Michele Bachmann 2006 Campaign Ad Put Patty Wetterling in Crosshairs

From this 10/22/2006 DB post:

Does anybody else find this disturbing?

The video was on Bachmann's campaign website and is archived on Michael Brodkorb's You Tube channel:

The Tracker Controversy & Michele Bachmann

There's a controversy about "trackers", party-staffers who follow the other party's candidates around with video cameras.

Fox News:

Republican Party spokesman Mark Drake says camera-carrying staffers are a staple of the modern campaign and the GOP will keep using them.

"I'm sure Mark Dayton would like to hide from the voters for the next three months. That's just not going to happen," Drake said.

When Eva and I were not allowed to bring our camera into the arena to make a video of the GOP 6th CD Convention in Blaine in 2007, I had to stand outside the building with my camera. Even so, they surrounded Bachmann with supporters to prevent me from capturing her on video leaving the building (see video below).

In addition, Andy Parrish, Bachmann's campaign manager pointed his video camera at me.

Reporters need to ask Andy Parrish if the Bachmann campaign will continue to hide his candidate from reporters and bloggers.

Tom Emmer Tiptoes Away From Bradlee Dean - Will Bachmann do the Same?

At a recent press conference, MN GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer said the following:

"I bought a table. That's a non-issue. You got some information yesterday when I was on the road. Bradlee Dean, Jake... I met them a couple of times. One of the my constituents is a great supporter of theirs. He asked me to get involved. We were going to have some young kids go to one of their annual events. We bought a table. That's what that's about."

Reporter: "Do you support his comments or where do you stand on what he's been saying?"

Emmer: "I met Bradlee and Jake a couple of times. I think they're good people. I don't know what they said. I don't know, wasn't there, haven't heard it. Some folks have told me in the last 12 hours that somebody might ask about it. This is a non-issue. I don't condone violence and would never support it. When somebody says something that's strong and suggests that, that's not what I'm about.

The only violence should be with a couple of referees on a hockey rink with sticks and puck.

Tom Emmer really didn't know about Bradlee Dean's extremist views? See yesterday's post for a small sample.

But at least, Tom Emmer said something about his association with Bradlee Dean.

What does the MN GOP leadership have to say about Bradlee Dean and YCRBYCH?

Andy Birkey's MnIndy article quoted Dean's and radio co-host Jake McMillian :

“We were at the GOP, the GOP saw what we do and they identified with it,” McMillian said. “Even when I was sitting down with Tony Sutton and just going over what we do as a ministry, I said to him, ‘Do you know any other groups that are reaching the demographic we are reaching with the message that we are?’ And, of course, it was blink-blink, ‘No, I don’t, so I want you guys a part of this convention with us.’”

He added, “And then they invited and they gave us a free table. Amen.”

McMillian goes on to say the MN Republicans were "very supportive" of YCRBYCH.

Listen:



Is the MN GOP really supportive of YCRBYCH. Did Tony Sutton really say he wanted YCRBYCH to be a part of the convention?

Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out and the author of "Bashing Back: Wayne Besen on GLBT People, Politics and Culture"comments on the close association Minnesota Republicans have with Bradlee Dean and his ministry of hate:

Minnesota is a troubling example of GOP leaders in bed with extremists. According to the Minnesota Monitor, a radical anti-gay ministry, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide (YCR), has solidified ties to the Republican Party of this state. The group is linked to Rep. Michele Bachmann and gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.

YCR recently said on its radio show that Muslim countries that use the death penalty for gays and lesbians are “more moral than even the American Christians”. While this has caused Emmer to tiptoe away from YCR, the question remains, why is the GOP cavorting with crazies?

Good question for Michele Bachmann and other leaders in the MN GOP.

Brodkorb Calls Bachmann & Palin "The Gold Standard" of the GOP

GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb talking to Esme Murphy about the rally in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Modus Operendi for Michele Bachmann's Forums

Commenter Liz asked about the previous Bachmann "forums". Other commenters answered:

Liz:

Bachmann had a "forum" last April on climate change and cap and trade. She had this "expert" a climate change denier who simply held forth on how terrible the cap and trade legislation was, and how great it would be if everyone could own four or five gas guzzlers. No questions.

Republicans deplore those who object to the teabaggers and who shout at legitimate town halls as anti-democratic. Of course, when Bush was President, you could not attend if you were not pre-screened as a Bush supporter. If you were like those people who wore dissenting T-shirts at such an event, you were escorted out by the police. Bachmann's town fora are evidence of the total hypocrisy of the right. When Pawlenty says the Republican Party is winning the "battle of ideas" he means they are winning the battle of not having any ideas and defeating people who do. Bachmann demonstrates how this is done.
jonerik | 08.18.09 - 9:39 am | #

Liz

Bachmann has held a couple of these "forums", where she brings in an "expert" who speaks on a topic. She introduces the speaker, smiles while he/she is speaking, and that's all that happens. There are no questions taken from the audience and answered by Bachmann. It is NOT a townhall meeting.

She did one on Social Security and one on Cap and Trade.

The Cap and Trade "forum" was a speaker who works for the oil industry . . . basically he was there to say that global warming doesn't exist and we don't need to do anything about it.

There is no interaction between Bachmann and the audience at these forums. Constituents don't get to ask questions.
Anna

Republican Party of Minnesota Deputy Chair, Michael Brodkorb has something to say about politicians who don't answer constituent questions:

Michael Brodkorb speaks out on politicians who won't interact with the public to answer tough questions

Here's a video clip posted to YouTube by Dusty Trice. In the notes attached to his post, Trice points out that Brodkorb's remarks here could well apply to Michele Bachmann:



Ouch! I couldn't agree with Brodkorb more, on this one. Especially since I have "participated" in one of Michele Bachmann's famous "Tele-Town Hall meetings," where I spent about an hour on the line and didn't get to ask my "tough question" at all. (And I'm a constituent, remember.)

There are lots of Bachmann constituents who write in here and report a similar "Bachmann Tele-Town Hall" experience. In case you didn't know, these "tele-town hall meetings" are not town hall meetings at all. They're more like conservative talk radio, where Bachmann call screeners get to decide "which questions it's okay to ask."

The YouTube clip is short--maybe Brodkorb went on to add "unless you're Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, then it's okay to screen out tough questions from constituents."

But I doubt he went on to add that. So: since I hardly ever find myself in agreement with Mr. Brodkorb, it's pleasant to find out that we see eye-to-eye on whether or not Michele should run for office.