She's padded cell material. Censure? In the interest of public safety, get her off the streets and into a psych ward.

Steve,

I'm afriad I have to agree with Zeitgeist here. Yes, Bachmann is Fruit-Loops-grade loony, but let's remember the context. She's a first-term crazy person, whereas King has been at it for a long time. Bachmann's only beginning to understand just how much you can and can't say about what you really think in your cob-web-infested batfry, whereas King knows the ropes and he STILL goes off on surreal/insane jags.

Steve King is the champ. Bachmann could unseat him, but only if she wins re-election a couple of times.

Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.)... is calling for a neo-McCarthyism

Actually I think "pro-American", like Palin's "patriotic" is becoming a euphemism for militant nationalism. Every time I see Bachman (or Katherine Harris, for that matter), I wonder whether their smiles are insincere or just the result of a bad face lift.

Background: The representative got her law degree from Oral Robert's now defunct law school. Her husband has a degree from Pat Roberterson's place. Crazy since an early age, I would say.

Bachmann along with Sarah Palin's recent comments to a crowd about "Pro-American parts of the country" is confirmation that the Republican Party has always been adept and evily clever at pitting one segment of America society against the other in a "divide and conquer" rule. They are the party of Division! I am so glad they are being found out!

However in a call to "national unity" it was a Wise and Judicious Barack Obama in 2004 who spoke these Uniting words in regards to America's oneness and what we can be:

"Even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue States: red states for Republicans, blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states. We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states." --Obama, 2004.

It should be a crime against the "good" of the American Public and a Betrayal of the Public Trust for McCain and Republicans to be able to get away with obvious lies and distortions by false and misleading Robocalls which try to link an 8 year old Barack Obama with acts committed by Ayers over 30 years ago. It is down right dishonest, dishonorable and misleading. There should be laws against this type of unethical behavior to knowing lie and mislead for gain. This is like one lying on their Resume when applying for a job. It is moraly wrong and unethical!

As for Joe the Plumber who lied to Barack when he falsely said, "I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year," "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" when it has been reported that Joe makes $45,000 a year and owes back taxes! This is the very middle-class person Barack Obama's tax plan would help! And Joe the Plumber belies the fact that if one has $250,000.00 dollars to invest in a business, and because he has to pay his fair share of taxes, he is unable to Purchase that business, he is just plain greedy because middle-class people deserve a break especially now after 8 years of paying more than their fair share while the rich got away scott free and devastated the economy to boot!

People like Bachmann will always exist. The best thing we can do is relegate them forever to the fringes; and with any luck we will take a giant step in that direction in November.

Well, Bachmann is my representative and we've been hearing this kind of thing for a while. I voted against her on the grounds that she was a garden variety religious-right type, and I don't do religious right. Since then. she has exposed herself as completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. If you want to see more, and I'm praying to all powers I can think of that we won't after Nov. 4, google "Michele Bachmann" and "Iran".

Many days I'm convinced that the reason people who think as many/most of us on this site and similar are not ultimately successful is because we are too capable of critically assessing the situation or policies, gathering information, looking at both sides, and trying to be FAIR...we need to be loonier and nastier and more hypocritical...that seems to be the NEW MOTTO of AMERICA!!! I will never forgive those in power positions who are not or will not speak up the TRUTH about the disgusting choice McShame made in Scarah because it should have been the dialogue since her "selection"! If all their policies were EQUAL she would be the tipping point...it gives me nightmares to realize that this may go badly yet again and still we contribute, make calls, write letters, send e-mails...but it remains THE STUPID!!!

People like Bachmann will always exist. - Del Capslock

But few get elected to Congress. This lady should be selling Avon.

Ve muzt follow ze Grrreat Leader!

Ze Grrreat Leader iz alvays rrright!

It iz trrreason to doubt ze Grrreat Leader!

Ze Grrreat Leader haz enemiez zat vant to bring down der Fatterlant!

Ve muzt crrrush ze enemiez of ze Grrreat Leader!

We just sent the Tinklenberg campaign some dough even though we're not from Minnesota. Bachmann's probably in a safe seat, but her views degrade us all. What was Walter's line in The Big Lebowski? "This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man."

http://www.tinklenberg08.com/

Wow, Buchmann just took the friendly out of our current form of subtle fascism here in the good ol'USA. Me thinnks she is at war more with herself than with anyone else in particular.

