Michele Bachmann

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Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 4, 2007
Preceded by Mark Kennedy
Born April 6, 1956 (1956-04-06) (age 52)
Waterloo, Iowa
Political party Republican
Spouse Marcus Bachmann
Religion Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Michele Marie Amble Bachmann (born on April 6, 1956) is the Republican Representative of Minnesota's 6th congressional district, one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota. The district includes many of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, and also includes St. Cloud. She won 50 percent of the votes in the 2006 election, defeating Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate and child safety advocate Patty Wetterling and the Independence Party's John Binkowski.

Prior to her election, Bachmann had served in the Minnesota State Senate, beginning in 2001. She is the third woman and first Republican woman to represent Minnesota in Congress.

Contents

[edit] Background

[edit] Upbringing

Bachmann was born Michele Amble in Waterloo, Iowa. She grew up in Anoka, Minnesota. Her parents divorced. She has said, "I grew up in a very male-dominated home with three brothers and a dad who was a real outdoorsman.”[1] An RNC press release states that at age 13 she became financially independent.[2] Graduating from Anoka High School in 1974, she went on to attend Winona State College (now Winona State University). To pay her tuition, she worked various jobs, including cleaning fish at her uncle's resort in Alaska.[2][3] It was at Winona State that she met her future husband, Marcus Bachmann.[2][4]

[edit] Joining Carter campaign

Michele began dating Marcus Bachmann in 1976 while they were both working for the presidential candidacy of Democrat Jimmy Carter (who "in the 1976 campaign made much of being a born-again Christian"[5]). Both Michele and Marcus opposed the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade and Carter's campaign also expressed a personal opposition to discretionary abortion. During his run, Carter stated "I think abortion is wrong and that the government ought never do anything to encourage abortion. But I do not favor a constitutional amendment which would prohibit all abortions, nor one that would give states [a] local option to ban abortions."[6]

Bachmann had grown up in a Democratic family, but says she became a Republican during her senior year at Winona State. She told the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune that she was reading Gore Vidal's novel Burr: "He was kind of mocking the Founding Fathers and I just thought, 'What a snot. I just remember reading the book, putting it in my lap, looking out the window and thinking, 'You know what? I don't think I am a Democrat. I must be a Republican.'"[7]

[edit] Marriage, law education, and Reagan campaign

After Carter was inaugurated, Michele and Marcus attended the Francis Schaeffer's 1976 Christian documentary, How Should We Then Live?. Inspired by the film, they began to protest abortion by praying outside of clinics and being sidewalk counselors in an attempt to dissuade women from seeking abortions.[2]

Michele married Marcus in 1978 on his family's dairy farm, where they lived and worked for awhile after their marriage.[8] They then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she enrolled at Coburn School of Law.[9] Coburn was an affiliate of Oral Roberts University. The law school was never accredited by the American Bar Association and folded after less than a decade of operation. Oral Roberts University describes itself as “a charismatic university, founded in the fires of evangelism and upon the unchanging precepts of the Bible”, built in accord with “God’s commission to Oral Roberts” to ‘Raise up your students to hear My voice...Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased.’”[10]

In 1980, while attending Coburn, Bachmann joined the campaign to elect Ronald Reagan, a Republican. She earned a Juris Doctor at Coburn in 1986, and in 1988 a Legum Magistra degree in tax law from William and Mary Law School.[8][4]

[edit] Tax litigation attorney for the I.R.S.

From 1988 to 1993, Bachmann was a U.S. Treasury Department attorney in the US Federal Tax Court located in St. Paul, Minnesota. According to Bachmann, she represented the Internal Revenue Service "in hundreds of cases"[8] (both civil and criminal) prosecuting people who underpaid or failed to pay their taxes.[11] She left her government position to become a full-time mother (relying on the income of her husband's Christian Counseling Center in the St. Croix valley area[9]). Her first child, Lucas, was born in 1983. Her other children are Harrison, Elisa, Caroline and Sophia.[4] Over the years, the Bachmanns have also taken in 23 foster children, all of them teenage girls.[9][12]

[edit] Protesting abortion

The first time Bachmann's political activism gained media notice was at an abortion protest in 1991. She and approximately 30 other abortion opponents went to a Ramsey County Board meeting where a $3 million appropriation was to go to build a morgue for the county at St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center (now called Regions Hospital). The Medical Center performed abortions and employed abortion-rights pioneer Dr. Jane E. Hodgson. Bachmann attended the meeting to protest public tax dollars going to the hospital; speaking to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, she said that “in effect, since 1973, I have been a landlord of an abortion clinic, and I don’t like that distinction.”[13][11]

