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	'''Michele Bachmann''' (born ] ]) is a ] ] in the ] of ], representing the ] area. Bachmann entered elected office in ] as a state senator when she unseated fellow Republican Gary Laidig who held the seat for 28 years. She faced the 10 year incumbent, Jane Krentz, for her first re-election after her district lines were redrawn in ] and won that race by 9 percentage points. Bachmann is best known for supporting an amendment that would ban gay marriage and all legal equivalents such as civil unions and domestic partner benefits.		'''Michele Bachmann''' (born ] ]) is a ] ] in the ] of ], representing the ] area. Bachmann entered elected office in ] as a state senator when she unseated fellow Republican Gary Laidig who held the seat for 28 years. She faced the 10 year incumbent, Jane Krentz, for her first re-election after her district lines were redrawn in ] and won that race by 9 percentage points. Bachmann is best known for supporting an amendment that would ban gay marriage and all legal equivalents such as civil unions and domestic partner benefits.

	She was against the Twin-Cities ] (LRT) as too expensive and out of date, and instead supported the development of ] (PRT) in Minnesota, as an alternative solution to traffic congestion<ref>{{cite web \| title=Personal Rapid Transit Spending Draws Fire at Capitol \| url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/04/26_mccalluml_prt/}}</ref>. Light rail has since been built and has ~~failed.~~ ref>{{cite web \| title=Hiawatha's early success provides momentum \| url=http://www.startribune.com/368/story/36198.html}}</ref>.		She was against the Twin-Cities ] (LRT) as too expensive and out of date, and instead supported the development of ] (PRT) in Minnesota, as an alternative solution to traffic congestion<ref>{{cite web \| title=Personal Rapid Transit Spending Draws Fire at Capitol \| url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/04/26_mccalluml_prt/}}</ref>. Light rail has since been built and has achieved success.ref>{{cite web \| title=Hiawatha's early success provides momentum \| url=http://www.startribune.com/368/story/36198.html}}</ref>.

	In ], Bachmann announced her candidacy for the ] in the ] in ], hoping to succeed current Representative ]. She won Republican Party endorsement and will face child safety advocate ] and the ]'s ] in the general election.		In ], Bachmann announced her candidacy for the ] in the ] in ], hoping to succeed current Representative ]. She won Republican Party endorsement and will face child safety advocate ] and the ]'s ] in the general election.

Revision as of 23:08, 27 September 2006

Michele Bachmann (born April 6 1956) is a Republican State Senator in the U.S. state of Minnesota, representing the Stillwater area. Bachmann entered elected office in 2000 as a state senator when she unseated fellow Republican Gary Laidig who held the seat for 28 years. She faced the 10 year incumbent, Jane Krentz, for her first re-election after her district lines were redrawn in 2002 and won that race by 9 percentage points. Bachmann is best known for supporting an amendment that would ban gay marriage and all legal equivalents such as civil unions and domestic partner benefits.

She was against the Twin-Cities light-rail transit (LRT) as too expensive and out of date, and instead supported the development of personal rapid transit (PRT) in Minnesota, as an alternative solution to traffic congestion. Light rail has since been built and has achieved success.ref>"Hiawatha's early success provides momentum".</ref>.

In 2005, Bachmann announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2006 election in Minnesota's 6 congressional district, hoping to succeed current Representative Mark Kennedy. She won Republican Party endorsement and will face child safety advocate Patty Wetterling and the Independence Party's John Binkowski in the general election.

Platform

Some describe Michele Bachmann as a conservative Republican who aligns with neoconservative values. Local newspapers prefer to identify her as a social conservative. Some of Bachmann's local critics charge that she could be more accurately described as a Christian fundamentalist political candidate.

