And then there is Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

[question everything]

Don't know much about history

Someone on Rep. Michele Bachmann's staff needs to introduce the lawmaker to Wikipedia. If someone had, she could have avoided becoming a national laughingstock -- again. On Tuesday, the congresswoman said, "I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence."

Bachmann apparently sees some significance in the fact that the last flu epidemic occurred under a Democratic president. Except, of course, it didn't. Not only is Bachmann drawing some kind of bizarre connection that only she understands, she also doesn't realize who was president in 1976. (It was Gerald Ford, a Republican.)

A day earlier, on the floor of the House, Bachmann blamed President Franklin Roosevelt for turning a recession into a depression through his support of the "Hoot-Smalley" tariffs. If only she had Googled, says John B. Judis at the Plank.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachman is blaming the Great Depression on Franklin Roosevelt's support for the "Hoot-Smalley Act." Before ganging up on Bachmann for mistaking "Hoot-Smalley" for "Smoot-Hawley" or for attributing its passage to Roosevelt (it happened under Hoover) or for saying that Calvin Coolidge had to deal with a worse recession than Roosevelt did (he didn't -- and she is probably thinking of the recession that happened under Harding), note that Bachmann really made an innocent mistake. She was clearly conflating Smoot and Hawley with the Roy Smalley III, the Minnesota Twins shortstop.

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/44022262.html?page=2&c=y

[question everything]

1. And a letter

OK, Rep. Michele Bachmann was wrong in correlating Democratic control of the White House and swine flu outbreaks in the United States. So whom are we to blame then? I suggest the Pittsburgh Steelers. Did they not win the Super Bowl in both 1976 and 2009? That just happens to coincide with the last two outbreaks. Coincidence? I do not know, but I implore Rep. Bachmann to investigate the Steelers to find out if they are behind this and while she is at it if they are pro-America or anti-America. It also occurs to me that I have never seen QB Ben Roethlisberger's birth certificate. How do we know this guy is an American? I mean, his moniker, Big Ben, is derived from a European landmark, for crying out loud. Rep. Bachmann, your country needs you to get to the bottom of this because, let's face it, no one else will.

MATTHEW JOSEPH, TOKYO

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/letters/44023057.html

[FightingIrish]

2. Oh, that Hoot-Smalley Act

It was some kind of nefarious act committed by Hoot Gibson and Stuart Smalley (AKA Al Franken)



Makes perfect sense to me.

[MADem]

7. That's HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!!!!

And QUICK! CLEVER!!!

Full marks to you!!

:thumbsup:

The hapless and idiotic Republican legislator, OTOH, gets a failing grade!

[burning rain]

11. OMG!

Hoot Gibson looks like the spawn of John McCain and Lindsey Graham, if that were possible!

[Bosso 63]

12. Good picture of Bachmann on the Minnesota forum.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=160x35782

[Alexander]

3. Well, she called herself a "fool for Jesus".

She definitely got the "fool" part right.

[question everything]

14. And the way she gopped Bush during his State of the Union Address

and cooed about how much she and Palin were alike.

What a ditz!

[grantcart]

4. According to the CDC its not her fault

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8389090&mesg_id=8389090

[democrat2thecore]

5. She is certifiable. A complete wingnut loon. -nt

[47of74]

6. Bachman is locked in a struggle

Bats--t Crazy Congresswoman Michell Bachmann is locked in a struggle with other Congress Critters such as Virginia Foxx, Paul Brown, and Joe Barton over who is the biggest dumb f--k in the House.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Oh no. This isn't a contest.

Bachmann wins this running away.

[Occam Bandage]

9. Don't be ridiculous.

Combined, those three don't have one tenth the crazy or the stupid that Michelle Bachmann has.

[opihimoimoi]

10. She is in a category all by herself....The Ain't So Smart ..Trying to Sound Smart Group

Them Pubs know how to pickum....and If could say...She is a reflection of her district....whole bunches of crazies must exist there for her to get into the US House 2x

[Javaman]

13. she puts the "e" in idiot. nt