[edit] Involvement in education

[edit] Establishment of New Heights Charter School

In 1993, Bachmann joined with other parents in Stillwater to open New Heights Charter School, the first K-12 charter school in the nation (City Academy High School in St. Paul, which began a year earlier as the first charter school in America, starts at an 8th grade level). In Minnesota, charter schools receive public tax money as tax-exempt nonprofits, and are overseen by a public school district. The oversight of New Heights soon encountered problems. Conflicts arose when many parents and the school district questioned if money from public tax dollars was going towards injecting Christianity into the curriculum. Minnesota state law prohibits charter schools from using taxpayers' money for teaching religiously motivated courses. Parents charged Bachmann with trying to set up classes on Creationism and advocating "something called '12 Christian principles' be taught, very much like the 10 Commandments." Bachmann and the board of directors also refused to allow the in-school screening of the Disney film Aladdin, feeling that it endorsed magic/witchcraft and promoted paganism. With her directors, Bachmann appeared before the Stillwater School Board to address the concerned group of parents. Feeling that the criticism was an unfounded personal attack, she stated "Are you going to question my integrity?" As the critique continued Bachmann and four members of her board resigned on the spot; reportedly viewing the whole controversy as stemming from anti-Christian discrimination.[4]

Bachmann denies the charter school involved any controversy on religious curriculum: "My original hope was that it would be a good academically grounded school. There was a disagreement in philosophy about how much we should be taking on at-risk kids."[11]

[edit] Opposition to "Profile of Learning" and "School-to-Work" policies

All of Bachmann's biological children were homeschooled,[14] though some attended New Heights Charter School for awhile. It was only when Bachmann was trying to find out why she was having difficulty with the foster children placed in her care that she decided that these problems were the fault of the public school system: "It was the behaviors, trends, attitudes and aspirations (or, in the case of the latter, lack thereof) exhibited by these teens that began to prompt a parental curiosity and concern that would motivate her professional perspective to undergo a new call to consciousness. 'I began to realize as I studied aspects of their assignments that these attitudes and behaviors could be traced to their curriculum,' she explained."[12]

Bachmann soon gained attention in conservative circles with her outspoken opposition to Minnesota's Profile of Learning and School-to-Work policies.

The Profile of Learning was a program of graduation standards in Minnesota. The criticism leveled at its first segment was that it was administered starting at the Eighth grade but only required Sixth grade competency in Math and Reading for High School graduation. The other segment of the Profile of Learning was criticized for focusing "on attitudes, values and beliefs of students, rather than on transmitting knowledge".[15]

Minnesota's School-to-Work program was enacted so that Minnesota could get additional Federal funds by complying with the School To Work Opportunities Act passed by Congress in 1994 and administered by the Department of Labor. The Act calls for "A program of instruction and curriculum that integrates academic and vocational learning... [with] Instruction in general workplace competencies, including instruction and activities related to developing positive work attitudes, and employability and participative skills."[16]

Opponents of School-to-Work like Bachmann, see the program as an attack on the two tiered educational system (where high school students may chose to prepare for either vocational or college preparatory classes to further their post-graduation education). In a 1999 column Bachmann said “School-to-Work alters the basic mission and purpose of K-12 academic education away from traditional broad-based academic studies geared toward maximizing intellectual achievement of the individual. Instead, School-to-Work utilizes the school day to promote children's acquisition of workplace skills, viewing children as trainees for increased economic productivity.” She also criticized its cost seeing it as “a firmly entrenched, egregiously expensive feature of the current K-12 education system.”[17]

[edit] Gains support from social conservatives

1998 Bachmann's opposition to the Profiles caught the attention of the social conservative groups Maple River Education Coalition (now called EdWatch) and the Minnesota Family Institute (MFI). Throughout her political career Bachmann’s positions have either been informed by or paralleled those of these groups. Both EdWatch and MFI have been strong supporters of Bachmann throughout her political career.

Besides attracting EdWatch and Minnesota Family Council, Bachmann's speeches for Public Education reform also increased her visibility in her local district, and within the Republican Party of Minnesota.

[edit] Championing equal time for Intelligent Design in Stillwater

While the foster children in her care were attending public schools in the Stillwater School District, Bachmann headed a drive to have intelligent design be given equal time with evolution in Science classes. Mary Cecconi, a member of the Stillwater School Board in 1996, recalls "She wanted to introduce Intelligent Design. And when you hear her talk about Intelligent Design, it makes sense. I believe in giving children all the information out there, too, so they can make their own decisions. But Intelligent Design wasn't even a school of thought, it wasn't even a viable theory."[4][11] It appears that Bachmann dropped this idea in the next stage of her political career, the run for a seat on the Stillwater School Board, for she "denies that she spoke of creationism in the campaign."[11] (In the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case, a federal court ruled that Intelligent Design is "a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory" and was therefore unsuitable for inclusion in a public school science curriculum.[18])

[edit] Campaigns for school board while speaking for EdWatch

In 1999, under the advice of GOP regional leader Bill Pulkrabek, Bachmann put off her desire for a seat in the State Senate and ran for Stillwater school board. Uncharacteristically, she did not focus all of her energies on securing the position and instead traveled around the state of Minnesota speaking with EdWatch (see above). She lost the election and this remains her single electoral defeat.

