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Subscribe to RSSMichele Bachmann campaigns on her family roots in Waterloo, Iowa. And she used those roots and a family reunion as the reason she was late to Sunday night’s high-profile dinner and speeches featuring her, Rick Santorum, and new presidential candidate Rick Perry.
But a family source tells NBC News, Bachmann was not at the event.
"About 10 years ago was the last time I saw Michele at a reunion," Shirly Movick, 76, who said she is Bachmann’s first cousin, told NBC News. She added that she hadn't seen Bachmann, or her family, come to the reunion "since she's been involved in politics."
Movick confirmed that Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, and the couple's three daughters, did attend the event, however. The reunion, in Lake Mills, IA, is held annually on the second Sunday of August. Movick said she has been going all her life.
The revelation, first reported by Politico, raises questions about a response Bachmann gave a reporter Sunday evening. While taking questions from reporters following her appearance at the Black Hawk County GOP dinner, Bachmann was asked why she had not arrived earlier to the dinner, in time to see Perry's speech.
"We had a full day today," Bachmann responded. "I was doing a number of things down in Ames. And we had a big family reunion just north of Waterloo."
The Bachmann campaign maintained she was with family.
"There were a few family reunion events that weekend,” campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart told NBC. “She attended one on Friday. Marcus and the kids went to one on Sunday, and Michele met with family members on her own."
Asked to clarify why Bachmann missed Perry's speech, and why she did not mix-and-mingle before her own speech, Stewart said, "Like I said -- she was with family members before AND she mixed with the crowd for half an hour after she spoke."
But how Bachmann comported herself at this event -- and others -- also raises questions about her level of dedication to real retail campaigning. This one, like others, have been more rally than retail. Unlike Perry and Santorum, she did not sit and chat at tables before the speeches during the dinner portion. Instead, she signed autographs on stage for about 30 minutes, as music blared from speakers.
That rankled organizer Judd Saul, spokesman for the Black Hawk County GOP and the self-proclaimed leader of the area’s Tea Party.
"If you claim Waterloo,” he said, “come and dine with Waterloo.” (Bachmann was born in Waterloo.)
Saul was also irked that the party wasn’t able to capitalize on having two big-name speakers and raise the kind of money they could have because of Bachmann.
"We had a couple speakers scheduled to speak after her,” he said, “and we were going to do our big ask for our fundraiser, but as soon as she was done, the music blasted up; she started signing autographs, and … people just started leaving. So two speakers missed their chance to speak, and we missed our ask to the Republicans here for our fundraising -- extra money that we needed to carry for the caucus."
At her speech at the Des Moines Register’s “Soap Box” at the Iowa State Fair this weekend, she was half an hour late, gave just a 2-minute, 45-second speech -- far shorter than other candidates, some of whom took up their full 20 minutes of allotted time and also took questions. Bachmann did not. Toward the end of the speech, she said, "I'm coming out to shake your hand.” She shook some hands, but made a beeline about 50 feet to a waiting golf cart and was driven off.
There have also been examples of reporters being manhandled by her security staff – at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans in June, at a South Carolina event in July, and then again at the State Fair.
Sunday's Republican dinner was closely watched, because it marked the first time Bachmann, fresh from her win Saturday at the Ames Straw Poll, would share an event with Perry, who is likely to compete for many of the same kinds of voters. And with Perry’s entrance into the race, how Bachmann does retail -- in states where it matters like Iowa and New Hampshire -- is likely to get more scrutiny.
*** UPDATE *** Stewart contacted NBC to emphasize that security at the RLC, when the incident occured with a reporter, was provided by the hotel.
*** UPDATE 2 *** On security, Stewart says: "Michele Bachmann is a high-profile congresswoman. On the heels of the Gabby Giffords shooting, security is of the utmost concern to our campaign. We have a former Secret Service officer who's protected presidents and vice presidents, and if someone gets too close to the candidate, he warns them."
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Republicans, ALL liars !
At least, President Obama does not make fake excuses, he always shows up !
"At least, President Obama does not make fake excuses, he always shows up !"
Yeah, on the GOLF COURSE.
Ask her if she sees Russia from her bedroom window and she will cry YES without even blinking.
Just another Sarah Palin fighting to get her name as VP in a Republican ticket.
We don't see AK from MN, we see Canada. That's our illegal immigration problem, too. Those darn Canadians but hey, they're mostly white so no one complains much.
And we also call casseroles "hot dish." Go figure.
I think you are being a little hard on looney tunes
Give me a break. We are REALLY debating whether Bachman lied about being late because she was at a family reunion?!
Mr Obama lies daily about BIG things and no one cares! Obamacare will lower healthcare costs.... Not true... Republicans in congress are why we have a debt downgrade..... I want to compromise.....
And yet what gets the press? Was Michele Bachman REALLY at a family reunion?! Unbelievable.....
The Liberal media LIES because they can't tell the truth. What would the truth sound like? Things like......"Obama has no plan that's why he gave 9 speeches about JOBS and has yet to put a plan out there. " OR, " After claiming tranparency, Obamacare was shoved down your throats and crafted by DEMS ONLY behind closed doors for 18 months. " OR, "We promised a fix to Illegal Immigration but we decided to just talk about it because the Hispanics will probably vote for us ANYWAY." OR, "We know Biden is the dumbest man in politics ( a gaff machine) but we call all the Repubs DUMB, especially the women, because we liberals own the media and the stupid electorate buys it."
How DARE Bachmann's terrorist, America destroying socialist nazi Obama loving America destroying terrorist FAMILY question Bachmann's family values? What would Michele's liberal terrorist family POSSIBLY know about her family?
