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Subscribe to RSSConservative Rep. Michele Bachmann, the founder of the House Tea Party Caucus and a potential 2012 presidential candidate, said Wednesday that she “doubts” the government will shut down at the end of this week due to a budget impasse but that she cannot support current versions of compromise legislation that would avert a federal funding gap.
“I firmly believe that by Friday a deal will be made,” she said on MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown. “I doubt that we’ll see a government shutdown in the final analysis.”
The Minnesota lawmaker repeated a common GOP charge that top Democrats are rooting for a shutdown in hopes of pinning unpopular outcomes on conservative lawmakers.
But while Bachmann pointed the finger at those on the other side of the aisle for eschewing compromise, she also said that she will not support a suggested deal that would cut between $33 billion and $40 billion in federal spending.
“I cannot vote for the current compromise that we’re looking at,” she said. “I don’t think it is sufficient, because, primarily, it doesn’t include the defunding of Obamacare.”
Bachmann and other Tea Party activists have argued that a House-passed package of $61 billion in cuts should be considered a minimum starting point for much deeper cuts.
That number, she said Wednesday, is already a “tremendous compromise” that resulted from some Republicans’ initial demands that the FY11 budget cuts total $100 billion.
“The Republicans have already compromised,” she said.
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As a young conservative from Minnesota all i really have to say to Bachmann is that you need to shut up and go away. We already have a comedian Senator, we don't need another comedian. Oh wait, You are not funny.... its more just sad than anything else. Can you just disappear for a while?
Wouldn't the logical question have been WHERE?
This is what I find MOST frustrating from today's so-called journalists... they REFUSE to ask the tough questions!!!
As of this morning I can't find WHERE or WHAT the Teapubicans have compromised on...
Maybe, someone can help me out here...
Sure she can go away, but only if her constituents say so. Unfortunately they seem enamored and unlikely to boot her.
There's only way you can refuse to compromise while "doubting" a shut down will happen...if you're too stupid to realize that compromise is the ONLY WAY anything gets done in our political system.
bold-As a young conservative who sounds like a concerned American citizen, could I offer you some advice. Make her go away and shut up; take every opportunity to make sure she isn't reelected. Residents of your state must be very embarrased by her constant incoherrant statements. America needs new ideas, not constant speeches attempting to capitalize on our problems.
And there you have it. The political agenda trumps the logical compromise.
Teabaggers love to talk up the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers and the flag until things don't go their way. If all lawmakers decided never to compromise we never would have become a nation, let alone remained a nation. Lack of compromise led to a civil war that killed more than 600,000 people. Compromise brought us a nation. Teabaggers,the founding fathers you so cherish knew all about the art of compromise. Stop ruining the middle class and stumping for the bloated wealthy class! For once, READ about how the founding fathers did things and THEN follow their example!
Chum chum chum...:)
Wayne-1656909,
Just a slight correction...many compromises that made us a nation were also the compromises that added constitutional legitimacy to slavery and would eventually lead to the Civil War.
It started with the Declaration of Independence, where Thomas Jefferson "compromised" by removing references to slavery in order to get South Carolina's delegates to sign.
Next, the "Great Compromise" during the development of the Constitution that led to "other people" i.e. a slave being counted as 3/5s of a person for the census used to determine a state's number of House of Representatives delegates.
The Missouri Compromise, delineating whether new territories could enter the as free or slave, and the Compromise of 1850, which further dealt with how states entered free or slave but most infamously contained "The Fugitive Slave Act" which legally mandated the return of escaped slaves to their masters, are two more examples of political compromise that brought ruinous results to our country and all people on both sides of the slavery issue.
Having said all this, Ms. Bachmann, in addition to being batcrap crazy, and the rest of the neo-con / Tea Party ideologues are holding our democratic and political processes hostage in much the same way as the slave-holder interests did in our past. Like those folks of old, compromise to these new fascists in patriots' clothing means "we get everything our way or we will torpedo the whole process."