[edit] Minnesota State politics

[edit] 2000 election for State Senator

In 2000, Bachmann defeated Gary Laidig to secure the GOP endorsement for State Senator for Minnesota District 56. Both sides have different positions on how this was achieved. Bachmann, despite apparent opposition by state GOP leadership, went on to secure the Republican nomination. She then defeated Ted Thompson of the DFL and Lyno Sullivan of the Independence party in the General Election and took her seat in the Minnesota State Senate.

[edit] 2002 General Election

In 2002, after redistricting, Bachmann was pitted against a fellow incumbent State Senator, Jane Krentz of the DFL. She went on to defeat Krentz in the general election for the seat of the newly drawn District 52.

[edit] Rallies at state capitol and Senate leadership promotion/demotion

During her tenure as state senator, Bachmann appeared at and sometimes helped to organize public rallies at the state capitol that received significant media coverage and raised her political profile. She soon established herself as one of the most socially conservative members of the State Senate.

In October 2003, Bachmann was a featured speaker at a “Ten Commandments Rally” at the State Capitol. During the rally, about a dozen speakers call for a return to biblical and Christian principles and for posting the commandments in public schools and buildings. Bachmann was one of three Minnesota legislators who participated in the event, which was broadcast live on evangelical radio station KKMS.[19]

On November 20, 2003, Bachmann and Representative Mary Holberg proposed a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage.[20] In 2004, Bachmann and a coalition of religious leaders announced plans for what was billed as a “Minnesota for Marriage” Rally.[21]

On March 22, 2004, an estimated 3,000 people came to the State Capitol to attend the rally. It was the largest demonstration of the season at the statehouse and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty addressed the crowd, speaking in favor of Bachmann’s proposal. The 35 DFL members of the Senate who voted to keep Bachmann's proposal off the floor and instead return it to committee were immediately targeted by people from the rally. The demonstrators were given maps of the Capitol and urged to flood the senators' offices.[22][23]

Sarah Janecek, co-editor of Politics in Minnesota and a Republican activist, claimed that Bachmann had single-handedly ground the Senate to a halt with her demands for a vote on the gay marriage amendment.[24] The regular session of the 2004 Minnesota Legislature ended in a stalemate. Goals sought by both the Senate DFL majority and the House Republican majority, including a bonding bill for state construction projects and a balancing of the budget, were left undone.[25] Bachmann’s efforts to get the same-sex marriage ban on a Minnesota referendum ballot in 2004 ultimately failed.

In November of 2004, Republican Senate Minority Leader Dick Day appointed Bachmann as Assistant Minority Leader in charge of Policy for the Senate Republican Caucus.[26]

Bachmann resurrected her proposal for a same-sex marriage ban amendment in March 2005. The earliest the same-sex marriage ban question could have gone on the ballot would have been in the 2006 election. When Bachmann was asked why the Legislature would be asked to vote on the question in 2005, she said: "We're bringing it up now because we hope to get a vote this year and get it over with." Senators Dean Johnson and John Hottinger claimed that Bachmann's reintroduction of the same-sex marriage ban was designed to solidify her conservative base as she bid for Republican Party endorsement for the Sixth District seat in Congress.[27]

In April 2005, the State Senate rejected Bachmann’s proposed amendment again. That same month Bachmann appeared at another State Capitol rally for a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage. Though attendance was down from the previous year’s rally, speakers included Bachmann, Governor Tim Pawlenty and keynote speaker Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.[28]

In July 2005, the Republican Caucus removed Bachmann from her leadership position. Bachmann cited “philosophical differences” with Senator Day as the reason for her ouster.[29]

[edit] 2006 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives

Main article: Minnesota 6th congressional district election, 2006
Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann

Mark Kennedy, the 6th District's congressman since 2001, announced in late 2005 that he would be running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mark Dayton of the DFL. Bachmann immediately entered the race for the house seat.

Bachmann received support from a fundraising visit in early July 2006 from Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.[30] On July 21, 2006, Karl Rove visited Minnesota to raise funds for her election.[31] In August, President George W. Bush came to town to keynote her congressional fundraiser, which raised about $500,000.[4] Bachmann has also received fundraising support from Vice President Dick Cheney.[32] None of these visits were made within her district, and most of her fund-raising came from outside of her district.

The National Republican Congressional Committee put nearly $3 million into the race, for electronic and direct-mail ads against DFLer Wetterling. The amount was significantly more than the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent on behalf of Wetterling. However, Wetterling outraised Bachmann nearly 2 to 1 in individual contributions.[4]

According to Bloomberg.com news, evangelical conservative leader James Dobson was “trying to engineer a win for Michele Bachmann” in the 2006 campaign. Dobson's Focus on the Family operatives planned to distribute 250,000 voter guides in Minnesota churches to reach social conservatives, according to Tom Prichard, president of the Minnesota Family Council, a local affiliate of Dobson's group. In addition to Minnesota, Dobson’s group was also organizing turnout drives in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey and Montana.[33]

