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"Russian" to Judge Bachmann

By Aaron Goldstein on 8.21.11 @ 12:12AM

Michele Bachmann is being criticized for making reference to "the rise of the Soviet Union" during a radio interview with Jay Sekulow on Thursday.

Fair enough. The Soviet Union hasn't existed in nearly twenty years (indeed, this weekend is the 20th anniversary of the coup against Mikhail Gorbachev). But I am sure Bachmann meant to say Russia. I am sure she knows there's no USSR.

Just as I am sure President Obama knows he hasn't visited 57 states with one to go. I am also sure President Obama knows full well there isn't an Austrian language and in his capacity as Commander in Chief can flawlessly pronounce "corpsman."

I don't mind the media holding Bachmann to account for her misstatements. But I do mind when the media won't do the same for Obama either by ignoring the statements altogether or by giving him a benefit of the doubt they wouldn't extend to Bachmann or any other Republican. If Obama makes a mistake, it's because he must be tired. But if Bachmann makes a mistake, it's because she's dumb. Or put another way, when it comes to Bachmann the media are "Russian" to judgment.

But that said, if Bachmann does become the nominee she will have to be careful. The last thing she wants is a Gerald Ford "Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" moment in a debate against Obama. On the other hand, who is to say that Bachmann won't tell Obama her version of "there you go again"?

View all comments (29) | Leave a comment

Occam's Tool| 8.21.11 @ 1:20AM

Bachmann wil maintain a strong defense while cutting government spending and taxes. She does that, the American people can do the rest. She knows her best bet is to simply stay out of the way.

Clint| 8.21.11 @ 12:20PM

Interesting,
"Ron Paul got a great birthday present Saturday, as the 76-year-old defeated 11 other Republicans in Saturday's New Hampshire Young Republicans Straw Poll.

Paul, a congressman from Texas, won a commanding 45 percent of the vote and bested runner-up Mitt Romney by 35 percent votes despite not actually attending the event, which was held in New Castle and also included a lobster bake."

Here Comes The Tea Party New Hampshire.

Jack in Wi.| 8.21.11 @ 12:44PM

Clint: I have said it before and will say it again. I predict that Dr.Ron Paul will win or come very close in both Iowa and New Hampshire. He has a huge committed base of supporters. They back him the most financially of any candidate but Romney who has most of the Mormon money and his own behind him. He also gets the largest crowds by far, at his speeches. He kicks the hell out of his opponents in every debate and he is right on all the issues, the people in this country are concered about. Frankly they are terrified of him. That is why they are using all barrels to shut him down early.

Clint| 8.21.11 @ 2:11PM

Jack, yesterday was Dr.Ron Paul's Birthday & he got lots of presents.

"Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s Saturday birthday bash has left the Republican presidential candidate with an additional $1.5 million.

The Texas Republican, who launched a “moneybomb” Saturday, raised nearly $1.5 million, providing him with a solid war chest as the campaign in Iowa continues. "

The Tea Party Rebellion Is here.

Rise Up In Rebellion.

Jack in Wi.| 8.21.11 @ 1:50AM

Mrs Bachman is fine lady, quite pretty. Who knows how to eat a corndog. She is way too inexperienced to be elected President of the USA. We have one guy who can't do the job in the White house now. Who is being led around by his handlers. We don't need a nice lady who will be in control of her handlers as well.

Now I am Catholic and find that the Wisonsin Synod Lutheran Church members are fine pro-life people. It is true that I don't agre with their anti-Catholic doctrines. But for Mrs Bachman to abandon her lifetime religion for political gain doesn't speak well of her in my eyes.

The Intermediary| 8.21.11 @ 4:09AM

I'd like to see more information on the "PhD" her husband claims.

ds80| 8.21.11 @ 7:16AM

Her husband? Why not go after her children, her grade school teachers, and the boy who delivers her newspapers?

What a farce. But you'll just keep your head willingly in the left-lib cesspool, TI.

ggoblue| 8.21.11 @ 7:32AM

only if it is stapled to barak obamas transcripts....

Pecos Pete| 8.21.11 @ 8:44AM

And stapled to King O's real birth certificate.

The Intermediary| 8.22.11 @ 12:42AM

Because those other people wouldn't be relevant, but this is fair game. She repeatedly has said they run the business "together", thus making her a co-conspirator if her husband claims a PhD that he doesn't have.