Favors privatization of Social Security along the lines suggested by the Cato Institute.
Opposes all legal recognition of gay relationships
Favors leaving nuclear attack option on the table in dealing with Iran
Favors personal rapid transit and opposes light rail transit and commuter rail transit
Opposes any minimum wage
Supports the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes

Bachmann has made many controversial statements regarding evolution. During a 2003 interview on KKMS Christian radio program "Talk The Walk", Bachmann claimed publicly that:

(Evolution) is a theory that has never been proven, one way or the other.
Evolution is a belief; evolution is not a fact.
A grain of wheat plus a starfish does not equal a dog, and that this was what evolutionists were teaching in our schools.
Senator Bachmann charged that the State of Minnesota would compel students to prove that evolution is “true”, and at the same time prohibit students from bringing in evidence to the contrary.

Bachmann also co-authored a bill that would require public schools to include alternative explanations for the origin of life as part of the state's public school science curriculums.

After she was elected to the Minnesota State Senate, Bachmann charged that federal laws (such as the School-To-Work law) showed that the United States had a governance structure opposed “to both free enterprise and representative government.” Bachmann claimed that the US government had formally adopted “the failed ideas of a state-planned and managed economy similar to that of the former Soviet Union.” She wrote that the federal government had now “consolidated all local, state and federal policies, programs and funding into a state-managed economic system.” Bachmann also charged that the US was implementing a new national school curriculum that embraced a “socialist, globalist worldview; loyalty to all government and not America.”

2006 congressional election

Bachmann received fundraising support from a visit in early July, 2006 from speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. On July 21, 2006 she was visited by Karl Rove to raise funds for her election and was greeted with protests.

The majority of Bachmann's financial support has come from outside the 6 congressional district, including:

an event featuring Vice President Dick Cheney held on June 26 at the Lake Minnetonka home of William Hawks, a wealthy investor who is threatening to use eminent domain to take Minneapolis Park Board land for a private hydroelectric plant on the Mississippi River
a fund-raiser in wealthy Lake Minnetonka, featuring President Bush, held Aug. 22 at the home of a wealthy supporter.
donations Bachmann received from California Congressman Richard Pombo's Rich PAC. In October 30, 2005, a New York Times editorial described Pombo as "an outspoken product of the extreme property rights movement." In 2005 Pombo's sweeping rewrite of the 1973 Endangered Species Act was widely denounced by environmentalists as a disturbing retreat from habitat protection.
approximately $50,000 that the Bachmann campaign received from members of the Alliance for Separation of School and State (ASSS). ASSS is a national organization that asks members and American citizens to sign the following proclamation: "I proclaim publicly that I favor ending government involvement in education." ASSS believes that public schools were originally instituted to wipe out tolerance and diversity and calls for an end to public funding of education.
Individual contributions that the Bachmann 2006 congressional campaign received from at least eight prominent persons who have been identified as likely members of the Council For National Policy(CNP). The CNP is a secretive conservative Christian policy group founded by Reverend Tim LaHaye, author of the popular “Left Behind” series of apocalyptic novels. Many prominent media evangelists and political activists have been linked to the CNP, including Dr. James Dobson of Focus On The Family and D. James Kennedy, a leader of the Dominionism movement. None of the eight Bachmann donors alleged to be CNP members give addresses in the 6th District of Minnesota. It is difficult to confirm CNP membership status of individual Bachmann contributors because the CNP keeps its proceedings and membership list secret. Among the eight individual Bachmann contributors alleged to be members of the CNP are Beverly LaHaye (of Concerned Women For America, wife of CNP founder Reverend Tim LaHaye) and conservative activist Howard Phillips.

In addition, her personal behavior has faced scrutiny. For example Bachmann was photographed observing a gay rights rally at the state capitol from behind bushes.

Personal

Michele Bachmann is married, has 5 children and has had over 20 foster children. She has a step-sister who is gay.

Bachmann has a law degree from the Coburn School of Law at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. However, Bachmann is not authorized to practice law in her home state of Minnesota.

Quotations

“We’re in a state of crisis where our nation is literally ripping apart at the seams right now, and lawlessness is occurring from one ocean to the other. And we’re seeing the fulfillment of the Book of Judges here in our own time, where every man doing that which is right in his own eyes—in other words, anarchy.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 6, 2004.