Hardly the way one would expect those who profess so much love for democracy to behave.
Thank you bold78, I was hoping that there were still common sensical conservatives out there instead of just talking point shills. Both parties have gone to extreme and America is far less because of it.
WOW! I mean double WOW! This woman is two dimensional, uninformed, ignorant, a broken record - two trick pony, reactionary and in the extreme an ideologue writ large. What a lethal combination of stupid (this is not a pejorative but more a statement of fact) and arrogance! My moderate common sense Republican friends wake up - the Tea Party will be the destruction of all of you and if allowed the rest of us!
These teawaggers are just plain stupid! I am totally afraid that if we dont "man Up" they will take the country further down the hole! Bush did it and got off "scott free" now we are continuning to allow them to rail road us into the poor house with their stupidity. We must stand up now! WE MUST vote, protest and fight against them. Our seniors, our lives and our kids lives depend on us and what we do now!!!!!
"There's only way you can refuse to compromise while "doubting" a shut down will happen...if you're too stupid to realize that compromise is the ONLY WAY anything gets done in our political system."
If you guys haven't figured it out yet, the Republicans are intentionally blocking passage by refusing to remove the riders to halt the reforms that were enacted before they took control of the house.
The dollar figure doesn't matter to them, it's just bonus points that the Democrats met them at 33B.
The important thing for them is that they cause a government shutdown that they can hopefully spin as the Senates fault.
Otherwise they would have already pulled the riders out and this would be a done deal, but the riders are what makes it impossible for the Democrats to vote for it.
The republicans do not care about cutting the budget. This whole exercise is about defunding programs and not about saving money. If they were serious about saving money they would start out by cutting their own pay. Republicans like to cut peoples pay unless of course it effects their own fortune and the fortune of their friends.
Dosh - you are absolutely correct. If this was about the budget, those riders would be gone.
It is not. That's blatantly obvious.
So - knowing that those riders would cause this issue, did the GOPers and the Tea Partyers really think that IF this bill passed in the Senate that the President was actually goingto sign it?
What leverage does the GOP/Tea Party THINK they have in getting what they wanted passed? This 'legislation' - as it is - would not even pass the Senate.
So - the question is this - why show your WEAK hand now?
Did they think that by 'shutting down the government', that would force the President's hand? The Senate's hand?
Logically, this whole situation doesn't make any sense. If they really wanted to push the President's hand, they would have waited and used the DEBT CEILING debate to get what they wanted as far as the conservative social agenda is concerned.
She's here to make Boehner seem reasonable... and it's working. Its like watching "My Name Is Earl" live from Washington DC! Going after unreasonable radical slash cuts instead of working hard to recover the economy, create jobs, and reform and enforce tax laws is self-defeating in the worst way. Its people like her that believe government doesn't work and its things she does that will assure it NEVER will.
Correct. Why would government work when you hire an uneducated, inexperienced, drunk to manage a State Department. Thanks Governor Walker! Nothing but the best for Wisconsin.
Surely we have not forgotten, just two days ago the headline was "Tea Party says SHUT IT DOWN".
The Right will shamelessly change our laws in the pursuit of short-term corporate profits. GOP and their benefactors do not care who gets hurt. They want to subvert Democracy at any price.
Grump, you guys have GOT to get that man out of office! While I agree that the teachers' unions must come to the table willing to make sacrifices, I totally disagree with how this man has gone about it. He's done nothing but "speak with fork tongue" since he's been elected. Trust me, he has his own agenda, and it has nothing to do with the good of Wisconsin (a beautiful state, by the way).
The state workers agreed to all kinds of financial concessions he is hell bent on destoying collective bargaining rights period. Whether they affiliate with one political party or the other fair minded people don't like the way he operates. I don't know anybody who wants their child taught by the lowest bidder.
TEA PARTY HYPOCRICY@ABCNEWS.COM at least 5 tea party members of congress receive farm subsidies, [welfare] including bachman.