During a debate televised by WCCO on October 28, 2006, news reporter Pat Kessler quoted a story that appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and asked Bachmann whether it was true that the church she belonged to taught that the Pope was the Anti-Christ. Bachmann answered that her “church does not believe that the Pope is the Anti-Christ, that's absolutely false... I'm very grateful that my pastor has come out and been very clear on this matter, and I think it's patently absurd and it's a false statement.”[34] Bachmann is a member of a church that is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, whose doctrine teaches that the Roman Catholic papacy is the Anti-Christ identified in Scripture.[35]

Bachmann came under scrutiny by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) for speaking at Living Word Christian Center (LWCC), a large charismatic church located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.[36] CREW went on to file a complaint with the IRS against LWCC's senior pastor, Mac Hammond.[36][37] CREW took issue with Hammond's using church equipment and facilities to declare "We can't publicly endorse as a church and would not for any candidate. But I can tell you personally that I'm going to vote for Michele Bachmann."[37][38] It was later reported that Hammond does not live in Bachmann's district and could not vote for her.[39] CREW maintains that this was a violation of US tax law 501(c)(3) that says if a Church wants to be exempt from paying taxes then "religious leaders cannot make partisan comments in official organization publications or at official church functions." In Bachmann's address at LWCC she said:

"God then called me to run for the United States Congress, and I thought 'What in the world will that be for?' and my husband said 'You need to do this,' and I wasn’t so sure, and we took 3 days and we fasted and we prayed and ...he made that calling sure And its been now 22 months that I’ve been running for United States Congress. Who in their right mind would spend 2 years to run for a job that lasts 2 years? You’d have to be absolutely a fool to do that. You are now looking at a fool for Christ. This is a fool for Christ. And in the midst of him making this calling sure, what has occurred now in this particular race is that this Congressional seat out of 435 in the country has become ... it has been one of the top five races in the country, and in the last week this has become one of the top three races in the country, you may have seen how God has in his own will, and his own plan, has focused like a laser beam after this scandal [involving Mark Foley] that came up about a week or so ago. He has focused like a laser beam in his reasoning on this race. The reason why this is one of the top three races is because this race will probably decide which way Congress goes this fall. We could talk more about what that means for this nation, what this means for defeating radical Islam, what this means for what the future of the family is going to be, what this is going to mean for the future of the freedom of religious expression."[38][37][39][40]

CREW characterized Bachmann's talk as "a stump speech wrapped in a sermon".[37] Fellow LWCC pastor Rev. Tim Burt denied this saying that she had been invited to speak about "her spiritual journey" and "There was no intent for this to be a political event."[37] Asked about the IRS complaint Bachmann's spokeswoman would only say "Living Word was so gracious to invite Michele to speak."[37] The IRS complaint has not been resolved.

On November 7, 2006, Bachmann defeated opponents Patty Wetterling and John Binkowski, taking 50 percent of the vote to Wetterling's 42 percent and Binkowski's 8 percent.[41]

[edit] 110th congress

[edit] Committee Assignments

  • Financial Services Committee
    • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
    • Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
    • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

[edit] 100-Hour Plan

Bachmann took several positions in opposition to the Democratic majority's 100-Hour Plan. Along with fellow Minnesota Republican, John Kline, Bachmann voted against legislation reinstating the PAYGO rules, which related to the federal budget process.[42] She voted against legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate for lower pharmaceutical prices[43] and against legislation to raise the federal minimum wage.[44]

[edit] Iraq War troop surge

Bachmann called for a full hearing of President George W. Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq in January, 2007. She said “The American people deserve to hear and understand the merits of increasing U.S. troop presence in Iraq. Increased troop presence is justifiable if that measure would bring a swift conclusion to a difficult conflict.”[45] She "hesitated to give a firm endorsement, calling it instead 'a good first step in explaining to the American people the course toward victory in Iraq.'"[46] When pressed by reporters, she said she had come to any conclusion on the matter[46] saying she wanted more information, “I don't believe we have all of the information in front of us. As a member of Congress that's why I want to go to Iraq as quickly as I can. I want to get the best information in front of me.”[47] When a resolution opposing the surge was voted on in the House of Representatives on February 16, 2007, the resolution was approved 246 to 182, with Bachmann voting "No".

[edit] State of the Union Address

During the 2007 State of the Union Address, Bachmann was on the aisle in a very visible position in the Chamber and frequently greeted members going into the Chamber. During President Bush's exit from the Chamber, Bachmann clasped his shoulder for about 30 seconds while waiting for a photograph to be taken.[48] Bush signed two autographs for Bachmann and, finally, leaned into Bachmann for a kiss.[49] The encounter received immense press coverage the next day.

