# US Representative calls for journalistic investigation of Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 17, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456 "2008-10-17T22:14:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/1 "2008-10-17T22:14:02Z")
In an interview tonight with Chris Matthews of MSNBC on his Hardball show, Republican Representative Michele Bachmann, of Minnesota, called on journalists to investigate liberal members of Congress to determine who among them are “anti-American”. Yes, that’s the word she used. And yes, she was serious. You can probably find the video and transcript on Hardball’s website. For debate is whether this woman is as batshit insane as I believe her to be. She has already determined that Barack Obama is anti-American, and she wants to know whether there are others of his ilk lurking in our halls of government. She spoke, incidentally, as a surrogate for the McCain campaign. Maybe we need to take a second look at the notion of demonic possession inasmuch as the entire McCain campaign seems to be devoid of morality and decency. And defenders of Bachmann here? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/2 "2008-10-17T22:20:57Z")
After Dylan: - Now Barak Obama is a Muslim spy Biden, Pelosi and that Jefferson guy Now the only Ma’am who is a true American Is Sarah Palin I know for a fact she hates Muslims since she shot an Islamic Moose. \* That’s from **Talkin’ Republican Party Paranoid Blues**. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/3 "2008-10-17T23:17:48Z")
I just watched that segment, un-friggin-believeable. Chris Matthews was brilliant in letting the Congresswoman hang herself out to die. I just hope the press trashes Palin and her “association” with an organization that wants to secede from the United States. At least Obama isn’t sleeping with Ayers. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/4 "2008-10-17T23:26:28Z")
I expect Fox News to rise to Bachmann’s challenge immediately. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/5 "2008-10-17T23:38:35Z")
Bachmann is beyond crazy. Every photo I see of that woman she has the clear, unblinking stare of someone whose connection with reality is throwing a 404 error. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/6 "2008-10-17T23:53:47Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Bachmann is beyond crazy. Every photo I see of that woman she has the clear, unblinking stare of someone whose connection with reality is throwing a 404 error. Did she say “terrorist,” “anti-American” and “the American public has questions\*” enough times? Here’s the link: [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27243547#27243547](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27243547#27243547) I’m getting a whiff of idiot-savant. Well, half of that anyway. Katrina Vanden Heuvel was livid and quite articulate in her dismay at the rhetoric, disingenuousness and scaremongering contained in Bachmann’s remarks. > [@DanBlather](#): > > At least Obama isn’t sleeping with Ayers. Don’t give the operatives and push pollers any ideas, please. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/7 "2008-10-18T00:47:28Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > For debate is whether this woman is as batshit insane as I believe her to be. Previous threads on this person. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=307197&highlight=bachmann](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=307197&highlight=bachmann) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347425&highlight=bachmann](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347425&highlight=bachmann) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409728&highlight=bachmann](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409728&highlight=bachmann) BTW, title of that thread was "US Rep Michell Bachman (R-MN)…Batshit Crazy. " Lib, you stole this!!! 🙂 [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=481495&highlight=bachmann](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=481495&highlight=bachmann) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=485857&highlight=bachmann](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=485857&highlight=bachmann) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/8 "2008-10-18T00:57:16Z")
I watched the entire interview. Chris had Michelle so confused she lost all coherent thought and resort to scripted responses. Michelle actually made Palin look intelligent. I’m not even sure she realizes what she said. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/9 "2008-10-18T00:59:21Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > … BTW, title of that thread was "US Rep Michell Bachman (R-MN)…Batshit Crazy. " Lib, you stole this!!! … Talent borrows. Genius steals. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/10 "2008-10-18T01:00:48Z")
BTW, you want to know how tough the winters are up here? Michele Bachman is 23. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/11 "2008-10-18T01:23:52Z")
I’m worried this shit might actually gain some traction. What I found just as outrageous was the robo-call cited in the interview, which actually appears to say, taken literally, that Barack Obama helped William Ayers commit acts of terrorism. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/12 "2008-10-18T01:24:17Z")
[MN-06: DCCC Poll Shows Bachmann Kissed up to Bush Too Many Times](http://dccc.org/blog/archives/mn_06_dccc_poll_shows_bachmann_kissed_up_to_bush_too_many_times/) > [@](#): > > Last Friday, Minnesota Public Radio reported that the National Republican Congressional Committee planned to pull its television ads in Minnesota’s third congressional district to defend Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s sixth congressional district. They did so with good reason if their polling at all matches a poll the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released today showing Bachmann with only 42 percent of the vote to Elwyn Tinklenberg’s 38 percent, and 15 percent are undecided. Looks like Bachmann’s got the Republican base, plus a little more. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/13 "2008-10-18T01:24:54Z")
People voted for this fruit-cake? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/14 "2008-10-18T01:36:34Z")
Tidbit: Rachel Maddow says that between the time the Bachman bit was shown on the Tweety Show and her air time, $30,000 had been contributed to the campain fund of Bachman’s opponent. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/15 "2008-10-18T01:42:14Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > BTW, you want to know how tough the winters are up here? Michele Bachman is 23. [hijack]Sometime, you have to start a thread about how you ended up in MN. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/16 "2008-10-18T01:46:22Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Talent borrows. Genius steals. Brilliance files off the serial number. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/17 "2008-10-18T02:01:55Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Tidbit: Rachel Maddow says that between the time the Bachman bit was shown on the Tweety Show and her air time, $30,000 had been contributed to the campain fund of Bachman’s opponent. It got diaried on the Daily Kos along with links to the Orange to Blue fundraising campaign and I think also Tinklenberg’s campaign website. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/18 "2008-10-18T02:09:29Z")
What is this \*Daily Kos \*of which you speak? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/19 "2008-10-18T02:16:22Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > What is this \*Daily Kos \*of which you speak? [http://www.dailykos.com](http://www.dailykos.com) Or did I just get whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456/20 "2008-10-18T02:33:31Z")
Did she provide any clues as to how journalists should determine the anti-Americaness of these Congresspeople? I’m gonna guess that it will closely relate to how often they opposed President Bush. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-representative-calls-for-journalistic-investigation-of-congress/468456.md?page=2)