I think the Tea Party folks have reached a psychic tipping point akin to a mob on the brink of riot. They now equate ALL government, even safe food & drug regs, safe travel regs with the nebulous, nefarious Big Government THEM they fear and hate so much yet aren't able to really define.
Now, possessed by an increasingly unrestrainable mob mentality, they are running head long to commit political mayhem that involves burning all government down in the same way rioters and looters destroy their own neighborhoods and cities once the mob storm breaks.
And when the smoke finally clears they will stand stunned and stupified, wondering how the hell could it all have happened.
So true, K Man. An apt description.
The problem kman is that all I see from your side is hateful rhetoric. The majority of the responses above all appear to be the mob mentality that you accuse the other side of having. I have not read one bit of TRUE compromise on the left side. We heard a nice speach from the president about buckling down and cutting out wasteful spending but his budget did no cutting, instead asking for "investment", aka increased spending.
The only reason the democrats have even backed up to 31 billion in cuts is that they have allowed themselves to be wedged into a corner they they didn't realize existed. I can't believe how much the president talked about how the republicans should adhere to his commission on reform. Yet when they come out with recommendations he runs and hides from their recommendations. Instead all of the rhetoric now is about the evil tea party that hates seniors and unions. You love to point at the extremists of the other sides as the norm while you ignore your own extremists and quite frankly the foolishness of the norm.
The reason that she won't compromise with the 31 billion is that it is not enough. If the democrats can't come up with 60 billion in cuts out of a budget of $3,800 billion then they aren't looking. It is that simple. The reason they don't want to point to any cuts is that gives somebody a reason to point the finger at them as taking away their money. In other words they aren't willing to do the right thing and only what they can brag about saving $$$ for their constituents. AKA bringing home the bacon.
I also find it funny and ironic that you compare 60/3,800 in cuts to a mob mentality to comit mayhem and burn government down. 60 billion is chump change for this budget yet you are screaming like they are asking that it be cut in half. Silly, that is all YOUR ranting is. 60 billion out of 3.8 TRILLION is hardly that difficult to come up with if you are seriously committed.
Do I disagree with a lot of what she says, yes, but fiscal reason has been missing from politics for far too long.
K Man, I would call your remarks on my hastily written post as elaboration rather than corrections. I am well aware of that compromise that made the country possible also made the continuation of slavery possible. The language in the Declaration of Independence, when taken literally and logically made slavery impossible to continue. Abraham Lincoln said he never made a decision without referring to the Declaration of Independence, as the Constitution was at that time illogical and inhumane in reference to the issue of slavery. I am fully aware of this because my grandmother's uncle lost his life fighting for the Union at the age of 18 years and three days, and I myself am a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Despite what individual soldiers may have felt about their reasons for serving, the result of their service was national reunification, the abolition of slavery, and the legitimization of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
Wayne,
Well said. The Declaration certainly makes for one heck of a mission statement!
My great great grandfather took a reb bullet in the head at Chickamauga. Miraculously he survived the field medical processes of that time and ultimately returned home. I liken family tales of his postwar experiences and behavior to what we now know as TBI and PTSD.
Myself being a 20 + year military vet I would love to be able to spend a few nights in front of a fireplace sharing thoughts about life.
K Man,
I am in your debt. I am only a member of the fake military as I am a Civil War Re-enactor. My ancestor joined the army at 17, spent the winter of 1861 and 1862 in winter camp around Washington, survived the Siege of Yorktown, where he came under fire for the first time, and then fought in the Battle of Williamsburg. His regiment, the 6th New Jersey lost more men in that battle than in any other during the war. His letters, which are treasured mementos along with his photographs, portray a youth who is outwardly optimistic, saying the war would soon be over. The night before he died, his unit was placed on a burial detail. The next morning his unit charged the same line as the men he had just interred. He too was shot in the head, though he did not survive. His mother received a letter from his company commander describing him as a "company favorite," and that he was sending home his personal effects, consisting of "three postage stamps." His mother and her three daughters were left to survive on a monthly pension of eight dollars for the loss of her son, as her husband had recently died.