Could she be struggling with her sexual identity, and too afraid to come out of the closet? Has she been stigmatized by feelings of inferiority?

I can't answer the questions I just asked much like Ms. Bachmann can't tell whom among us is pro-America and whom is just trying to make it to the end of the day without sustaining any personal economic disaster that might put such a hard working American in a situation of bankruptcy! -Kevo

What is it with the GOP and all the Joes?

Joe Six-pack, Joe the Plumber and now The Ghost of Joe McCarthy. Or is Joe the Fascist catchier?

Thanks to sites like this politicians like her are exposed for all the world to see instead of flying under the radar. Her disgusting remarks motivated me to make a contribution to her opponent, Tinklenberg even though I live in California.

Becca:

Don't forget the ORIGINAL JOE -- Joe Lieberman.

Joementum is taking over the world!

I know, Steve, that your discussion about who's crazier is meant to be a somewhat lighthearted way of discussing some of the fringe rhetoric of these congresspersons. But the thing with Bachmann is, I really think she is not all there. I don't normally approve of the sort of amateur psychoanalysis that goes on in punditry and on blogs all the time, but my honest impression of Bachmann is that she mentally unstable. Obviously she is still functional at a fairly high level but look at her eyes when she talks. Listen to the way her voice modulates. Obviously I could be wrong but I get a very strong impression of mental illness when I see her. She is obviously intelligent in some ways but she doesn't seem able to read and respond to a lot of the normal social cues that a mentally fit person does. Just my impression and one that I offer reluctantly but I just don't get the feeling that we are looking at a run of the mill idealogue here so much as a person with serious mental deficiencies.

I agree with brent (and I have no problem amateur-psychoanalyzing politicians on blogs; I consider it a perk of paying my taxes and a mild payback for how much most of them annoy me). There's something very wrong with Bachmann.

And yet zeitgeist makes such a good case for King. Oh, why must you boys put us in a position of choosing?! Isn't there room for everyone's favorite loon?

What was equally disturbing was the cross-talk that followed Bachmann's diatribe on Hardball. When Van den Heuvel feared for her country, Pat Buchanan essentially took Bachmann's side. It appears that he would welcome another HUAC witch hunt. "Are you now, or have you ever been a member of Al Quaida, Sir?"

However, on Oct. 16th she said this, according to a story on KSTP in Minnesota, while running away from President Bush.

"If the presidency would somehow go to Barack Obama, I would welcome him to the 6th District as well," she said after the debate. "As a matter of fact, I would put my hand on his shoulder and give him a kiss if he wanted to."

Aside from that, Palin, and now Bachman appear to be the new Republican right wing attack dogs (pitbulls with lipstick?), doing what they are asked to do to position themselves for right wing support. If they actually believe what they are saying, we are not only in trouble now, but we ain't seen nothing yet.

As the economy continues to slip and more and more people look for someone to blame who better than communists, liberals and fellow travellers?

If this woman is a congresswoman and on CNN then she is not "on the fringes" but front and center in our political discourse just like Palin. It would be easy and fun to laugh a whacko like this if they were on the street corner holding up a sign but elected by the people of Minnesota and given a voice on the public airwaves? Not so much fun and little laughter.

I hope that Tinklenberg knows how to use his new found campaign money, since Bachmann has already earned him about $100.000 in contributions in one day.

I watched that last night on Hardball, and I thought Vanden Heuvel missed it when Pat Buchanan challenged her about what she meant by facism.

Don't remember her weak reply, but she should have said the we are going down the road of facism when we accuse those who don't agree with us as being unpatriotic. We are well down that road when we say they should be investigated.

I fear a Christianist facist movement with people like Palin at its head and fed by bad economic times will be a feature of this country for the next decade.

DAY writes that the new McCarthyite question would be "It appears that he would welcome another HUAC witch hunt. "Are you now, or have you ever been a member of Al Quaida, Sir?""

Actually the question might be "Are you a Democrat or have you ever supported the Democratic party?" I know Sarah Palin would frame it that way.

repeat post from previous item in case you missed it

There you go kids! That douche bag has an zip + 4 restriction on her website.
http://bachmann.house.gov/Contact/ZipCode.htm
Just punch it in and tell her what kind of American
you think she is.
56303-4701 (the county courthouse zip how apropos )

Thanks, John R. Message left.
But check out the links while you're there. Who knew THIS existed:

https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/

Senator John McCain (R.WingNut-AZ) & Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R.WingNut-MN) both have been shown in public displays to have kissed and/or been kissed by GeeDubya, much like Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz swapped smooches with Bush a few years back.

