Clinton, McCollum, Blackburn challenge Bachmann’s ‘gangster’ remarks
Monday, April 19, 2010 at 8:00 am
- 7 Comments
Rep. Michele Bachmann. Photo: Douglas Burns
Rep. Michele Bachmann is taking heat over statements she made at a Tea Party gathering in Washington, D.C., last week when she called the Obama administration and Democratic Congress a “gangster government.” Those remarks have prompted a strong rebuke from Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton and Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, and found at least one conservative Republican, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, distancing herself from Bachmann.
In an interview with the New York Times, Clinton said Bachmann’s statements were meant to “demonize” Obama and Democrats.
Mr. Clinton pointed to remarks like those made Thursday by Representative Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota Republican, who when speaking at a Tea Party rally in Washington characterized the Obama administration and Democratic Congress as “the gangster government.”
“They are not gangsters,” Mr. Clinton said. “They were elected. They are not doing anything they were not elected to do.”
“There can be real consequences when what you say animates people who do things you would never do,” Mr. Clinton said in an interview, saying that Timothy McVeigh, who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing, and those who assisted him, “were profoundly alienated, disconnected people who bought into this militant antigovernment line.”
“Have at it,” he said. “You can attack the politics. Criticize their policies. Don’t demonize them, and don’t say things that will encourage violent opposition.”
And on Friday, Rep. Betty McCollum called Bachmann’s statements “dangerous name-calling.” In a statement, she said:
“With hate groups and violent anti-government militias on the rise in this country elected leaders must be mindful of the potential of their words to inspire violence. Constructive, passionate political debate is expected in our democracy, but harsh, dangerous name-calling that vilifies the President or Members of Congress is irresponsible. We must not ignore that the Oklahoma City bombing was an act of political violence perpetrated by deranged, anti-government extremists. It’s much too late after a bomb goes off to start condemning hate-inspired, violent rhetoric.”
On Meet the Press Sunday morning, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee distanced herself from Bachmann’s statements and that type of rhetoric. “It would not have been a choice in words that I made,” she said. “And what we have to realize is that any time you have large public gatherings, whether it is a group from the left, or a group from the right, you’re going to have lots of individuals with different opinions who show up.”
Here are Blackburn’s full remarks:
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[...] Obviously, she’s taken some heat for these remarks. [...]
Comment posted April 19, 2010 @ 9:10 am
Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR:
Omnibus Appropriations, Special Education, Global AIDS Initiative, Job Training, Unemployment Benefits, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations, Agriculture Appropriations, U.S.-Singapore Trade, U.S.-Chile Trade, Supplemental Spending for Iraq & Afghanistan, Prescription Drug Benefit, Child Nutrition Programs, Surface Transportation, Job Training and Worker Services, Agriculture Appropriations, Foreign Aid, Vocational/Technical Training, Supplemental Appropriations, UN “Reforms.” Patriot Act Reauthorization, CAFTA, Katrina Hurricane-relief Appropriations, Head Start Funding, Line-item Rescission, Oman Trade Agreement, Military Tribunals, Electronic Surveillance, Head Start Funding, COPS Funding, Funding the REAL ID Act (National ID), Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, Thought Crimes “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, Peru Free Trade Agreement, Economic Stimulus, Farm Bill (Veto Override), Warrantless Searches, Employee Verification Program, Body Imaging Screening.
Marsha Blackburn Voted AGAINST:
Ban on UN Contributions, eliminate Millennium Challenge Account, WTO Withdrawal, UN Dues Decrease, Defunding the NAIS, Iran Military Operations defunding Iraq Troop Withdrawal, congress authorization of Iran Military Operations.
Marsha Blackburn is my Congressman.
See her unconstitutional votes at :
http://mickeywhite.blogspot.com/2009/09/tn-congressman-marsha-blackburn-votes.html
Mickey
Comment posted April 19, 2010 @ 10:10 am
Bachmann was being kind. And who the hell is Bill Clinton to criticize anyone in government for inciting violence when it was his administration’s handling of the Branch Davidian compound, resulting in the deaths of innocent citizens, that spawned the likes of Timothy McVeigh more than anything.
Comment posted April 19, 2010 @ 11:07 am
Let’s put this in context, shall we? View this video and you might agree with her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thR-lVuztIY&feature=related
Comment posted April 19, 2010 @ 11:40 am
The present administration was legally elected by citizen voters who had had enough of Republican mismanagement. Michell Bachmann is against American citizen’s wishes if she continues this charade of calling our duly elected officials as “gangsters.”
Comment posted April 19, 2010 @ 8:53 pm
So, we are also supposed to forget that Bubba Clinton himself called Obama a “typical Chicago thug politician” a couple of years ago? Is a thug anything like a gangster? Could this by some stretch be thought of as “demonizing” Obama? Of course, applying typical Clinton hair splitting, Bubba would probably say, “Well, he wasn’t president then. Huh huh huh!” But wasn’t he a US senator? Isn’t a US senator an elected official?
As usual, Clinton, Obama, . . . (name just about any Democrat politician or journalist) . . . get away with any outrageous comment they feel like making on a given day!
Comment posted April 20, 2010 @ 6:15 am
Well, Dennis, that clip just demonstrates Bachmann’s willful ignorance. It was not the government that caused the collapse of GM – that is on the private sector, the recession they manufactured, and the auto industry fighting against the higher mileage requirements that would have had them manufacturing more of the cars in demand when the price of gas skyrocketed.
Closing dealerships and cutting product lines were part of the restructuring plan GM came up with to avoid bankruptcy. The government did not make the plan or pick dealerships to close, that was all GM. That Democrats were able to help dealerships plead their cases to GM was a proper exercise of constituent services. As a result, some high-performing dealerships were saved and fewer were closed in total than was originally planned. Without the bailout, ALL the dealerships and ALL the plants would have closed with no hope of reprieve. That’s what the republicans would have done for the dealership that went crying to Bachmann. Maybe that’s why most appealed to the Democrats for help – they are the ones who wanted the industry to survive. And a big chunk of the economy with it.
This was not a case of “gangster government”, but government for the people. Just to put it into context.
Bachmann is a religious zealot who is well known for her fabrications, misrepresentations, and outright lies. She will say or do anything for the sake of power, no matter how much harm it does to the country. Like all republicans, she just points fingers at the Democrats.
I also noticed how Blackburn avoided saying anything negative about Bachmann’s incendiary comments. They’re all just one big happy cult, just ask their image consultants.
Go, Betty M.! You get my vote. Again.
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