Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

16 Aug 2011 20:30

tags

Politics: Gaffe of the day: Michele Bachmann confuses Elvis’ birth with Elvis’ death

  • Let’s emphasize something: It’s August of 2011. There is a whole year and three months of this election mess to go. This politician is a frontrunner in a presidential race that’s proven full of gaffes so far. If she’s saying things like this now, is she gonna learn to not do this a year from now? Or is she going to keep making gaffes like these? Even beyond the many issues she has politically, how many people are going to go for a president that regularly makes stupid mistakes like this? Elvis is rolling in his grave … eating fried peanut butter and banana birthday cake. source

15 Aug 2011 21:26

tags

Politics: Missing from last week’s Iowa debates: A feisty Buddy Roemer

  • it’s because he’s got such a rad name. Roemer, the former Louisiana governor, is one of the many Republican presidential candidates. But he wasn’t invited to last week’s debate due to low polling numbers. Too bad, because his tweets during the debate make him seem like a real hoot. While we learned that Bachmann thinks submission is “respect,” Roemer tweeted “Submission to an atheist must mean whips and chains. Good statement Congresswoman Bachmann.” Ice burn. Next time this happens, Buddy, consider having a Super Bowl-style party with Fred Karger, a candidate in the very same situation. source

09 Aug 2011 20:16

tags

Politics: Surprise: People find Newsweek’s Bachmann photo unflattering

  • No kidding: Newsweek’s cover on Rep. Michele Bachmann, the 2012 presidential candidate, has caused quite a stir on the interwebs over the past couple of days. It’s even inspired a couple of memes, though it’s mostly inspired anger over the magazine’s approach. Example: Terry O’Brien, the president of the National Organization for Women, said that “‘Queen of Rage’ is something you apply to wrestlers or somebody who is crazy.” Was this photo the best choice for the magazine’s cover? Take a look at the magazine’s own outtakes and judge for yourself. source

06 Aug 2011 12:49

tags

Politics: 2012 candidates’ takes on the S&P credit rating downgrade

  • Mitt romney “Standard & Poor’s rating downgrade is a deeply troubling indicator of our country’s decline under President Obama. His failed policies have led to high unemployment, skyrocketing deficits, and now, the unprece­dented loss of our nation’s prized AAA credit rating. Today, President Obama promised that ‘things will get better.’ But it has become increasingly clear that the only way things will get better is with new leadership in the White House.”
  • Jon Huntsman “Out-of-control spending and a lack of leadership in Washington have resulted in President Obama presiding over the first downgrade of the United States credit rating in our history. For far too long we have let reckless government spending go unchecked and the cancerous debt afflicting our nation has spread. We need new leadership in Washington committed to fiscal responsibility, a balanced budget, and job-friendly policies to get America working again.”
  • Michele Bachmann “This President has destroyed the credit rating of the United States through his failed economic policies and his inability to control government spending by raising the debt ceiling. … President Obama is destroying the foundations of the U.S. economy one beam at a time. I call on the President to seek the immediate resignation of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and to submit a plan with a list of cuts to balance the budget this year, turn our economy around and put Americans back to work.” source
  • » One note on the Bachmann one: You’ll note that if you read the full document, it specifically blames Republican policies — largely their unwillingness to raise revenue by raising taxes — for the downgrade. Yes, there is too much debt. Yes, it needs to be dealt with. But if the GOP can’t give an inch on taxes, then these words don’t hold water.

26 Jul 2011 14:13

tags

Politics: Stylin’: Michele Bachmann spends a lot on hair and makeup

  • $4,700 the amount she spent on a stylist source
  • » Most people don’t make that in a month: For a candidate that is championing lower spending to conserve taxpayer dollars, that seems quite a lot of money to spend on herself. It’s also far more than she spent on stylists than during her Congressional campaign. Appearances may be important when running for president — don’t get us wrong, anything to help her prevent a Nixon moment — but this seems a tad excessive. And it’s an excess not uncommon to Democrats, either — John Edwards famously got $200 haircuts in his pre-scandal days.

11 Jul 2011 23:17

tags

Politics: Bachmann throws herself a softball

  • fantasy “I will work to end cap-and-trade as President of the United States,” Michele Bachmann said in a statement yesterday.
  • reality It’ll be a hard promise to keep, because federal cap-and-trade doesn’t exist. Maybe she’ll implement it, then repeal it? source

07 Jul 2011 10:05

tags

Politics: Bachmann retakes Waterloo for purposes of presidential campaign

  • Credit to Bachmann: By naming her first campaign clip “Waterloo,” she certainly is going far to retake the word away from that battle Napoleon lost. And the chiming guitars do give her talk of not raising the debt ceiling the warmth that few thought the topic had. Though if we were to do this again, we might focus less on the wasteful spending and more on the economy. source
 

29 Jun 2011 23:49

tags

Politics: Republican voters apathetic about presidential field

  • What’s more surprising: The fact that they actually included John McCain in the poll? Or the fact that McCain did twice as well as Tim Pawlenty?  source

26 Jun 2011 20:16

tags

Politics: Michele Bachmann on hot seat trying to explain off subsidies

  • $30,000 the amount the counseling clinic Bachmann’s husband reportedly received in subsidies (some of them federal) over the past five years
  • $260,000 the amount a Wisconsin family farm, reportedly part-owned by Bachmann, reportedly received in federal subsidies source
  • » Oh no! That means … Bachmann, who’s suddenly become a GOP frontrunner, found herself on the defending end of tough questioning from Chris Wallace this morning over the allegations, uncovered by the Los Angeles Times. Bachmann’s stance: The money for the clinic went for employee training and never actually went to the clinic itself. And Bachmann and her husband don’t have a financial hand in her father-in-law’s farm — which the Times says is inaccurate, according to financial records. Even if that’s not the case, let’s twist that last one for kicks: But that means a family member of hers takes government subsidies! Political liability!

17 Jun 2011 11:28

tags

Politics: Early New Hampshire poll: Romney flying high, Bachmann rising fast

  • The field has a pretty obvious split: Those who like Mitt Romney and those who don’t. But there are some interesting details to note about New Hampshire Republican primary voters. First, Bachmann’s debate performance now has her polling above Sarah Palin, which is kind of a big deal. Second, Newt Gingrich is totally sucking. Third, despite many reasons to love him right now, Jon Huntsman has low polling numbers and low likability, which makes no sense. Finally, Rick Santorum is bringing up the rear — as he should. Either way, with the first big debate now in the rearview, the polling nonetheless is fascinating. source