Maybe some helpful House staffers can stand in the hall and sell them some "freedom fries."

Dear Michelle: Freedom Fighters? What tripe! Now let's see, who among the recent world events would be actually deemed "freedom fighter? Well, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden was a "freedom fighter." During the Vietnam war, Ho Chi Minh was a "freedom fighter." During the early days of Zimbabwe's efforts towards independence Robert Mugabe was a "freedom fighter." Che was a "freedom fighter." Are these the secret heroes of Rep. Bachmann, or is she just historically challenged?

Wait, I just figured what Michelle must mean with her most recent over the top as usual hysterical rhetoric: She is calling out the forces who would actively fight freedom! What a confused elected official we have in Michelle Bachmann. If it weren't so perilous, it would be Monte Python funny! -Kevo

So the Teabaggers are Contras now? I wonder when they're gonna start killing nuns and priests?

Bachman's Pro Disease/Cancer/Death platform.

And as we know from countless repetitions of the GOP mantra, Freedom Isn't Free.

Health care costs real money. Health reform comes down to choosing how you distribute the cost burden and then account for it. Republicans like the current system of high costs and no accountability which favors the insurance industry. Democrats want competition-driven discounts and full accountability which favors the taxpayer.

Rep. Bachman still needs to point out in all those 1500 pages of health care reform legislation that she hasn't read where it calls for the creation of Death Panels.

I'm not so sure you're right. It's entirely possible that the road back to power for the Republican Party includes the intellectually-differently-abled Teabaggers THINKING they are freedom fighting insurgents. That way they "stay warm" and they can be steered toward more productive efforts when the time comes. Fundraisers have used this tactic for decades. You want always to have some sort of crisis at hand, to keep donors alarmed and writing checks.

Of course, it's true that the crazies do detract from the party's image to some extent, but when serious events loom, equally "serious" figures will be given leadership positions -- or appearances enough of them that the non-crazies will fall in line, which Republicans like to do anyway -- and the crazies will be relegated to a sideshow (along with the phone banks).

The road back to power for the Republican Party does not go through becoming freedom fighting insurgents.

Of course not. Everyone knows the way back to power for the Republican Party is Ronald Reagan!

Maybe if these elected representatives would actually get to work doing their damn job instead of shooting off their mouths on radio talk shows or running around trying to organize these canned events, they might actually accomplish something. Perhaps the reason John Boehner looks perpetually tanned is because he spends so much time in front of TV lights complaining about nothing getting done.

I wonder what the "...at their peril" part of Bachmann's comment is supposed to mean?

Lady Godiva was a freedom fighter...

Whaddya say, Palin-Bachman in 2012???

That's the ticket -- The Freedom Fighting Insurgent Taliban Rogues! I can't wait for my first robocall.

Lady Godiva was a freedom fighter...

And she bet everything on one horse... [rimshot]

FYI: This is coming from the TV series 'V'.

Keep your eye on this show as a source of neo-anarchist rhetoric.

The republicans are The American Taliban. They both hypocritically try to pretend they are religious fanatics while using that religion for the exact opposite of what those respective religions espouse. Jesus wanted us to help poor people, not allow 45,000 of your fellow citizens to die for lack of coverage every year. In the same way, the Koran doesn't say you should kill people you disagree with, al Quaeda has highjacked their religion to do exactly what God says you shouldn't do. These are all extremely sinful people.

As much as I loathe the current GOP and almost all of what it espouses, I gotta hand it to them. They sure as hell know their audience/base; and they sure know how to push their buttons. They suck ass at governing; but they're good at marketing.

Hey, Michelle,

Are the seven Republican senators who boycotted yesterday's Environment & Public Works Committee hearing on climate change Freedom Fighters too?

Maybe Tom Delay should declare a Homeland Security emergency and ask the Texas Air National Guard to go find these Republican senators and bring them back.

It looks like these goofballs have taken up the mantle of the long dead Know-Nothing Party

When the Teagaggers show up, the congressional staffers should:

1) offer them tea
2) call it "chai"
3) watch their heads explode (out of ignorance or anger, doesn't matter)

I dunno if the Free Dumb Fighters are fighting for the Freedom to be Dumb or if they are fighting to Free Dumbness from the constraints of logic and reality. I suppose it doesn't really matter.

They suck ass at governing;

That's because they don't believe in it. The essential thrust of their argument is that government sucks and can't do anything right, which is why they should be in charge of it.

