DCCC Rips Michele Bachmann

From the DCCC blog.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who is known for the outlandish statements and false claims she makes on cable news shows, has proven herself time and again reluctant to stand by these assertions when forced to answer directly to Minnesotans. As the Congresswoman gears up for a public forum on health care later today, voters are wondering if Congresswoman Bachmann will continue to avoid answering questions on her outrageous, out of touch agenda she seems eager to promote on national cable networks.

"Congresswoman Bachmann is all too eager to chat it up with cable news show hosts and answer questions from hosts like Glenn Beck, but when it comes to answering to the people of Minnesota on her outrageous and phony statements she is silent," said Gabby Adler, the Midwestern Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Voters are eager to hold Congresswoman Bachmann accountable for her out of touch remarks, but she has ducked responsibility in the past by refusing to take questions - voters want to know if they'll face the same type of stonewalling today at the Congresswoman's health care event."

BACKGROUND:

At a recent public forum on Social Security, Congresswoman Bachmann only briefly attended the event and refused to take questions:

"U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., whose office issued a news release billing her as the event's host, appeared an hour into the forum, spoke briefly, then left for another meeting without taking questions." [Bachmann makes brief appearance at public forum, St. Cloud Times 8/26/09]

At a climate forum held earlier this year, Congresswoman Bachmann refused to take questions:

"Bachmann took no questions from the audience Thursday and left the room without addressing requests to substantiate her claim." [Forum Takes on Cap-and-Trade, St. Cloud Times 4/10/09]

In response to a public forum on the Climate Change bill, a concerned citizen expressed her disappointment over Bachmann's avoidance of serious debate in a letter to the editor:

"We were also frustrated and angered by the fact that Bachmann only spoke for a few minutes...She took no questions.

"It was a lot like attending a cult meeting where reality barely seeps into the room."

[Bachmann's Forum Misleads, St. Cloud Times 4/22/09]