[edit] Alleged plan for partition of Iraq

During an interview with St. Cloud Times reporter Lawrence Schumacher on February 10, 2007, Bachmann claimed to know of a plan, already worked out with a line drawn on the map, for the partition of Iraq in which Iran will control half of the country and set it up as a “a terrorist safe haven zone” and a staging area for attacks around the Middle East and on the United States, to be called “the Iraq State of Islam, something like that”.[50] In a subsequent interview with the Associated Press, Bachmann retracted and said that knew of no actual plan to divide Iraq with Iran to create a new "terrorist safe haven" state.[51]

[edit] Allegations of improper e-mail use

On March 14, 2007, Bachmann's press secretary, Heidi Frederickson, sent out an email from her government account urging supporters to "take just a moment of your time to write 50–100 words about why your support Michele," and that Bachmann "would appreciate seeing that in the paper."[52] The e-mails ran afoul of House rules regarding the use of congressional resources for campaigning. The e-mails asked constituents to send letters to local newspapers that praised Bachmann's record. Bachmann later said her office reported the incident to the House Ethics Committee.[53]

[edit] Opposition to higher education finance bill

On July 11, 2007, Bachmann voted against a bill that would raise the maximum Pell grant for college students from $4,310 to $5,200 by 2011, lower interest rates over five years on subsidized student loans to 3.4 percent from 6.8 percent, and raise federal student loan limits to $30,500 from $7,500. Supporters of the bill said "it would allow more students to attend college."[54] Bachmann said her opposition was because "it fails students and taxpayers with gimmicks, hidden costs and poorly targeted aid. It contains no serious reform of existing programs, and it favors the costly, government-run direct lending program over nonprofit and commercial lenders."[54] The bill passed the House by a 273-149 vote, but its future is questionable as it differs with the Senate version and President Bush has threatened to veto it due to cost concerns.[54]

[edit] Member of Congressional delegation

In early July 2007, Bachmann joined a Congressional delegation visiting Ireland, Germany, Pakistan, Kuwait, and Iraq. While speaking to the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker at the embassy in the Green Zone, Bachmann reported that mortar fire warnings went off, "This recorded message played four times while we were there, asking us to move away from any windows, to get on the ground and move to the center of the building.(Crocker) stayed in his seat and kept talking with us the whole time. He never moved."[55] Because of security concerns Bachmann never met any Iraqis, left the Green Zone, or stayed in-country overnight. All members of the delegation were required to wear full body armor, including Kevlar helmets their entire stay in Iraq. Upon her return she said she "was encouraged by reports of progress from Crocker, Gen. David Petraeus and other personnel in Iraq linked to the surge."[55] She said the surge "hasn't had a chance to be in place long enough to offer a critique of how it's working. (Gen. Petraeus) said al-Qaida in Iraq is off its plan and we want to keep it that way. The surge has only been fully in place for a week or so."[55] Bachmann told reporters that she spoke of elements of the Minnesota Army National Guard with Petraeus, He mentioned how pleased he was with their performance, considering they're not regular Army units. He said he didn't believe they'd be redeployed anytime soon."[55]

Bachmann also spoke of the delegations visit to Islamabad, Pakistan to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at the same time as the siege of Islamic fundamentalists at the Lal Masjid mosque elsewhere in the city.[55] She reported that "The group [of U.S. Legislators] had to travel in armored vehicles and was constantly accompanied by Pakistani military armed with machine guns...We were all able to see extremely up close and personal what it's like to be in a region where fighting is occurring. We constantly felt like we were in need of security."[55] On their return trip, they landed in Ireland due to mechanical difficulties, while waiting for the completion of repairs the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack took place in neighboring Scotland.[55] Bachmann told reporters upon her return that "the dangers posed by Islamic terrorism in Iraq, Britain and Pakistan justified the continued American military presence in Iraq."[55] She said "We don't want to see al-Qaida get a presence in the United States. Al-Qaida doesn't seem to show any signs of letting up. We have to keep that in mind."[55]

[edit] Intelligence legislation

In February 2008, Bachmann voted against an extension of the Protect America Act.[56] Later in March, she submitted an op-ed to the Star Tribune arguing that the PAA ought to have been passed and faulting House Democrats for its failure to do so.[57] The extension had been proposed and overwhelmingly supported by Democrats.[56]

[edit] Repealing the future ban on incandescent lightbulbs

Bachmann introduced the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act, to repeal the nationwide phase-out of conventional light bulbs. She argues that the government has no business telling consumers what kind of light bulbs they can buy[2]: "By 2012, incandescent light bulbs will be no more," Bachmann said. "Fluorescent bulbs are more polluting because of their mercury content. We are working on a light bulb bill. If the Democrats can hose up a light bulb, don't trust them with the country."

I was just outraged that Congress would want to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the American people. It struck me as a massive Big Brother intrusion into our homes and our lives.