You liberal terrorist Obama loving media will not stop until you destroy Bachmann, even though she's been sent by GOD to rescue us! (Hold on, I dropped my tinfoil hat).
socialist nazi is a completely contradictory statement and discredits your entire post. Nazi's are the complete opposite and the nazi party acutally rose to power in response to a socialist govt in germany.... if your gunna make uncalled for insults at least make them make sense.
drewv, I think you're missing the sarcasm in the post.
She has an ex secret service guy protecting her so people don't get too close to her? Who would want to, I'd be afraid of cooties of the far right variety.
She's a teabagger. Most of what comes out of her mouth is a lie.
How is this news?
Barry, you are a low-down left-wing nutsacker. All that ever comes from your mouth is vomit.
@ Marilyn-2098599:
Robert in Oregon is not disparaging Canada, he is refuting Paul-Florida, who stated (referring to Pres. Obama's bus...):
Paul-Florida is attempting to disparage Pres. Obama for buying a Canadian-made bus. Disparagement based on a lie - hmmm...I wonder what Paul-Florida's political tendencies might be.
What CAN you believe from this person's mouth? Not much. Check the national PolitiFact website and you'll see she is a leader in Pants-on-Fire ratings.
Interesting enough, check PolitiFact nationally as far back as they list, which is the 2008 campaign, and you will see the tea bag and conservative politicians (is there a difference any more?), yappers, bloggers and supporters of that ilk, and you'll find that the account for the most Pants-on-Fire lies. A few weeks back, I did the drill of tallying up the numbers and the tea bag/conservative politicians, bloggers, yappers and supporting righties accounted for 137 Pants-on-Fire lies. Democrat politicans and libs, and their ilk, accounted for 23.
Bachmann, like many of her stripe, have moved from the "conventional spin" of politicans to just outright tossing out made-up figures, facts and whatever supports their position at the time. They count on the fact that 99 percent of the people don't pay attention, hear bits and pieces, forget and will never question it. So, they know they can get away with planting a perception that supports their position even if it is a straight-up lie. The one exception is that never lie about your sexual daliances because people do pay attention to that. But they lie anyway.
They can do this because their base never checks anything. If on Monday Michele Bachman says "the sky is green", they will believe it. If on Tueday she says the "sky is Orange", they will believe that as well.
Just look at the absurd things they believe: WMD's, Death Panels, Euthanasia, Kill Grandma.
Only a four year old and a republican would believe the things these people say.
Stick a fork in this broad she is done! Bachmann and Newty can drop out next. Now if they could just stop showing anything to do with Palin I could maybe stand to watch TV again.
When will Obama drop out?? His record just gets worse and worse....and his accomplishments...just dont exist....Too bad that he is bringing the country down with him....
I guess we will see in September if He is doing it alone or if he has conspirators helping him, like the Tea Party/House of Reps (they are the same entity). If they sit on their thumbs anymore and let the economy and let people continue to lose their jobs without doing anything aggressive to stop it, they will be blamed. It is going to be a more contincuous public fight this time. They are all vying for the next election and this may be their big last bang opportunity.
They can continue in their quest to not let anything good happen while Obama is President and whoever gets the most blame will pay the price in the next election. I know Obama only has a 41% approval but the HOuse has 13%.
Robert...we are going further into debt by 1.65 tril per year....Is that what you mean by doing something aggressive??? That is working so well for us...
Does it make a difference, most of what she says is a lie, even if she doesnt realize it, ( not very bright, you know). All of this is a waste of time, she does not have the money to hang with the big boys, Romney or Perry. Ron Paul, is in the same situation, with many more supporters than Bachman, and he has already been thrown away and forgotten about. Ron Paul ,doesnt lie, ( even if his views are deplorable ), hes not a lier.
It's a well known fact that Brian Ross of ABC and Don Lemons of CNN are so gangsta. Gosh, after the little incident with Lemons, I bet Michele is saying she now knows "two!" District six isn't exactly very diverse.
Obviously, Bigmouth Bachmann still has a LOT to learn about politics. If you lie, you WILL get caught!
she is an idiot, we not she need protection, from her.
She is a brilliant success......at making sarah palin look ....brilliant
Why would anyone be surprised at yet another Michele Bachman lie?
whatev... couldnt care less, one way or the other.
the media loooooves her, but i dont know a single normal person for whom this candidate is even on the radar.
typical...the media does its own thing....theyre in their own world.
Hey she got more than 4,000 straw poll votes after giving out 6,000 free tickets!!
I say stop picking on her, the more we know about her and her kind the better intelligent candidates look.
"I was doing a number of things down in Ames. And we had a big family reunion just north of Waterloo." Where did she say she attended? She DOES say she was "doing a number of things"... probably helping prepare the rest of her family that did attend. Whether or not she goes to family reunions herself is her business. And if you see a lie here, you REALLY need help.
So you don't think she was trying to imply that she attended the family reunion?
Bachmann is a waste of space on any ballot. At least Caribou Barbie looks good.
Oh God, another Tea Bagger Crack Pot. She lied about the family reunion because they probably hate her too! Keep up the good work Tea Baggers.
4 more years, 4 more years!!!!!
Bachmann another Sarah Palin what can I say. It is strange how the Republicans has so many nursery school candiates.
Bachmann another big lier and another confused Republican.
Poor Michele Bachmann. If she does not become president, she will have to stay in Cogress whining about the Big Government wasting money, while she accepts more government largesse for herself and her family. Foghorn Leghorn Perry hates Washington and overspending, while he accepts stimulus money to "balance" Texas' budget, that's why is willing to sacrifice himself, go to DC and "ride on Air Force One" and take the other perks, but does he still want Texas to stay in the US or is he kicking the state to the curb? Just sayin' yall.