I can imagine that we could find plenty of things to talk about. I have a good sized Civil War library! I can see that you are a real student of history as well as being one of those who made history. Thank you for your kind post and thank you for your service.
Wayne,
I and my brothers and sisters in uniform genuinely appreciate your thanks!
Happy 150th anniversary! I imagine you'll be busy these next few years with all the celebrations, etc.
Republicans cut money for Vets care, but kept the money for the US ARmy support of a NASCAR team! Go figure!
and Kman........ thank you for your service!!
Tom in NH, it's the priorities. That's what's important for them: to make money for themselves and their "constituents" (friend$$$$).
I am amazed at the power the Tea Baggers have amassed for themselves in such a short time. Money talks, with the Koch brothers in the background?
There are NO ethics from any party in the US as far as I can see. I think I'll go to Mass and burn a few hundred candles.
Excellent example of idiocy...
The "No Compromise" mantra is as absurd as most of this woman's comments. Let the sutdown go on... we will see who is to blame then.
"The Minnesota lawmaker repeated a common GOP charge that top Democrats are rooting for a shutdown in hopes of pinning unpopular outcomes on conservative lawmakers."
So, she's accusing the Dems of trying to give her what she deserves? LOL!
How can this person know what's going on in Washington, when every time you turn on a news program, there she is spouting something derogatory about Obama. I thinks, deep down inside, she has has a some sort of fantasy going on for the Prez!
@chaz: She does know. She has a special insight. She speaks with God. She said so on Glenn Beck's program.
Government shutdown? Come on everybody say it with me "Yes we can! Yes we can!"
Nice alan,
And I suppose that you feel that this would be in the interest of veterans, students, senior citizens and those who wish to visit our national parks and monuments to discover the greatness of our fair land.
ideology vs reality. no shutdown no compromise........hey, we need to help weeper johnny boy.
I really can't believe anyone takes her seriously. But then we've got Marco Rubio, Allen West and Rick Scott. WTF?
Some people take Glenn Beck seriously. Sarah Palin and Sharon Angle. Rush Limbaugh. Pee Wee Herman.
@JimS: Hey----don't put Pee Wee in the same sentence as those overpaid propagandists.
**knock, knock** Oh Michellllleeeeee, is anyone in there? Is there a person in that vacant gaze? Why is it that every time I see her, I think of "Stepford Wives"? What is clear from this interview is that Michelle believes that compromise is defined by everyone else caving into what SHE wants. Do you think she learned that at that fine institution of Higher Learning, Oral Roberts University Law School, the one that doesn't exist any more? I do wish that someone would ask her if she is for farm subsidies being cut. That might impact the Bachmann bottom line since her family farms gets some serious change. I imagine the Republican leadership is scared witless that she might run for President. I can only hope she does.
@new day: Come on now. Give the girl a break. I saw another post that said she was a MILF. Whatever in the heck that is. The girls' got legs though. Maybe I should stick with stand up?
Clearly, she's had some sort of consultation with a makeup and hair person, wouldn't you say? She looked presentable--with the MUTE button "on", of course.
For the life of me I cannot understand why the media continues to give this lady airtime. They never get any questions answered. When she is confronted with a question that would shed light on her ability to be substantive she gives that "bird in the headlights" look and talks randomly about stuff that has nothing to do with the original question.
This is a pathetic display and I blame the media for using airtime that could be used for more constructive and informitive politicians. Stop giving her all this attention until she decides to address the issues that you ask her to address. I listened to that interview and it was disgusting. I would like to hear information that is useful to me and not have to listen to the sounds of a cricket in the dark of night after you have gone to bed. You know, you get up to look for it and it stops chirping but as soon as you get back in bed it starts all over again with the same annoying chirp.
Had to get that off my chest, thank you.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, this woman is the biggest idiot since Sarah Palin.