To note, overall mercury emission by compact fluorescent light bulbs is less than the mercury released into the atmosphere by coal-fired power generation for the equivalent of incandescent lamps over the same period.[3]

[edit] Political positions

Bachmann's positions include:

  • Favors privatization of Social Security along the lines suggested by the Cato Institute.[58][59]
  • Supports both a Federal and State constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and legal equivalent, and is a critic of any type of gay rights or civil unions for gay couples.
  • Supports President Bush's policies in Iraq and believes the military must "stay the course" there[60][61][62]
  • Favors leaving the nuclear attack option on the table in dealing with Iran[63]
  • Opposes minimum wage increases[64]

Some of Bachmann's local critics say she could be more accurately described as a Christian fundamentalist politician.[11] Appearing on the radio program "Prophetic View In The News" to promote her 2004 state capitol rally against same-sex marriage, Bachmann said that "God calls us to fall on our faces and our knees and cry out to Him and confess our sins. And I would just ask your listeners to do that now. Cry out to a Holy God."[65]

In support of a constitutional amendment she proposed to ban same-sex marriage,[66] Bachmann said that the gay community was specifically targeting children and that "our children...are the prize for this community."[65] Bachmann believes that people who are homosexual, lesbian, bisexual or transgender suffer from "sexual dysfunction" and "sexual identity disorders."[67] She also said that she believes that referring to homosexuals as "gay" is "part of Satan."[67]

Bachmann supports the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes.[68][69] During a 2003 interview on KKMS Christian radio program "Talk The Walk", Bachmann said that evolution is a theory that has never been proven, one way or the other.[70] She co-authored a bill that would require public schools to include alternative explanations for the origin of life as part of the state's public school science curricula.[71] In October of 2006, Bachmann told a debate audience in St. Cloud, Minnesota, that “there is a controversy among scientists about whether evolution is a fact or not...There are hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, who believe in intelligent design.”[72]

Bachmann has been a longtime opponent of legal abortion. In 2006, Bachmann stated that she would vote to permit abortion in cases of rape and incest.[73] In the Senate, Bachmann introduced a bill proposing a constitutional amendment restricting state funds for abortion. The bill died in committee.[74]

In a 2001 article, Bachmann wrote extensively of her belief that the current governments of the United States and Minnesota State had plans to end the American "free market economy" and impose a centralized, state-controlled economy in its place. She wrote that education laws passed by Congress in 2001, including "School To Work" and "Goals 2000", created a new national school curriculum that embraced "a socialist, globalist worldview; loyalty to all government and not America."[75] In 2003, Bachmann said that the "Tax Free Zones" economic initiatives of Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty were based on the Marxist principle of "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs."[76] She also said that the administration was attempting to govern and run centrally-planned economies through an organization called the Minnesota Economic Leadership Team (MELT), an advisory board on economic and workforce policy chaired by Pawlenty.[76]

Prior to her election to the State Senate and again in 2005, Bachmann signed a “no new taxes” pledge sponsored by the Taxpayers League of Minnesota.[77][78] As Senator, Bachmann introduced two bills that would have severely limited state taxation. In 2003 she proposed amending the Minnesota state constitution to adopt the so-called “Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights” (TABOR).[79] In 2006 Bachmann proposed repealing Minnesota's alternative minimum tax. Bachmann refused opportunities to have TABOR heard when these were offered to her by Tax committee chair, Larry Pogemiller.[80] Repeal of the alternative minimum tax died in committee.[79]

In 2005 Bachmann opposed Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s proposal for a state surcharge of 75 cents per pack on the wholesale cost of cigarettes. Bachmann said that she opposed the state surcharge “100 percent—it's a tax increase.”[81] She later came under fire from the Taxpayers' League for reversing her position and voting in favor of the cigarette surcharge.[82]

[edit] Personal

Bachmann's husband, Marcus Bachmann, operates a Christian counseling center in the St. Croix valley area. He has a master's degree in counseling from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Union Institute & University in Cincinnati.[4]

[edit] Electoral history

  • 2006 campaign for U.S. House of Representatives — Minnesota 6th District
Name Votes
Michele Bachmann (R)  50%
Patty Wetterling (DFL)  42%
John Binkowski (I)  08%
  • 2002 campaign for Minnesota State Senate — District 52
Name Votes
Michele Bachmann (R)  54%
Jane Krentz (DFL)  46%
  • 2000 campaign for Minnesota State Senate — District 56
Name Votes
Michele Bachmann (R)  52%
Ted Thompson (DFL)  43%
Lyno Sullivan (I)  05%
  • 2000 campaign for Minnesota State Senate — District 56 (Republican Primary)
Name Votes
Michele Bachmann  60%
Gary Laidig (inc.)  40%

