bachmanniaRep. Michele Bachmann spends more time than any other Minnesota representative speaking on the House floor, according to C-SPAN’s archive. So far in 2009, Bachmann has addressed the body on 19 different days for a total of four hours, 32 minutes, roughly double that of Minnesota’s second most talkative rep, Democrat Keith Ellison (see times for other legislators after the jump). But how long Bachmann talks is of less interest than how she fills all that time: with impassioned speeches about fears of “political show trials,” ID cards for prolifers and a huge federal police force created to track down “rightwing extremists.”

For instance, on Wednesday, she asked if Department of Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano has gone “absolutely stark raving mad” for producing a confidential report on potential rightwing extremists — while waxing paranoid about what she fears Barack Obama’s plans entail for the likes of Bachmann: “What’s going to happen now? Will the federal government start IDing returning veterans? Start IDing gun owners? Start IDing prolifers — and then pull us out of the line for special searches at the airports before we’re allowed to get on the plane because we could be considered a rightwing domestic terrorist while we would see Osama bin Laden and his friends skate by because they’re not…?”

A few excerpts from Bachmann’s speech:

It is intriguing to me, we have a report now that says — as Mr. Brady said and as Judge Carter said — 80 percent of the American people would be classified as “right-wing extremists” under this report. Couple that with a statement made by President Obama during the campaign that we need to have a federal police force the size of the military. Add it up.

So what’s next? Is it political show trials? Well, shazam, wouldn’t you know it, just this week President Obama, together with MoveOn.org, MoveOn.org running television ads by the way, this week calling for political show trials of those in the Bush administration that worked so hard to keep the American people free from terrorist acts, real terrorist acts, like trying to blow Americans up on American soil.

[The report] says, End Times prophesies could motivate extremist individuals and groups that stockpile food, ammunition and weapons. These teachings have also been linked with a radicalization of domestic extremist individuals and groups in the past, such as violent Christian identity organizations.”

I find this offensive.

2009 speaking times by legislator:

Rep. Michele Bachmann: 19 days for 4 hours, 32 minutes) than any other MN delegates:

Rep. Keith Ellison: 10 days for 2 hours, 32 minutes

Rep. James Oberstar:: 6 days for 52 minutes

Rep. Tim Walz: 8 days for 18 minutes

Rep. Erik Paulsen: 10 days for 17 minutes

Rep. John Kline: 3 days for 10 minutes

Rep. Betty McCollum: 1 day for 2 minutes