Howard Stern. You're on the air. WNBC!
Michelle has a rough time keeping what little of a brain she has. Every time she takes a dump, her brain goes in the sewer system.
Michelle B. has taken over the top spot of Queen of the extreme TP's, bet Sarah is really PO'd. She will not compromise one bit, because she'll lose her Queen title, sorta like a beauty pagent. Zero thought for real people, just another publicity hound, looking for dollars.
michelle-1073610 - Michelle Bachmann is being outrageous because she needs to distance herself from the pack if she is going to run for President in 2012. They all do that. We ahve Mike Huckabee - usually a very moderate fellow - saying stuff that only a birther can love. We have the same thing from Donald Trump, and even T-Paw has said a few whoppers.
It is all a game to them.
How will a government shutdown help High Pitch Eric or the Howard Stern show?
What an ugly mouthed bimbo, she is a loser. Someone needs to tell this idiot she is stupid. She cares more for herself than the people she is supposed to be helping, another Palin, its all about ME and ME only.
Politifact rated tons of the things that michele, the head puppet of the ultra-rich and the tea party, as being false. What could she say? DUH. In short the head puppet is also a liar. A complete waste of time. Whadaya spect. LIARS. LIARS. LIARS. PUPPETS ARE LIARS.
Love Politifact as a source for who's telling the truth and who's not. Wish the network news organizations would consult it before interviewing some of these figures and force them to answer questions about their untruths!
 Well of course I am going to take a different point of view because I firmly believe that she would make a far better POTUS then the current Troll we have now so I for one want to know what she has to say
Whether or not you support Obama, I cannot fathom why you would support Bachmann. She never has anything of substance to say and has repeatedly been shown to be inaccurate, or just plain lying, in her statements.
http://politifact.com/personalities/michele-bachmann/
Certainly there is someone better the Republicans can find to represent them!
What NEEDS to be done is get rid of all the extremists, and remove the overall sliminess from politics, Anyone have a solution as to HOW to do that? Politics in this country seem to have little to do with reality lately. If either side makes a move the other instantly ratchets up rhetoric. What NEEDS to happen is both sides need to debate, negotiate, select the best of BOTH ideas, and generate legislation FROM THE CENTER. Unfortunately this requires mature politicians who realize that they are not going to get their way. It also requires politicians that are more interested in passing REAL legislation than trying to implement a social agenda.
President Obama has tried and tried again to bargain with these people. How do you make a deal with someone who starts off by saying I will not Compromise? Michelle Bachmann says there will not be a shutdown but we are not going to compromise, what does that say? Who is being Unreasonable here?
I can see that MANY of you have bought into the fact that there is a budget crisis. THERE IS NO BUDGET CRISIS. This is a carefully fabricated situation by the Tea Publicans to MAKE it look like they are doing something. COME ON PEOPLE! We all know the republicans are giving away monies to the corporation and the very rich, what do you think the end result of such action would be????
heheh well the forth one might be a bit radical but what a money maker that would be! WAKE UP AMERICA 2012 is right around the corner. Do we want this whole country to turn into Wisconsin?
Palin / Bachmann 2012 ;)
franko-I believe the new budget cuts the Republicans are pushing includes the mental healthcare you despirately need. Sorry.
Palin / Bachmann 2012 - Dope and Strange!
Please please please please please please please run. Jon Stewart needs the material.
I am pretty sure that Bachmann (and various other loons) are supported by Stewart and the late-night comedians so that they continually have fodder for their shows!
YEA!! The government is going to shut down! Let's all celebrate
It is going to make our already difficult lives that much easier wont it?
I just don't understand Tea Publicans, just as things are getting better they want to shut everything down? WHY would you want do do that unless your goal is to utterly destroy the economic fabric of this country. I suppose it is better to shut Government down than let it succeed when you are philosophically opposed to some pretty easy solutions. Does that seem rather childish to anyone else? Do these values represent you?