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kim Ode. "Bringing a touch of haute to the U.S. House", Star Tribune, November 20, 2006. Retrieved on November 26, 2006
  2. ^ a b c d Michele Bachmann for Congress. Republican National Committee (September 7, 2006). Retrieved on November 10, 2006
  3. ^ T.W. Budig (10/22/02). Capitol Notebook: Michelle Bachmann has fondness for aviation.Retrieved on November 27, 2006
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Anderson, Jr., G.R.. ""The Chosen One"", City Pages (Minneapolis), October 4, 2006. 
  5. ^ "Carter, James Earl, Jr.", Encyclopedia Americana.  Retrieved on February 6, 2007
  6. ^ Hallow, Ralph Z.. "Carter condemns abortion culture", News World Communications, Inc., November 4, 2005. 
  7. ^ Kim Ode. "Michele Bachmann: Watching her step", Star Tribune, July 21, 2007. Retrieved on July 22, 2007
  8. ^ a b c About Michele Bachmann. Bachmann for Congress (2006). Retrieved on November 12, 2006
  9. ^ a b c Kevin Duchschere, "Senator, mother, rising star", Minneapolis Star Tribune, January 1, 2005
  10. ^ Vision & Mission Statement. Oral Roberts University.Retrieved on November 21, 2006
  11. ^ a b c d e f Anderson, Jr., G.R.. ""Somebody Say 'Oh Lord!'"", City Pages (Minneapolis), February 23, 2005. 
  12. ^ a b La Paglia, Bernadette. "Senator lectures on educational complacency", Naples Sun Times, Townnews Pub., October 6, 2004.  Retrieved on November 11, 2006
  13. ^ Pat Prince, “Abortion issue clouds med center lease plan,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 18, 1991.
  14. ^ Candidate Michele Bachmann(MN-06). National Republican Congressional Committee (2006). Retrieved on November 12, 2006
  15. ^ Minnesota's Profile of Learning: What Is It?
  16. ^ School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994
  17. ^ Bachmann (October 8, 1999). School-to-Work: The Heart of Educational Reform. Minnesota Family Institute.Retrieved on November 13, 2006
  18. ^ Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. Wikisource.
  19. ^ Smith, Dane. ""Ten Commandments Rally Draws About 200; Groups Call For Christian Values in Public Life"", Star Tribune, November 1, 2003. 
  20. ^ Brunswick, Mark. ""Keeping gay marriage outside law; Legislators propose constitutional prohibition"", Star Tribune, November 21, 2003. 
  21. ^ Brunswick, Mark. ""Same-sex marriage bill heads to House floor"", Star Tribune, March 12,2004. 
  22. ^ Brunswick, Mark. ""Battle lines form over marriage; With trepidation, legislators prepare to debate amendment"", Star Tribune, March 23, 2004. 
  23. ^ Bohon, Dave. Let Us Vote!—Minnesotans have spoken out on traditional marriage. Minnesota Family Council.Retrieved on November 22, 2006
  24. ^ Duchschere, Kevin. ""Senator, mother, rising star"", Star Tribune, January 1, 2005. 
  25. ^ Smith, Dane. ""GOP Senate Leaders perceive a snub; Negotiations that could yield a special session didn’t include them, they say"", Star Tribune, June 8, 2004. 
  26. ^ ""Minnesota Bachmann named to Senate post"", St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 6, 2004. 
  27. ^ Doyle, Pat. ""Bill would order vote on ban of same-sex marriage"", Star Tribune, March 9, 2005. 
  28. ^ Jones, Susan. Minnesotans rally in defense of marriage. CSN News.Retrieved on December 16, 2006
  29. ^ Bachmann’s Anti-Tax, Pro-Life Stance Leads To Ouster From Senate Leadership. Michele Bachmann for U.S. Congress (July 20, 2005). Retrieved on December 16, 2006
  30. ^ "Hastert for Bachmann"", Minnesota Public Radio, June 28, 2006. 
  31. ^ "Rove to Help Bachmann Raise Campaign Cash". 
  32. ^ Cheney Headlines Today's Fund Raiser.
  33. ^ William Roberts, "Republicans Falter in Bid to Mobilize Christian Conservatives", Bloomberg.com New, October 19, 2006..
  34. ^ WCCO, Campaign Dialogue 2006, October 28, 2006..
  35. ^ WELS Doctrinal Statements: Statement on the Anti-Christ..
  36. ^ a b Crew Files IRS Complaint Against Living Word Christian Center (17 October 2006). Retrieved on May 12, 2007
  37. ^ a b c d e f Pamela Miller. "Pastor endorses Bachmann; IRS gets complaint", Star Tribune.  Retrieved on May 12, 2007
  38. ^ a b Andy Birkey. "Michele Bachmann Speech at Church Could Cause Tax Troubles", Minnesota Monitor, October 15, 2006.  Retrieved on May 12, 2007
  39. ^ a b Stephanie Strom. "Watchdog Group Accuses Churches of Political Action", NY Times, October 26, 2006.  Retrieved on May 12, 2007
  40. ^ Beth Hawkins. "Get Rich with God", December 13, 2006.  Retrieved on May 12, 2007
  41. ^ "Joshua Freed, "Ellison, Walz grab seats, Bachmann holds 6th for the GOP"". 
  42. ^ Our View — Week one: People 1, lobbyists 0. Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc (2007-01-07). Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
  43. ^ Our View — Medicate drug makers with markets. The Free Press (2007-01-14). Retrieved on 2007-01-15.
  44. ^ FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 18. US Government (2007-01-10). Retrieved on 2007-01-15.