"Iran is at a point right now where America has to be very aggressive in our response. We can’t remove any option off the table, and we should not remove the nuclear response."--Senator Michele Bachmann, interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio, May 3, 2006

On her 2004 state capitol rally for a same-sex marriage ban: “Listeners should rejoice right now, because there are believers all across your listening area that are praying now. And I would say that if you can’t attend the rally, you can pray. And God calls us to fall on our faces and our knees and cry out to Him and confess our sins. And I would just ask your listeners to do that now. Cry out to a Holy God. He wants to hear us, He will hear us if we will confess our sins and cry out to Him. Our children are worth it and obedience to God demands it.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 6, 2004.

On same-sex marriage: “This is probably the biggest issue that will impact our state and our nation in the last, at least, thirty years. I am not understating that.”--Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.

On radical Islam: “This really is the number one issue for our country right now, how are we going to deal with this threat of radical Islam.”—Senator Michele Bachmann, Northern Alliance Radio Network, September 9, 2006

On public education: “That’s my number one issue.”--Senator Michele Bachmann, quoted in Stillwater Gazette, Monday, July 24, 2006. K. Janisch, “Rove stumps for Bachmann in Stillwater”.

On same-sex marriage: “… This is an earthquake issue. This will change our state forever. Because the immediate consequence, if gay marriage goes through, is that K-12 little children will be forced to learn that homosexuality is normal, natural and perhaps they should try it.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.

On what would happen if her same-sex marriage ban failed to pass in 2004: “...Our K-12 public school system, of which ninety per cent of all youth are in the public school system, they will be required to learn that homosexuality is normal, equal and perhaps you should try it. And that will occur immediately, that all schools will begin teaching homosexuality.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 6, 2004.

“And what a bizarre time we’re in, Jan, when a judge will say to little children that you can’t say the pledge of allegiance, but you must learn that homosexuality is normal and you should try it.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 6, 2004.

On her March 2004 rally against same-sex marriage: “It will be an awesome day. We are going to be beseeching the Lord.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.

“I am a tax attorney. I have to warn you, this is not a pretty sight. You have a tax attorney who’s also a politician. So if there’s anyone who needs sanctification, it is me.” -–Senator Michele Bachmann, Edwatch conference, October 10-11, 2003

“Spending comes just as natural to liberals in Minnesota and the Minnesota legislature as bashing decency comes to the editorial board of our major metropolitan newspapers.” –Senator Michele Bachmann, Edwatch conference, October 10-11, 2003

On the gay community and same-sex marriage: “This is a very serious matter, because it is our children who are the prize for this community, they are specifically targeting our children.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.

On homosexuality as a mental disorder: “Don’t misunderstand. I am not here bashing people who are homosexuals, who are lesbians, who are bisexual, who are transgender. We need to have profound compassion for people who are dealing with the very real issue of sexual dysfunction in their life and sexual identity disorders.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, September 5, 2004

“This is not about hating homosexuals. I don’t. I love homosexuals.” --Senator Michele Bachmann, appearing as guest on radio program “Prophetic Views Behind The News”, hosted by Jan Markell, KKMS 980-AM, March 20, 2004.

Interviewer: “Answer the question, do you hate homos?” Bachmann: “No, but ask my kids! (laughter)”--Senator Michele Bachmann, Tom Barnard Morning Show, KQRS, broadcast May 12, 2005.

On education laws passed by the US Congress: “Federal law forms a new governance structure that opposes both free enterprise and representative government…A new national curriculum is used that embraces a socialist, globalist worldview; loyalty to all government and not America.” --Michael J. Chapman and Senator Michele Bachmann, “How New U.S. Policy Embraces a State-Planned Economy” © 2001

On Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s “Tax-Free Zones” initiative: “…it’s all for the planned redistribution of wealth which is also stated in this document, the redistribution of wealth which is based on a new concept called equity. And it says this: we must not lose sight of equity, or fairness based on need. Where have you heard that here, today? From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” -–Senator Michele Bachmann, Edwatch conference, October 10-11, 2003

References

External links

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