There are consequences for every action and the will surely be some consequences at the Poll come 2012. Barely in power and totally abusing what little you have, the American public has had it with phony mandates and comic book politicians. There will be a backlash against these radical Tea Publican actions and I am not talking about '2nd amendment remedies' either ......
Palin / Bachmann 2012 ;)
Its because teabaggers are convinced that it isn' them who are the biggest recipients of socialist government programs...there is so much irony in a silver haired medicare card carrying teabagger screaming about getting the government out of their government run healthcare...
Bachmann and Palin are living proof that blondes are not the stupid ones. And the big reason we are in this mess. Anyone one from either party with any common sense and decency and intelligence is not in politics and is having nothing to do with all of this chaos and angst. What we see is the left overs
Just what we needed! Another Tea Party MILF without a brain in her head!
You honestly believe Palin or Bachmann are MILF material???
No just like all of those people that follow the Tea Party they are just stupid bitches, and yes in some case witches.
You honestly believe Palin or Bachmann are MILF material???
Somebody screwed their brains out years ago.
This MILF thing is interesting. I would like a report from anyone who has slept with Bachmann or Palin. Any good?
Yes my ol stud leroy slept with them both. He said they are so dry, you coulndt get them wet with a fire hose.
She should be totally ignoredby the media. Hey Bachmann how about the Chinese, where is your anger, a dissident has disappeared, isn't it time to limit trade or is your anger mitigated by the corporations.
They won house control by a smaller margin than the Democrats did in 2008 and these delusional nimrods think they were elected viceroys for the rich.
@Frank: They are viceroys for the rich. A government shutdown will only hurt the American citizenry. The Insurance frauders, Banking theives, Wall Street manipulators and Oil War Proffiteers wil suck more cash out of the middle class. This is all going to plan. Too bad we don't have a president who will call them what they are.
Ms Bachmann has yet to see a camera she didn't want to blither to. Too bad she prefers to engage her mouth long before her brain. Is this really the best her MN district has to offer?
As a 64 yr old woman with a high school education, I can only say, where does this woman get her facts. It is shamful that I would know more than a U.S. Congresswoman, about our government and more about the history of this country. Congresswoman Bachman still cant admitt to not knowing when shes lieing or telling the truth. I used to vote republican, no more, these people are like nothing I have ever seen. Here in S.C. we are faced with the same kind of candidates, total wingnuts and constituants who dont keep up with politics and who have no idea whats going on, except that we have a black president and we need to take our country back. Most of these people cant afford to go to the dentist, and they are worried about taking our country back, back to what, the dark ages?
marty,
Where ya' been, GF? I have GOT to get you over to the dewdrop! Look for an invite!
@Marty: Research your history. The Dark Ages were very good for the Religious ruling classes. Now the Christian Taliban see their opportunity. When they say they want to take "Their country back," what they really mean is they want it removed from you. They wave the Bible but don't understand its meaning. Everything about the extreme right wing seems a bit too much in sympathy with Lucifer's ideas about how man should be ruled.
I would campaign door to door to not elect you lady.
Question: What do you call Backman, Gingrich, and Palin at the bottom of the ocean?
Answer: A good start.
Sedition IS A Crime! Purposely shutting down the government IS SEDITION! I suggest detain them, charge them and send them to Guantanamo (or better yet deep in Yucca Mt.).
The Republicans have already compromised,” Michell Backman said????
That lady is so consistent. She has always one t-bagger response.
One that doesn't exist.
Wow . . . she's purty . . . lets elect her President! ;o)
No one takes Micky seriously ...she out right lied about the death squads ..keeping thousands of seniors from seeking medical attention...for fear of being killed at the doctors office ! And not one apology..... she has NO conscience ! You can't believe or trust her !! palin led Micky around by the nose ..and she fell for it ...now palin has a much better chance to win then she does !
Its funny that some one who thinks shes so smart was hoodwinked by Sno Cone Barbie !