Tarryl Clark: "Michele Bachmann Putting Big Corporations Above Working Families"

In HuffPo:

Accountability for BP -- and for Michele Bachmann

I guess we shouldn't be surprised that Michele Bachmann is back in the news.

After all, even as Minnesota families struggle to make ends meet, Congresswoman Bachmann is more interested in publicity and promoting a personal agenda than in getting anything done for the people she's supposed to represent.

Still, even for her, leaping to the defense of BP in the wake of the massive Deepwater Horizon spill is shocking.

Michele Bachmann in her own words: "[I]f I was the head of BP, I would let the signal get out there -- 'We're not going to be chumps, and we're not going to be fleeced.' And they shouldn't be. They shouldn't have to be fleeced and make chumps to have to pay for perpetual unemployment and all the rest."

She's even accused President Obama of "extorting money" from BP.

(If you haven't seen the video of Geraldo calling out Bachmann on the extortion claim, you can watch it here.)

It's shocking -- and offensive. There are real people down in the Gulf who are losing their livelihoods. BP should be held accountable for what it's done. And Michele Bachmann should be held accountable for taking their side.

Look, I get just as upset as you do when I see politicians like Michele Bachmann putting big corporations above working families. But getting upset isn't enough -- we have to take action.

That's why I decided to run against Michele Bachmann for Congress. I've spent my career working to improve my community by founding Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity and leading Community Action. As a State Senator, I fought to create jobs and build a better future for working families. And while I've been working hard for my constituents, Michele Bachmann has -- by her own admission -- accomplished nothing for the people of the 6th District. This isn't what we wanted in our Congresswoman.

I believe in accountability. When a government program doesn't work, we should stop paying for it. When a company spills billions of gallons of oil into the Gulf, that company ought to pay to clean it up. And when a Congresswoman makes it clear that her loyalties don't lie with her constituents, it is time for a change.

And so my campaign is releasing a TV ad -- no fancy gimmicks or sneaky politics, just Michele Bachmann's own ridiculous words in defense of BP.

I know it's early in the campaign -- and it's a big addition to our budget -- but I think actions should have consequences, whether you're a big corporation that just dumped oil all over the Gulf Coast or a Congresswoman defending that big corporation.

We're also launching an email campaign to rally our supporters to say, "Enough!" Times are hard for families in across Minnesota. People need jobs, they need better schools, they need health care they can rely on. They don't need a Congresswoman who spends her time building her celebrity status by jetting from state to state to headline Tea Party rallies and right-wing fundraisers.

(See the next DB post about Bachmann in California talking about phasing out Social Security and Medicare.)

I hope this ad will put Michele Bachmann on notice that we've had enough of her antics. And I hope you're ready to help me take her on. Visit TarrylClark.com to find out how.

Excellent response.