  45. ^ Diaz, Kevin (2007-01-08). Minnesota delegation offers cool response. Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
  46. ^ a b Brady Averill. "Minnesota delegation weighs in on Bush plan for more troops", Star and Tribune, January 11, 2007.  Retrieved on January 15, 2007
  47. ^ Mark Zdechlik. "Minnesota delegation cool to use of more troops in Iraq", Minnesota Public Radio, January 5, 2007.  Retrieved on January 17, 2007
  48. ^ Mr. President, this {is} what we call the 6th District "death grip"
  49. ^ wcco.com - Bachmann Raises Eyebrows With Long Hold On Bush
  50. ^ The Big Question » Blog Archive » Verbatim Bachmann on Iran: “There’s already an agreement made. [Iran is] going to get half of Iraq and that is going to be a terrorist safe haven zone.”
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  52. ^ Fecke, Jeff. ""Bachmann Email May Violate Federal Law, House Ethics Rules"", Minnesota Monitor, March 14, 2007. 
  53. ^ Brogan, Pamela. ""Bachmann learns on the job in 1st term"", St. Cloud Times, May 16, 2007. 
  54. ^ a b c Pamela Brogan. "Bachmann votes against Pell grants bill", Times Washington, July 12, 2007. 
  55. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lawrence Schumacher. "Bachmann: Surge needs time", St. Cloud Times, July 10, 2007. 
  56. ^ a b FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 54 (2008-02-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  57. ^ Michelle, Bachmann (2008-03-14). Michele Bachmann: Democratic leaders stand in the way of Americans' safety. The Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  58. ^ ""Sixth District Candidate Profiles"", Star Tribune, February 21, 2006. 
  59. ^ Budig, T.W.. "Michele Bachmann announcement February 14, 2005". Star News.
  60. ^ Black, Eric. ""Profile: Michele Bachmann"", Star Tribune, October 17, 2006. 
  61. ^ Lohn, Martiga. ""6th District candidates display clear differences on policy"", Pioneer Press, September 21, 2006. 
  62. ^ Budig, T.W.. ""Sen. Bachmann's entrance into politics was unexpected"", ECM Publishers, Inc., October 5, 2006. 
  63. ^ Midday with Gary Eichten. Minnesota Public Radio.
  64. ^ Jobs, Energy and Community Development Committee Hearing, 1/26/05.
  65. ^ a b Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program "Prophetic Views Behind The News", hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 6, 2004.
  66. ^ Michele Bachmann's Constitutional Amendment to ban legal recognition of gay relationships.
  67. ^ a b Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004.
  68. ^ "Interview with Michele Bachmann", City Pages (Minneapolis). 
  69. ^ ""Schools Should Not Limit Origins-Of-Life Discussions To Evolution, Republican Legislators Say"", Stillwater Gazette. 
  70. ^ ""Michele Bachmann v. The Theory of Evolution"", Stillwater Gazette, September 1, 2003. 
  71. ^ S.F. No. 1714, "School districts science curriculum design requirement"; introduced 83rd Legislative Session (2003–2004).
  72. ^ Senator Michele Bachmann, Bachmann-Wetterling-Binkowski candidates’ debate. October 7, 2006, Voter's Choice Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the St. Cloud Area, the St. Cloud Times and the St. Cloud Women of Today. Apollo High School in St. Cloud.
  73. ^ Bachmann speaking at Boutwell's Landing seniors community, September 21, 2006. Videorecording.
  74. ^ Lawrence Schumacher, “Bachmann banks on moral issues”, St. Cloud Times, October 19, 2006. (Sources: Minnesota State Senate, Office of the Revisor of Statutes)
  75. ^ Michael J. Chapman and Senator Michele Bachmann, "How New U.S. Policy Embraces a State-Planned Economy", article distributed by EdWatch, 2001
  76. ^ a b Senator Michele Bachmann, EdWatch conference, October 10–11, 2003.
  77. ^ G.R Anderson, “Somebody Say Oh, Lord! Livin' on a prayer: Michele Bachmann sets her sights on D.C.” City Pages, February 23, 2005.
  78. ^ Eric Black, “Bachmann is convention front-runner” Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 4, 2006.
  79. ^ a b "Lawrence Schumacher, “Bachmann banks on moral issues”, St. Cloud Times, October 19, 2006. (Sources: Minnesota State Senate, Office of the Revisor of Statutes)", St. Cloud Times. 
  80. ^ Sen Larry Pogemiller, correspondence with constituent (October 21, 2005).
  81. ^ Patricia Lopez, “Pawlenty proposes cigarette 'user fee'”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 21, 2005.
  82. ^ Taxpayers’ League of Minnesota, “Are High Cigarette Prices Making You Angry?”, 2005.

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Preceded by
Mark Kennedy		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 6th congressional district
2007–present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
v • d • e
Minnesota's current delegation to the United States Congress
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Tim Walz (DFL), John Kline (R), Jim Ramstad (R), Betty McCollum (DFL), Keith Ellison (DFL), Michele Bachmann (R), Collin Peterson (DFL), Jim Oberstar (DFL)
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