Bachmann’s punk-rock benefactor says Obama ‘unpatriotic to the max’

Bradlee Dean. Image: YouTube

“He’s un-American!” Bradlee Dean’s opinion of President Barack Obama — broadcast on his radio show “The Schools of Hard Knocks Roxx” on Apr. 4 — may echo that of fellow Minnesotan, Rep. Michele Bachmann, who in October 2008 told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews she’d like to see an investigation into whether Obama and members of Congress hold “anti-American” views.

But he takes his views where she wouldn’t. Bachmann backed off her statement, saying she was misunderstood and railroaded by Matthews, but Dean recently went on to say Obama is “not American. He’s unpatriotic to the max. Folks, he doesn’t have the spirit of a president.”

Yet, Bachmann still stands behind Dean, who runs an Annandale-based Christian ministry that brings an evangelical message into churches, prisons, and public schools. Next month, she’s headlining a fundraiser for that ministry, called You Can Run But You Cannot Hide (YCRBYCH), in Bloomington on Nov. 12. YCRBYCH says they will use the funds raised to reach others with their ministry — often public school students.

Following a Minnesota Independent report earlier this month that featured sources who question the constitutionality of the group’s taxpayer-funded assemblies at public schools, YCRBYCH scrubbed its podcasts and audio archives from iTunes and the several websites it maintains. But the Minnesota Independent has obtained several of the group’s audio offerings, which give an overview of the opinions Bachmann is endorsing by headlining the fundraiser.

Detail of the invitation for Bachmann's Nov. 12 YCRBYCH fundraiser

On the April 4 show, a caller, Lynn, said that Obama was not a U.S. citizen. Dean replied, channeling a bit of Bachmann, “He’s un-American, he’s not American, he’s unpatriotic to the max.”

On Aug. 1, Dean recited an open letter from the White House: “Truth be told with each passing day more and more Americans are unable to get the health care they need,” he read. To that, Dean added, “In other words, Obama is saying, ‘I can give it to you, who’s yo daddy?’”

On the same topic, Dean attempted to speak for African Americans.

“Just this week me and Steph [Dean's wife] just began to ask people on the street, ‘What do you think about Obama?’ We asked two black folks, which the color didn’t matter to me, but I do care more their perspective right now because it seems like the black communities are not for this guy at all. I believe there’s, like, a 70 percent ratio that they are very angry at this administration for what he is doing to them because this isn’t what they voted for. This isn’t what they signed up for.”

McMillian chimed in, “They realize they’ve been used.”

In August when the show aired, polling of African American voters showed approval in the 80 to 90 percent range.

In the same broadcast he called Obama a criminal. “You’ve already seen this president deny Christianity. You’ve already seen this president address the Muslim nation four times. You’ve already seen this administration, him and his wife, going into foreign countries, telling them that they are ashamed of this country,” said Dean. “This man is an internationalist. This administration is set against against your constitution, folks. That is a crime. That is a crime and do not let it go.”

Dean continued, “Crime cannot be tolerated especially from them that rule in government. It cannot be tolerated … Criminals mock society’s laws. That’s what you see in this administration.”

He frequently refers to the president as an “Obamanation” and Sen. Al Franken as “Frankenstein.”

On the Aug. 1 broadcast, the duo recalled an alleged clash between Bachmann and some constituents.

McMillian: “I remember Michele Bachmann did something up in Scandia County a while back. The homosexuals tried to corner her and confront her.”

Dean: “They even locked her in the bathroom. If that had been a homosexual senator or congressperson they would have brought charges immediately. No questions asked.”

In fact, Bachmann filed a police report, but as witnesses said, there wasn’t much to the incident.

The ministry has harsh words for gays and lesbians, as well. During its April 4 broadcast, the duo lashed out at the decision by the Iowa Supreme Court that legalized same-sex marriage in that state.

“In Minneapolis, they had to spread their smudge and their shame and their ignorance and their idiocies and their immorality and their debauchery in the face of the American people, all the way to Minneapolis, by having on the front page of the paper today, Jake, two little girls — I don’t know if that was their lesbian parents behind them.”

He continued, “Isn’t it interesting that these people are so stinkin’ sick in the mind that they use little kids for their agenda, showing their state of mind?”

After reading Bible verses, the duo incorrectly stated that homosexuality is a crime in the U.S. and said gays only live to be 42 years old.

“Do you not understand, enemies of God, [that] you are cursing yourselves?” said Dean. “This secular government is giving them rights? They are talking away their life is what they are doing. What’s the average age of a homosexual?”

McMillian chimed in, “A homosexual male? 42 is what they live to be.”

Dean added, “And by the way, they are aiming at your kids like crazy folks.”

Later in that same program, Dean erroneously stated that homosexuality is a crime. “Why are they asking for the decriminalization of homosex? Because it is a crime! It’s a crime! Folks, they are lawless people!”

In addition to McMillian, Dean has also teamed up with the Minnesota Family Council’s Barb Anderson on the radio program.

“Did you know that it’s illegal in 28 states in this country to commit adultery or fornication or sodomy even in the state of Minnesota?” Dean told Anderson and his listeners on Apr. 4. “But the laws have not been enforced in the courts since 1944. It’s illegal. Seventy-six percent of those who write your papers see nothing wrong with homosexuality. It’s rightly called crimes against nature.”

[The Minnesota Supreme Court overturned laws against sodomy in 2001, and the United States Supreme Court did the same in 2003.]

On the murder of a gay student in Wyoming, Dean said, “The Matthew Shepard lie had nothing to do with homosexuality. It was a drug deal that went bad.”

During an Apr. 11 show, Dean compared the trial of alleged Ponzi scheme runner, Tom Petters to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

“And there’s another man that is hopefully going to be coming out of this spotless … Just because you have a couple of bad apples doesn’t make everybody a bad apple or a bad apple tree.

What they did is, they did it through the color of law. What kind of message is that to you, America? And I’m sick and tired of it. If he is innocent, he is going to ruin some serious lives, folks, and if he is a just man that’s just what he’ll do.

The bottom line is that when you have federal prosecutors blocking the defense of Tom Petters, you better start asking questions why. Why, why, why?!

This is what they did to Christ! They took him by night, they judged him, they didn’t give him a trial, and they handed him over and they crucified him.”

Dean is no stranger to conspiracy theories. In 2006, the Weekly Standard traveled with him and his band, Junkyard Prophet, on their public school tour. Writer Matt Labash generally praised the evangelical rock band, but did find some areas of disagreement — on whether or not man has landed on the moon.

He is also a gold-plated conspiracy theorist who will readily hold forth on the mysterious plane crashes of Paul Wellstone and John Kennedy Jr., how Oswald didn’t act alone, how O.J. Simpson might’ve been framed (”He’s driving down the freeway, all of the sudden there’s this helicopter on his truck–how convenient!”), and how the moon-landing was faked in a television studio. We disagree so vehemently on this last point that he starts polling his assemblies on the subject just to settle the dispute. To what should be the chagrin of us all, apparently about 35 percent of public school students and teachers believe Neil Armstrong deserves an Oscar for his star turn in that NASA movie.

But Dean isn’t all conspiracies and vitriol. Like last week’s Bachmann fundraising email — which referenced “raising money from patriots like you” — the invitation to Dean’s Nov. 12 fundraiser uses the same honorific for financial donors.  Bachmann and Dean, the invite states, will give speeches to “empower patriots to be on the offense.”

Bachmann’s office hasn’t responded to the Minnesota Independent’s inquiries about Dean’s past statements or her involvement in this fundraiser.