Minnesota Independent

Bachmann at a Family Research Council event

Religious right rushes to Bachmann’s defense following ‘ex-gay’ reports

By Andy Birkey | 07.13.11 | 4:25 pm

Several religious right groups — including those listed as anti-gay hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center — rushed to Michele Bachmann’s defense following reports that she and her husband Marcus’ Christian counseling clinic performs therapy intended to cure homosexuality. The groups argued that the controversial therapy is successful and that media reports of the practices of Bachmann’s clinic amount to anti-Christian bias.

Bachmann, Pawlenty to attend Faith & Freedom Conference

By Andy Birkey | 06.02.11 | 2:19 pm

Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty are among a long list of presidential hopefuls attending the Faith and Freedom Conference and Strategy Briefing this weekend. The conference is organized by Ralph Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition and controversial religious right leader. In addition to Reed, Bachmann and Pawlenty will be sharing the stage with a number of controversial figures from the anti-abortion rights and anti-gay rights movements.

Religious right urges anti-gay marriage amendment vote, Dayton vows to fight it

By Andy Birkey | 05.19.11 | 10:09 am

Religious right groups praised the House Rules Committee vote on Wednesday morning to pass an amendment that would codify a gay marriage ban in the Minnesota Constitution, but also called for action against “gay activists” who would “assault,” “attack” or “take one last shot” at Republican legislators. While conservative Christians rally the troops for a possible vote on the House floor Thursday afternoon, Gov. Mark Dayton said he’d fight it “with every fiber of my being.”

Bachmann admits defunding ‘Obamacare’ won’t happen this year

By Andy Birkey | 04.06.11 | 1:24 pm

In an interview with the Family Research Council on Tuesday evening, Rep. Michele Bachmann admitted that the new health care law won’t be defunded in 2011. The FRC hosted a webcast called “Time to Act: How big government is fiscally and morally bankrupting America,” during which Bachmann also said she wants FRC’s membership to pray for her and other Republicans to have “supernatural abilities.”

Bachmann to join religious right in ‘prayercast’ against health care

By Andy Birkey | 12.14.09 | 12:10 pm

Rep. Michele Bachmann will join members of the religious right in a “prayercast” on Wednesday to pray for defeat the “Government Takeover of Healthcare.” The prayercast is sponsored by the Family Research Council.

Bachmann, Peterson and Oberstar in thick of debate over abortion, healthcare reform

By Andy Birkey | 07.22.09 | 2:16 pm

Health reform could be hijacked by anti-abortion politics despite efforts at compromise — and some of Minnesota’s Congress members are in the thick of the debate. Reps. James Oberstar, Collin Peterson and Michele Bachmann have all been working to gut reproductive health funding from the health reform package moving through the House.

Religious Right Watch: Waning influence, assigning blame and praising Palin

By Andy Birkey | 11.06.08 | 10:11 am

The religious right had a bad day on Tuesday. The election of Barack Obama and Democratic gains in the U.S. Senate and House put support for religious right policies further out of reach, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. Some say Republican John McCain coddled Obama on the issues, and others point to President Bush’s noncommittal attitude for issues the religious right cares about the most: gay marriage and abortion. The one bit of post-election hope seems to be the ascension of Sarah Palin as a religious right figurehead.

Religious Right Watch: Bachmann allies slam Republican committee

By Andy Birkey | 10.27.08 | 8:31 am

With a week to go until the election, Minnesota is seeing a flurry of activity by religious right figures. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council is blasting Republicans for not standing up for their favored candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, while the Council is using MnIndy’s reporting to attack DFL candidates. Right-wing bloggers are up in arms over the cancellation of a speech by pro-life activist Bay Buchanan at the College of St. Catherine, and a national anti-abortion group is flooding Minnesota mailboxes with anti-Obama literature.

Religious Right Watch: Gays caused Wall Street troubles, Obama still the anti-Christ

By Andy Birkey | 09.30.08 | 3:32 pm

In this week’s religious right watch: Social conservatives blame purportedly gay-friendly companies for the troubles on Wall Street, a southern mayor can’t decide whether Obama is the anti-Christ and a Minnesota man lectures community on the evils of drag queens.…