Saudi Arabia has known links to terrorist organizations, not to mention that most of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi's.

What better way to display our love for country
than to investigate McCain, Bachmann, and GeeDubya about their terrorist associations. While we're at it, let's just open up the investigation to all of the extreme 'rightists' in Congress, since they clearly are unpatriotic anti-Americans, given their ties to Bush, and ultimately to Arab terrorists.

Joseph McCarthy seems to have been her inspiration. That one - she wins the wingnut prize hands down.

.

The gem moment of last night was on the Larry King show when he asked the Rebublican panel of guests if they had heard of G. Gordon Liddy and with a blank face Bachmann quietly answered no. King asked it thinking all of them knew who Liddy is and only wanted a response about the connection of Liddy to McCain. Bachmann was clueless as we already know. Please Donate to Tinklenberg for Congress and help remove this embarrassment from Minnesota!

Damn!!
I miss Cinthia Mckinny ( D- Ga.) white boy said that

Olbermann said last night that Bachmann's opponent Tinklenberg had received $30,000 in donations in the few hours between Matthew's first airing & Olbermann's show. More on this story and on another commentary of Benen's -- is Palin illiterate or a liar -- on RealityChex.com at http://www.realitychex.com

brent wrote:
Obviously I could be wrong but I get a very strong impression of mental illness when I see her. She is obviously intelligent in some ways but she doesn't seem able to read and respond to a lot of the normal social cues that a mentally fit person does.

I saw her on Larry King's show, and my first thought was: "That's a robot!" A robot would behave in the manner that you've described.

I agree with grinningcat--don't dismiss Bachmann as a mere loony.

She's auditioning for a leading role in the post-Bush republican party. If Fred Barnes sees Palin as a shining star, just think what Buchmann has to offer!

king blew it when he went on Maddow and seemed, well. . . sane.

i first saw this Bachmann clip at The Atlantic, where Ambinder had a piece titled "Michele Bachmann's Id" which could not have really prepared me for just how speaking-in-right-wing-political-toungues nuts she was here.

and of course, Steve, I immediately thought of you. :)

I just read Hilzoy and now Steve and am starting to do a slow burn.

This woman doesn't even show any pretense, she just goes out and says it. Wow.

In brief retrospect, she may be doing us a favor with this alarming rhetoric, as the main obstacle will be to bring this extremism into the mainstream consciousness. I can't imagine that the majorities voting for Obama wouldn't be moved to action after hearing that garbage.

Danp: "I wonder whether their smiles are insincere or just the result of a bad face lift."

I think it's an unconcealed external manifestation of core mendacity and disingenuousness.

She's padded cell material.

Save the padded cells for those who deserve some degree of protection. Ship Bachmann out on an ice floe and to hell with her.

Actually, modern psychiatric hospitals no longer offer the padded cell.
Seclusion and restraint are not in vogue, are considered treatment failure.

But I enjoyed the thought that she is padded cell material. And she clearly is.
I just censured her on the site linked from thenation.com

Pat Buchanan is over-rated on MSNBC. The resident conservative fanaticist.
And if you fall asleep, he is so damn loud and insistent it is disturbing...
When he speaks, I change the channel.
They need to dump him.

As I've mentioned before, if this batdoodoo crazy ninnyhammer does manage to set up a committee to certify one's Americanism, she would be the first to be requested to present herself for judgment. This woman has absolutely no idea of what it means to be an American and shows no signs of internalizing any American values or traditions(or Scandinavian traditions, for that matter. She sounds more like a product of the Hitler's Jugend.) I wonder why she is so stupid as to propose resurrecting the HUAC in the first place.

Some of us have seen the neofascist movement coming for decades. It was really just a matter of time. After all, when your completely discredited conservative ideology collapses around you, I suppose it may be somewhat reassuring (and the height of denial) to blame others, particularly those nasty anti-American socialists.

As I've said before, the Republicanites fatal error in their quest for corporate control, which began decades ago (Google 'Business Plot' or 'Smedley Butler'), owes much to the GOP/NRA alliance, resulting in many well-armed liberals out there.

