Reporters and bloggers rightfully enjoy feeding off of Michel Bachmann’s frequent outrageous remarks, but few have made note of the real problem she poses for the people living in her district.
The word needs to get out in Michele Bachmann’s congressional district that she is screwing the people she supposedly represents. Her stated philosophy is to do as little as possible in congress, and she does not believe in the use of Federal Money for … things. So it should not be a surprise to her constituents that she has been personally responsible for almost no positive action that has helped her district.
She does seem very good a shooting off her mouth, making embarrassing statements that draw national attention, and taking credit where credit is most definitely not due. The most recent example of this occurred just the other day for the ribbon cutting ceremony on a new bridge that was built over the Mississippi River near Saint Cloud. This bridge replaces one that was deemed unsafe about seven years ago. Over the last few years, various individuals and groups have worked hard to get the funding for the replacement bridge, and to see the process through, including State Senator Tarryl Clark, who recently wrote a letter pointing out Bachmann’s shortcomings in this area.
Yesterday, we held a celebration of the opening of the new bridge, the “Granite City Crossing.”
Gathered there were the partners who made it possible – my State colleagues who helped find the funding within our newly-passed transportation funds; the construction workers who labored every day on the bridge; the local businesses who are hoping the traffic flowing once again past their stores will bring more customers.
And Michele Bachmann.
Who showed up to “cut the ribbon,” after doing nothing to secure any funding for this critically important transportation investment.
source: DMB
The reason this bridge was built is interesting, and not unconnected to Bachmann in a sort of sick and demented way. You see, we had a Republican Governor in this state who had very screwy priorities which led, indirectly, to a poor inspection system for our bridges. One can argue until the cows come home whether or not a specific Pawlenty Policy was responsible for the collapse of the I-35W bridge (the bridge that carries Gods Highway over the Mississippi River) but the fact remains that a suddenly “stepped up” (i.e., brought to normal levels) inspection program of all the state’s bridges caused quite a bit of last second repair, and a few key bridges to be closed. This bridge …. the Highway 23 bridge over the Mississippi … was, it would seem, so close to falling into the river for the same reason (gusset plate failure) as the I-35W bridge fell that it was quickly closed.
That’s when everybody … except Michele Bachmann … went to work to do everything that needed to be done to get a new bridge in place. (A possible explanation for Michele Bachmann’s reasoning, or lack thereof, is here.)
Normally the federal congressperson is on the front lines representing her district in the scramble for limited federal highway funds. But this particular congressperson does not believe that such funds should be raised through taxes or spent on … things. This is apparently the reason that Michele Bachmann did not help at all in raising the money for this important replacement bridge.
But she did manage to show up for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
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I would note that Tarryl Clark is running against Bachmann for Congress. Any letter she writes denigrating Bachmann should be held to high scrutiny.
And we all know that politicians never exaggerate their roles, just like we all know that one’s opponent in a race would never attempt to do the same.
Hey Ray, if you are going to imply that this point about Bachmann is incorrect, maybe you should provide some substance to back it up. And yes, you did imply it with everything you wrote after the first sentence–the only sentence that was actually informative.
Ray, this is all a matter of the public record. The St. Cloud newspaper printed some very unhappy editorials directed at Bachmann’s inaction over the bridge funding ages ago. Clark’s letter is just a reminder on the occasion of Bachmann showing up for the glory.
Ray, the case against bachmann is clear … just check out the links I provided. Read all of it. Report back. Thanks.
@ Sam,
I did not mean to imply that the point about Bachmann was wrong.
I meant to imply that one should always check the sources. In this case, the quoted source is a political opponent. How trustworthy is that source?
@ Greg,
Yes, I read the links. Rep Bachmann is most likely not the best representative in Congress.
I just questioned the use of a political opponent’s letter, not whether or not it was correct.
It was checked and found to be correct.
What is your point?
Emphasis added in both cases. Ray, please let a few comments pass before you contradict yourself.
Ray Comfort, is that you?
I’m sure the people who voted for her think she’s doing a fine job for this very reason.
George Will had an editorial in the Austin newspaper about what a great congressperson she is.
I love the use of the past tense in describing the situation with Minnesota’s Republican governor. Though he has more than a year left in his term, he is definitely no longer in office in any meaningful sense.
Ray (and others), if you don’t want to take Bachmann’s opponent’s word for it, then let her voting record speak for itself:
http://tinyurl.com/yk9l7oz
http://tinyurl.com/nu4wf5
There are plenty more where those came from.
The way that i read Greg’s post is not that he relied on Tarryl Clark’s statement as the basis for the post, Ray. He added it for emphasis. I am not sure what your complaint was, but I am glad that you looked into it further.
Un,un, Greg you are confusing doing nothing with doing nothing constructive.
MB has certainly done the latter but she has provided so much entertainment for us that she can’t be accused of the former.
Besides, the folks that voted for her clearly want a batshit fundie like them doing what she’s doing – namely a heck of a job.