By Gary P Jackson
Michele Bachmann certainly says the right things, but like most politicians, what she says doesn't marry up with her actual record. In other words, she may talk the talk, but she certainly doesn't walk the walk.
Today she has come out with a new ad, pandering to Iowan's, playing up her status as a native. Though multiple sources point out Bachmann, like our current president, just makes up her family history as she goes.
Anyhow, Bachmann has a new video where she says: "…I know that we can’t keep spending money that we don’t have. That’s why I fought against the wasteful bailout .…"
One other claim she makes. She claims to be a "small business job creator." I didn't know a House member could create jobs. Too bad she doesn't elaborate on this, because I'd love to see how that works!
Oh, and I REALLY love how Bachmann thinks being a "tax lawyer" [or any kind of lawyer] actually enhances her résumé! Only in Washington do these establishment hacks think that.
Now that we've seen what Bachmann is selling .... today .... lets look at the love letter she wrote to the Obama regime's Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, back in October 2009 after some literal pork spending by the federal government that helped her state. [emphasis mine]
Your efforts to stabilize prices through direct government purchasing of pork and dairy products are very much welcomed by the producers in Minnesota, and I would encourage you to take any additional steps necessary to prevent further deterioration of these critical industries, such as making additional commodity purchases and working to expand trade outlets for these and other agricultural goods.
Far from worrying about spending money we don't have, a problem that existed just as much in 2009 as it does now, she's advocating, and encouraging much more spendng. Oh, and in 2008 Bachmann voted YES on the mini-stimulus bill and for backing more FHA loans. [at a time that whole program was self-destructing]
Bachmann is always trying to have it both ways. When she's out there on the stump she's singing the song voters want to hear. Back in D.C., not so much.
On December 9, 2010 she told Politico:
This isn’t trying to be too cute by half of what is an earmark and what isn’t. But we have to address the issue of how are we going to fund transportation projects across the country? [she also said that Article I of the Constitution gives Congress] ....the authority to make discriminatory decisions, which means proactive decisions about which roads are built.
Read more here.
When I hear this "transportation projects" talk I'm always reminded of how democrats justify everything they do [even abortion funding] by saying it's "for the children." To me these are weasel words.Obama used "transportation" and "shovel ready projects" as the excuse for his $1 trillion spending package. An effort that has yield few, if any, positive results.
Now, on her own congressional website, Bachmann seems to take the opposite stance on earmarks, and government spending. More empty rhetoric. And an illustration of what she SAYS vs what she DOES.
Bachmann seems to be fine with pork spending when it benefits her in some way. More do as I say, not as I do.
One of the biggest wastes of time and money is the immoral ethanol program. Why do I call it immoral? Because using food for fuel causes food prices to rise, significantly. Though most Americans can grudgingly absorb that cost, most around the world cannot. Using food for fuel is having a devastating effect world wide.
We can go into the fact ethanol is a worthless fuel, how it's production causes more polution than gasoline ever would, and how, in fact, not only do cars get less milage burning ethanol laced gasoline, vs pure gasoline, at another time. We can also discuss how ethanol is harmful to internal combustion engines, and all of it's other failings, at another time as well.
Ethanol, as an alternative fuel, is a failure on every level. It's junk fuel. That said, Bachmann seems to love the stuff.
In 2005 Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, another one who is absolutely in love with ethanol, was pushing a MANDATE that would double the amount of ethanol required in every gallon of gasoline/ethanol mix. Thus, making a bad problem worse. State senator Michele Bachmann voted FOR this mandate.
In June Katrina Trinko wrote an extensive article detailing how Bachmann is trying to have it both ways on ethanol. Here's a taste: [emphasis mine]
She also spoke favorably of ethanol in a July 2008 conference call on energy. "We’ve also done a very good job in Minnesota by building the E85 pumps all across the state, so that people can have access to them," Bachmann said during the call. Not mentioned: the fact that Minnesota allotted $1.75 million to give to gas-station owners who installed E85 pumps.
This sounds an awful lot like Big Government meddling in private business to me. If we were talking free market vs government mandates, that free market would determine how many E85 pumps were needed based on supply and demand. The problem is, Pawlenty, Bachmann and her fellow Minnesota legislators MANDATED ethanol requirements and thus were all but forced to spend tax dollars making sure there were pumps out there for a product most drivers would rather not have to use.
Tell me how this squares with Bachmann's "Tea Party Persona" again?
It's almost comical that Bachmann rails against ObamaCare and it's unconstitutional mandates, when she voted for draconian mandates of her own.
The more you look into Bachmann's record and compare it to her rhetoric, you realize she is nothing more than a typical politician who will say one thing, and do just the opposite. Though she has few accomplishments as a United States Congresswoman, as a state senator, it looks like she did more to further Big Government waste, and overreach, than anything else.
What really troubles me, is Bachmann seems to understand global warming is a hoax, and fought against any sort of cap and tax scheme. And yet, she's been pushing ethanol for years. Ethanol is a useless fuel that only exists because of the global warming nutters. The only reason anyone, who understands global warming is a hoax, would support ethanol as enthusiastically as Bachmann has, is simple: She's pandering for votes.
We don't need any more of these business as usual, talk the talk, but forget to walk the walk, establishment politicians. Bachmann is no better than any other Washington hack. Looking at her record it's almost like she only hitched herself to the Tea Party movement as a gimmick, not because she actually believes what they are about.
Look, Michele Bachmann has no executive experience. She's never run a city, never run a state. She has no real accomplishments in Congress. She was rejected by her fellow Republicans when it came time to hand out leadership roles. All we have to judge her own is her voting record. Flowery ads and fiery speeches are fine, but saying one thing, and actually doing something else is not.
America deserves better than this. America deserves better than Michele Bachmann.
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