What do you call an unarmed liberal? A detainee.

We are watching.

We need to add Pfotenhauer and Palin to this list.

http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/pfotenhauer-the-real-virginia-is-more-responsive-to-mccain/

I am tired of being labeled anti-American for not falling all over myself for people who seem intent to take away everything that America once stood for.

Katrina did a great job, given the dynamics, I thought.
Chris Matthews and Pat "big mouth" Buchanan barely gave her time to speak.
What a mind blowing spew from the fanatic Bachmann. One more arrogant, opportunistic, overly enthusiastic, angry, ideologically misguided conservative dragon lady embarassing all women with an egregious assault on the Constitution. Bully Girl.
Her mother should have considered contraceptives?
Bachmann seemed like she could have been awaiting the rapture--something about her eyes

Zeit, FWIW...I am sure that King will return to his batshit crazy self soon. It only takes one slip of the tongue when they speak their own mind, their true self, and get off of a talking point.

Crazy is and crazy says. :-)

Re Pat Buchanan's comment: Bernie Sanders represents my state, gained 65% of the vote in his election to the Senate, and is an American we are proud to have representing us. He represents true American values unlike those espousing a witch hunt against those who do not agree with their point of view.

Isn't there room for everyone's favorite loon? --
shortstop, at 9:27

My favourite loon is the Canadian one. a) You can trade it for something of real value, and b) the more of them the better.

I agree with you that Steve King has a bunch of what seem to be loony ideas. You have to understand that he is from the western part of Iowa. I live in Iowa and went to colege with a number of people from that part of the state. Those I stay in touch with think Bush is a wuss because he didn't go to Iraq and strangle Saddam Hussein himself.

They don't like furiners and they don't like government. Try to explain that they are government and it's like talking to a tree. it won't get you anywhere.

King is an ideal representative for them.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) = Dumb bitch. She should be tarred and feathered, a tradition who's comeback is much needed in this country. Oh yeah, she should also receive a good swift kick in the ass too, but maybe that's just me who wants to do the kicking. What a vile, pathetic, divisive and evil whore. Tar and feathers is really too nice for these kinds of of so-called "American" sycophants.

Everyone:

I, too, am appalled by Michele Bachmann, assuming this particular interview is typical of the way she thinks.

But I'm also concerned about some of the postings here. By all means, be thoroughly and righteously angry and say so. But avoid threats, ok? They give the wingers ammunition. Yes, they will take anything we say and try to use it against us. What we want to do here is ally ourselves with the moderates, the centrists, the SANE people, and even thinking people on the right side. We want to make Michele Bachmann and others be fringe characters, free to rant and rave on sidewalks and among their own kind. We want to get them away from center stage to the extent possible. But we need to be strategic about this. In this respect, we need to take leaves from Obama's book and the low-key but devastating way he handles these people.

Tone down some of the more incendiary rhetoric, please?

Just an update. Because of Bachmann's outrageous comments the money has been flowing to Tinklenberg, $438,000+ in last 2 days at latest count.

Just to keep the Benen/Zeitgeist sparring alive... King has a letter to the Editor in today's NYTimes:

Caps on Legal Immigrants

Published: October 17, 2008

To the Editor:

“Legal Immigration? Anybody?� (editorial, Oct. 3) questioned my opposition to a bill sponsored by Zoe Lofgren, chairwoman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, to increase legal immigration.

Ms. Lofgren should be willing to settle on a limit on the total number of immigrants allowed into the United States each year. Exactly how many immigrants can our country absorb without negatively affecting America’s economy, culture and environment?

I offered an amendment capping legal immigration at one million. Setting a hard cap would force Congress to choose priorities.

Today, only approximately 10 percent of legal immigrants are admitted based on the skills and education they bring. If Ms. Lofgren wants more employer-sponsored immigrants, she should have to persuade Congress to reduce other categories proportionally.

Ms. Lofgren is opposed to any hard cap on immigration. And she can’t name a single immigration category that she would cut. Anyone unwilling to answer these questions should not be setting national immigration policy.

(Rep.) Steve King
Washington, Oct. 8, 2008

The writer, a Republican from Iowa, is the ranking member of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration.

king blew it when he went on Maddow and seemed, well. . . sane. -zeitgeist

That's the Maddow effect. She's so awesome, she can make even the craziest loons seem a level above their norm.