Bob| 8.21.11 @ 7:21AM

We already know of Michele's US geography/history problems now she goes global. She was in Moscow yesterday; Moscow, Idaho that is asking the whereabouts of the Kremlin. Give her some credit she got the city right but the longitude/latitude were a bit off.

Truth to Power| 8.21.11 @ 12:27PM

Go back to your 57th state, the state of Confusion.

martin j smith| 8.21.11 @ 7:36AM

Aaron --name any candidate that will NOT have to be " careful" ? Go ahead name just one. You know your biases are so blatant that they are about as on par as the NYT--There--that is an insult right there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 8.21.11 @ 8:33AM

Whew!! That video of Gerald Ford talking about the Soviet Union not dominating Eastern Europe is still painful to watch after all these years. And you wonder why he lost to Carter? Holy Mackerel!!

Candidates are going to make some mistakes along the way, that happens, but you can't say something so stupid as that, and think that you're not going to scare away some voters.

The current President will get a pass, and we know this because he got a pass the last time around, so don't expect it to be any different this time around. The MSM loves him!! Hell, they created him, so why wouldn't they love him? So they're going to protect him from scrutiny until that day comes, that they build themselves the next media created Candidate that they fall in love with even more than Obama, but that won't be until this Election is over.

The Republicans have to be more careful, and here some good advice to them, if they throw you a curveball, that you don't know the answer too, don't make up an answer. Just say you don't know enough about that topic, to give an informed opinion to that particular question. You don't have too, nor do we expect you to know the answers to everything since the beginning of time, so don't pretend that you do!! Just say, I don't know the answer to that, but I'll look into it, and I'll get back to you. See, that's easy!! The stupid answer is far worse, then the I don't know answer anytime!!

Solo| 8.21.11 @ 9:46AM

Bachmann is a Gaff-A-Matic. Heck...she's worse than Biden!

Her problem is (among other things) that she is too anxious to go after applause lines and so she unashamedly panders to whatever crowd is in front of her. Between that and her screaming monotone, I can hardly bear to watch her.

I'm sure she is a genuinely conservative person and has conservative instincts, but be warned....she will be a terrible match-up as a nominee.

Hey Michelle....you're making yourself into a "NO TERM NOMINEE!!!"

Clint| 8.21.11 @ 11:13AM

There appears to be a fracturing agenda,where self-proclaimed Social Conservatives are running back & forth backing Perry over Bachmann.

Who's it gonna be ?

Jack in Wi.| 8.21.11 @ 12:48PM

Clint: There are a lot of social conservatives who support Ron Paul. I am one of them. I believe he is the finest pro-life spokesmen we have ever had. I have been involved in pro-life work for decades.

Clint| 8.21.11 @ 1:55PM

Jack,90 Percent of Life is just showing up.

Keep The Faith & Show Up here on AS.

"But the most important piece of Paul’s Iowa operation was outreach to the social conservatives who play such a critical role in the state’s Republican electorate.

“The missing link for us, the outreach to evangelicals, which is so key to South Carolina and the south — we’re filling it,” said Wead, speaking to POLITICO in between announcements on Paul’s stage.

Wead told POLITICO that the outreach included mailing 5,000 DVDs of Paul to pastors in Iowa before Saturday’s events. And it relied heavily on a new team of evangelicals who are backing Paul. They include Wead himself and also Brian Jacobs, who used to work with Rev. Billy Graham. Jacobs spent the days before the Straw Poll calling pastors throughout Iowa.

And when their candidate took the stage to speak to the reporters and the crowd assembled in the arena here, his opening remarks weren’t about the Fed or monetary policy or anything that referenced the “sliding dollar,” as the children’s play slide outside his tent was labeled.

Instead, he talked about abortion."

The Tea Party Rebellion Is here.

Rise Up In Rebellion.

Solo| 8.21.11 @ 2:14PM

Yeah...wait until the evangelicals get a load of Paul's dream of having legal crack-addled prostitutes roaming the streets everywhere.

That'll cheer em up!

