She's at it again. Not less than a month from asserting that the mortgage collapse was the fault of giving loans to minorities, Minnesota Representative Bachmann wants to find Anti-American Democrats.
Anti Americans in the Democrats of Congress?
On the October 15th episode of "Hardball with Chris Matthews",
he interviewed Minnesota Representative Michelle Bachmann about the McCain campaign and her take on Barack Obama. Matthews pointed out that the McCain campaign has sent a robo-caller message to swing states that suggests his association with Tony Ayers is dangerous.
Hello. I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home, and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the judgment to lead our country.
After listening to the call, Matthews asked Bachmann what she thought about the robo call's message. She asserted that it was a good message because the media has largely been portrayign the connections between Obama and Ayers to be as strong as they truly are. Bachmann went on to name more associates of Obama's and said that it shows he has a pattern of hanging with people of questionable character.
MR. MATTHEWS: If you have liberal views, does that mean you have anti-American views? What's the connection? I don't get the connection. What's the connection between liberal and leftist and anti-American?
REP. BACHMANN: Anti-American is the point, because --
MR. MATTHEWS: I mean, if you're liberal, are you anti-American?
REP. BACHMANN: Well, the liberals that are Jeremiah Wright and that are Bill Ayers, they're over-the-top anti-American. And that's the question that Americans have. Remember, it was Michelle Obama who said she's only recently proud of her country. And so these are very anti-American views.
MR. MATTHEWS: Okay.
REP. BACHMANN: That's not the way that most Americans feel about our country. Most Americans, Chris, are wild about America, and they're very concerned to have a president who doesn't share those values.
Matthews went on to play Sarah Palin's clip that asserts Obama pals around with terrorists and he asked Bachmann whether she agreed with Palin's statements. Bachmann agreed.
MR. MATTHEWS: So this is a character issue. You believe that Barack Obama may -- you're suspicious because of this relationship -- may have anti-American views. Otherwise it's probably irrelevant to this discussion.
REP. BACHMANN: Absolutely.
MR. MATTHEWS: So you believe it brings into --
REP. BACHMANN: I absolutely --
MR. MATTHEWS: So you believe that Barack Obama may have anti- American views.
REP. BACHMANN: Absolutely. I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views. That's what the American people are concerned about. That's why they want to know what his answers are. That's why Joe the plumber has figured so highly in the last few days --
MR. MATTHEWS: Okay. I'm not going to get off this.
REP. BACHMANN: -- because Joe the plumber asked a question that a lot of Americans want to know.
They went on to discuss who else Bachmann thought may have anti-American views. She tracked back to Jeremaiah Wright and Father Phleger. When Bachmann was asked about Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, she didn't say they were Anti or Pro American. But as far as other members of Congress? Matthews pressed the question.
MR. MATTHEWS: How many Congress people, members of Congress, do you think are in that anti-American crowd you described? How many Congress people do you serve with? I mean, it's 435 members of Congress.
REP. BACHMANN: Right now --
MR. MATTHEWS: How many are anti-American in the Congress right now that you serve with?
REP. BACHMANN: You'd have to ask them, Chris. I'm focusing on Barack Obama and the people that he's been associating with. And I'm very worried about --
MR. MATTHEWS: But do you suspect that a lot of people you serve with --
REP. BACHMANN: -- their anti-American nature.
MR. MATTHEWS: Well, he's a United States senator from Illinois. He's one of the people you suspect as being anti-American. How many people in the Congress of the United States do you think are anti- American? You've already suspected Barack Obama. Is he alone, or are there others? How many do you suspect of your colleagues as being anti-American?
REP. BACHMANN: What I would say -- what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that.
MR. MATTHEWS: Okay, thank you very much, U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.
Days after the interview Bachmann went on to claim that
she didn't bring up the word "Anti-American" which, judging from the transcripts, is true. Yet she stated she was only questioning Obama's views as such, which is not true from the transcripts. But she was clearly linking liberal, left and radical leftists politics as anti-American.
Bachmann's words may have marked the end of her own campaign. Her Democratic opponent, Elwyn Twinkleberg, saw a $740,000 donation to his campaign within days of the story. It had taken him almost a year to raise $1 million.
Alright, I watched this interview live. Yes, Matthews made some connections for her as if he knew what she was going to say. But even after the fact as he debated this interview with Pat Buchanan, he stated that he let Bachmann have repeated chances to say what she had to say. He didn't over talk her, O'Reilly her or anything. He just posed statements and she agreed. It doesn't surprise me.
