Editorial: "Congresswoman Michele Bachmann doing voters disservice by ducking debates"

Editorial by Don Heinzman in the Princeton Union Eagle:

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has decided to participate in only three debates with Democrat Cheryl Clark, and only one of those debates will be in the Sixth District.

This is in keeping with her declining requests for more debates and public appearances in her district.

The only debate in the district will be Tuesday, Oct. 26 at a meeting of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce.

The other two will be with KSTP Oct. 31 and Minnesota Public Radio Oct. 28.

Bachmann, who has become the darling of the Tea Parties and is making campaign appearances all over the country, is turning down requests to appear at political forums in her district.

She had 12 requests for campaign appearances and accepted three.

She turned down requests from the Citizens League in Elk River and Monticello.

Not only has Bachmann been missing in action, but critics are asking what has she done for the people in her district?

While recognizing that it’s difficult to pass legislation when she is in the minority party, Bachmann says she authored one bill with Democratic Congressman Tim Mahoney. It was the Credit and Debit Card Receipt Clarification Act, which was signed into law June 3, 2008. The purpose was to bring an end to frivolous lawsuits aimed at small businesses, she said.

She did, however, drop her support of the $21 million St.Croix Bridge project in Stillwater and two projects for St.Cloud, all in her district. One was for a $6.4 million for an interchange and another for $500,000 to widen the University Drive bridge.

Bachmann said these were two of her toughest decisions but she said earlier that week the nation’s debt reached $13 trillion and there was no way she could spend more money without first getting a handle on reducing the debt and deficit first. Even so, she says it is her hope that these projects are included in the final bill, even without her support.

She has answers and reasons for her votes that residents in her district need to hear. They’ll have to travel to the one debate in St. Cloud to ask questions and hear her answers.