Clint| 8.21.11 @ 2:52PM

"But the fact is that Ron Paul supports the decriminalization of prostitution at the Federal level. His We the People Act would remove this issue from Federal and Supreme Court jurisdiction along with a host of other socially difficult issues in accord with the 10th Amendment - The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. His legislation would make it solely a States issue an issue for the people to decide.
He wants the States to deal with this question not the Federal Government. He is not advocating the national legalization of prostitution (something that CFRP could not support), but rather the removal of this subject matter from the Federal Court system to empower the States to deal with it."

martin j smith| 8.21.11 @ 1:08PM

Bottom line is this: The candidates that comes thru best will get the nomination--that is of the top tier --BUT--this does not account for those not yet in the race--so this is still wide open. It will be the most effective of the top tier I have no doubt.

martin j smith| 8.21.11 @ 1:41PM

Let me add this: Voters will know when a candidate is a phoney--that means someone who behaves in a way that demonstrates they are a dishonest and let me say that RINOS fill into that category. People will not vote vote for such as person--so that candidate that tells it like it is will be the winner this time.

J.C.Eaton| 8.21.11 @ 1:53PM

I'm still trying to fathom the crack above about Bachmann being "worse than Biden." Get a grip man. Nothing is worse than Biden. The man is mud-hut stupid and a liar to boot. Only in America could this arrested developed burlesque get a job much less become a vice-president. Geeeesh!

Solo| 8.21.11 @ 2:06PM

I never called Bachman a liar nor do I necessarily believe that she's "stupid". But...she is a Gaff A Minute like Biden and it is not playing well, I suspect.

We conservatives aspire to a higher standard in a candidate than do the democrats. We don't often sign on to just any candidate without regard to qualification and true leadership quality.

I am not going to exist in a self-imposed darkness brought on by an acute case of Cranio-Rectal Insertion.

It's a long way till the Primaries reach my state, so I have some time to decide. But, if Bachmann wants my vote she's going to have to demonstrate more than mouthing conservative-sounding platitudes. She's going to have to demonstrate true leadership qualities. And...so far...she has fallen well short of that mark.
As it stands now...her candidacy is a joke, imo. And I refuse to follow her blindly into the abyss.

MikeN| 8.21.11 @ 3:51PM

I don't see it as a mistake. Putin & co are clearly trying to reconstitute the Soviet Union. They appear to have won in Ukraine, making a deal that keeps the Black Sea fleet alive. Georgia has lost two provinces already. Belarus never left Communism. The Central Asian republics are being pressured to drop the US bases.

Stuart Koehl| 8.21.11 @ 4:00PM

My whole adult life up to 1991 fighting against the Soviet Union, and even today, I have a tendency to slip back into calling the Russians the Soviets. Fortunately, every day that goes by, the difference between the two becomes smaller and smaller.

Jack von Bauer| 8.22.11 @ 7:08AM

Does not the Soviet Union by any other name smell so stinky?

Anyone who cannot understand that Putin is ressurecting the Soviet Union before our eyes, just ain't paying attention.

Red Phillips| 8.22.11 @ 2:10PM

The desire of some "conservatives" to re-ignite the Cold War is ridiculous but instructive. Some people just seem to need an enemy. Now whether they need this enemy for some psychological reason or to justify their security state ideology or some combination of both, I don't know, but it is harmful to America's interests.

Russia should be a natural ally. They have a ton of natural resources. They are essentially a Western nation. (I know Russia is not Western geographically, but it essentially is otherwise.) They are an ostensibly Christian nation. And in some senses by European standards they are a conservative nation and Putin is a conservative leader. (Meaning partially that Russia has a strong sense of national identity and is less plagued by the multicult fetishism that is ruining England, France, Germany, etc.) But yet some people are trying their best to make an enemy out of them. What gives?

The same people are fretting about Iran, but Russia is friendly with Iran. If we really wanted to influence Iran then it would be in our best interests to make nice with Russia so they could use their influence, instead of deliberately antagonizing them.

The same people also spazzed about the Russia/Georgia conflict, but if they were being consistent in their alleged support for “freedom fighters” they would have supported the secessionist South Ossetians which Russia was aiding.

But instead they hand-wring about the re-emergence of the Russian Bear. What is Russia going to do, cross the Bering Strait and attempt to retake Alaska? Paratroop into the heartland Red Dawn style? Russia has ONE carrier group! The Russia phobes need to get over themselves.