Why the Democrats haven't used this against them in every election since Reagan is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. You wouldn't hire a doctor who doesn't believe in medical science to perform your heart surgery; why would you hire a guy who doesn't believe in government to run your government?

Stupid question: what does "the lessons of August" refer to?

"The road back to power for the Republican Party does not go through becoming freedom fighting insurgents"

Dunno. Surely the rhetoric is a little over the top, but on the whole, people with convictions inspire more followers than those trying to pick a calculated middle path.

Middle of the road voters are mostly (95%) apolitical-types. (No independents reading here are apolitical, by definition). These swing voters don't care about the issues and couldn't generate twenty words about the differences between Dems/Repubs. They vote on personality, confidence, likability, whim, momentum.

You don't capture swing voters by softening your message, you get them more by strengthening your rhetoric. Within reason, of course. Talk of "insurgents" is nutball, but even that wouldn't eliminate a candidate.

I think what Taliban Bachman is really protesting is the fact that to do her job responsably she has to actually read 1,500 pages of bill text.

I'll bet she hasn't read 1,500 pages cumulatively in the last two years. How could she? She's been so busy spouting nonsense ad nauseum in front of the cameras.

Freedom fighters? Absolutely! If fire fighters fight fire, + crime fighters fight crime, then what do freedom fighters fight (thanks, George Carlin)?

-Z

You write: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) described opponents of health care reform as "freedom fighters" on Glenn Beck's radio show.

Freedom fighters? "Freedom" in what sense, please?

Perhaps the freedom to be sick and to die without medical treatment?

Or maybe the freedom to go bankrupt?

Or maybe this: in a health care system based on employer-provided health insurance from private insurance companies, the freedom of employers to fail to provide insurance and the freedom of insurers to deny/cut-off coverage.

Michelle Bachmann, of course, has government- provided health insurance. Maybe she means the freedom of those with insurance to just ignore those who are not so fortunate.

As Martin Luther King once said, "Let freedom ring!"

Oh yeah, the Capitol Police are going to looooove this.

I really hope this ends up ok. Too rowdy and it could get ugly which would play nicely into these people's hands.

I have an idea. Let's secretly sell the Iranians some plutonium, and use the proceeds to finance a group of, say, Freedom Fighters, right here in the USA ! Whadaya think ?

There is nothing wrong in principle with the idea of freedom fighting insurgents.

It's just that Republicans ain't it.

So far as healthcare is concerned, genuine freedom fighting insurgents would be targeting the insurers. And they ain't nowhere in sight.

WOLVERINES!!!1!

I've followed politics for a long time, but I don't recall ever seeing a Representative petition for an angry mob to storm the capital. She is a dangerous, stupid woman.

And she is fundamentally anti-democratic -- both in that she is trying to overturn the will of the majority and she is inciting people with statements that are untrue. The type of mob-rule demonstrations she is advocating can certainly be followed in weaker democracies to their peril.

"Wup-de-do, we got ourselves a freedom fighter! Well, where's your kooky red hat then, boy? Ain't been a freedom fighter worth a damn that didn't have a kooky red hat!"

This morning, for example, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) described opponents of health care reform as "freedom fighters" on Glenn Beck's radio show.

who cares what michele bachmann says, or for that matter what glenn beck airs? bachmann is a back bencher who has zero influence beyond her single vote in the house. in the pre internet days, no one beyond her district would have heard of her, because she would have been dismissed as the kook that she so obviously is. as for beck, the dude doesn't deserve so much as the time of day. perhaps the only insult that might matter to those who listen to beck is to call him 'too liberal.'anything else just feeds him. damn both bachmann and beck to obscurity.

Personally I'm waiting for those tea party freedom fighters to start asking emergency room users to show their insurance cards before they enter. And if they don't have one will they turn them away to keep their taxes low?

Gee, how long will it take these brave indiviuals to get through security at Capitol Hill?

Per Politico, Bachmann's Chief Of Staff quit today. Interesting timing.

Quoth George Carlin:

"...If fire fighters fight fire, and crime fighters fight crime, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that, do they?"

Kevo
Che actually was a 'Freedom Fighter'

Che freed dozens of women and children with gunshot wounds to the head.

Unfortunately for Michelle and her crazed followers pitchforks won't make it past the House metal detectors.