It’s time to start asking questions.
I’m sure that by now you’ve heard of the latest Bachmann kerfuffle where the esteemed Minnesotan Representative calls for a “penetrating expose” to take a look at who in Congress is “pro-America or Anti-America”.
I heard about it last night Via schmelzenfreude when he Tweeted this story, New McCarthyism: Bachmann calls for investigation of ‘anti-American’ Congress members.
For me, this story raises a lot of concerns and I’ve composed several diatribes in my head about the dangers of recent GOP rhetoric. I’ve had a nagging feeling like a thorn in my thoughts since the last debate that started when the candidates were discussing allegations of people chanting “Kill Him” at Palin speeches. John McCain too umbrage to the suggestion his campaign should do anything to quell or denounce the “fringe” while mumbling something about people making negative TShirts about him. Seriously, he compared death threats to hurtful tshirts.
Do I digress? Perhaps, but it all seems connected by a reckless strand of anger and hate that is trying to tangle our country up and drag it back generations into the past.
The flip side of this latest Bachmann debacle is it’s helping raise support and funding for her opponent Elwyn Tinklenberg. Frankly, that feels a little dirty too. It suggests the dirty little secret none of us like to speak aloud, money basically buys votes. I’d rather politicians pay for their mistakes through loss of funding and support than their opponent making money from their gaffes. Now, I digress.
I have a lot of questions.
What is anti-American? Why does a call for Congress to be investigated for anti-American behavior resonate so strongly with the public when Congress has been basically making the same call against the U.S. citizens for the last 8 years? Assuming we had an agreeable definition of “anti-American” what would such an investigation accomplish? Censure? Gitmo? Kill Him?
This is a leak not even a plumber can fix. What do you think?
Michele Bachmann is not a senator. The "Kill him" story was investigated and found to be completely without credible evidence.
I logged in to state exactly what kevin said.
But I’ll add I find all this talk about the rhetoric at campaign events ridiculous. For years the left leaning wingnuts having been equating bush to hitler and we are all the sudden shocked that people are calling Obama names? The hypocrisy is thick here….
Lastly the Congresswoman from District 6 is an idiot. We know this. I am ashamed that she represents the district that I grew up in (I am also not happy with Ellison who represents the district I now live in – but at least the guy has a brain). But like you and me she is an American and she resonates with people – especially my brothers family that still lives in that district. This just renews my call for term limits which are desperately needed at the federal level.
Kevs – Mea Culpa, I knew that she isn’t a Senator. "completely without credible evidence" I guess that’s subjective. The Secret Service can’t prove it, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. When the allegation was initially circulating as public account the McCain Campaign should have denounced that type of behavior immediately. Maybe because it could have helped the campaign, but definitely because it’s the right thing to do.
Yoshi – I’ve always thought the comparisons of Bush and Hitler were redonk, chalk it up to Godwin’s Law. I’m not so concerned with people calling Obama names as I am with the Conservative base accepting and or endorsing behavior that is far from Conservative.
I like this statement from Peggy Noonan this week and for me it resonates to this Bachmann situation,
"In all this, the conservative intelligentsia are doing what they have done for five years. They bitterly attacked those who came to stand against the Bush administration. This was destructive. If they had stood for conservative principle and the full expression of views, instead of attempting to silence those who opposed mere party, their movement, and the party, would be in a better, and healthier, position. "
R:e term limits – I’d rather there be a limit to lobbying after serving, rather than limiting term limits. It seems that’s where much of the real damage is done.
She called for the *media* to investigate "anti-American" members of Congress. To say "Bachmann calls for investigation of ‘anti-American’ Congress members," which implies she called for some sort of official government investigation, is misleading.
Tipper – Perhaps.
Ofcourse, a
rosewitchhunt by any other name . . .I don’t know if I want to give Michele Bachmann this much credit, but I think it’s clear what her implication was and I think she said what she said on purpose. I’m not going to give her a pass on a technicality.