...] even proof that her husband Marcus’ clinic performs Cure the Gayness therapy will slow her [...]