While Rep. Michele Bachmann was voting with one hand against the 2007 farm bill that would extend federal farm subsidies programs through 2012, she has been harvesting federal farm subsidies with the other, and slipping them into her own pocket.
A 949-acre Wisconsin farming operation — in which Bachmann owns up to a quarter-million-dollars interest — collected $47,128 in federal farm subsidies between 2004-2005. That same operation — the Bachmann Farm Family Limited Partnership — has collected as much as $127,868 in federal farm subsidies since the partnership was established in 2001.
Michele Bachmann is a Wisconsin farmer? Who knew?
What a shock. Congresswomen Bachmann telling fibs. Thankfully, she won’t be in office to terribly much longer. After Jan 7th, 2008 her and Marcus can go down to Crawford and have key parties.
Funny how the 2007 Farm Bill was designed to help actual Family Farmers be a part of this Nation’s economy, not just the major Coorprate Farms like Cargil, etc. It won’t be long before tehre will not be a Family Farm left, as they will have been swallowed up by the Coorporations.
Never let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. This will be ammunition in the 6th CD race. What irony for sure!
The Blog in question. http://www.ericblackink.com/2007/11/08/a-guest-post-rep-michele-bachmann-opponent-of-farm-subsidies-benefits-from-them/ The facts speak for themselves.
This is making the rounds on Blogs all over Minnesota. Perhaps the Strib and Major Newspapers will pick up on it. Of course, Bachmann will issue a statement that she is being unfairly treated. Oppose a program with votes and earn money at the same time from those said programs=HYPOCRITE!! Plain and simple!!!
Uh…..read another way…..Michele Bachmann votes AGAINST HER OWN INTERESTS by VOTING AGAINST FARM SUBSIDIES THAT WOULD ENRICH HER!!! What else is she supposed to do??? Sell the farm???
Hey Richard, actually willing to bet on your MB election prediction……you set up the third party escrow account and I’ll gladly bet you or anyone else a wager on the 6th district race…..only catch — -I get to vote on Bachmann
Good Luck to ya! Starting bet is $500.
LOLOLS “The Gipper”…Sin’t he that guy that told the American people “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
Republicans have proven how true that can be. But I digress…
“only catch — I get to vote on Bachmann”
Oh my…don’t let me stop you. What a catch she is, and what a big man you are.
What will be the odds on that? Please tell me.
LOLOLS
Bachmann did nothing illegal, Gipper. But this raises questions on her sincerity and intergity to be transparent. Keeping this hush-hush does her no good.
Bachmann considers the SCHIP nothing more than “Socialized Medicine”. What are Federal Subsidies to Coorporate Farms? “Socialized Farming”??? That she would oppose such subsidies, then earn from them in the meantime???
She cannot have it both ways. Perhaps she should sell back her financial interests in the Bachmann Family Farm and be clean from it.
Bachmann, the GOP’s idea of a Hollaback Girl
As Gipper did say, you all can hate on Michelle all you want, but just like I cannot get rid of the great liar Ellison, you will not get rid of Michelle.
Gipper — Who forced Rep. Bachmann to take the subsidies? Are they compulsory?
Again, SHE VOTED AGAINST THE SUBSIDIES!!! Thereby voting AGAINST her personal interests
Now if she voted FOR THEM…..then this conservative would have an objection!!!
So………Anyone want to set up the account for bets on Bachmann????
Third party escrow with a minimum starting $500……what say you liberals??? I need to make some extra cash for when the Dems take over all three legislative branches……my pocket book is gonna bleed 
Hey Kathy,
How much is Bachmann herself personally earning??? I assume you can send me to a link that shows how much money SHE HERSELF (verifiably documented) received in subsidies? No generalities please. I’m looking for something (a document) that has HER NAME and the amount she earned from subsidies. I’ll wait for your reply……..
By the way, the bet’s open to you too Kathy…….look at it this way, with the money you win — you can support your saint Walz for re-election
….you know the independent guy who votes 96% of the time with Pelosi and co.
Gipper, here it is….On her 2007 Congressional financial disclosure form, Bachmann lists “Bachmann Farm Family LP, Independence, WI,” as an asset with a value up to $250,000, that produced 2006 income of between $2,501-$5,000.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/congress/fin_dis/2006/b001256.pdf
A complete disclosure as required by law of other earned incomes. This stating what was earned from teh Bachman Family Farm, which gets Federal Farm Subsudies.
Gipper -
True, she was voting against her financial interest. I am glad to see you find value in that. I hope you’ll congratulate every DFLer who votes to raise their own taxes.
Also,
“What else is she supposed to do??? Sell the farm???”
Well, that would be one option…another would be to just NOT TAKE THE SUBSIDIES!
Zack the fact is the democRats raise taxes on EVERYONE, so pretty lame comparision.
If the democRats were honest, they would not take any tax deductions as they believe the government should control their money.
By this site has reached far lft loonicy when the folks at Democrat Underground is linking to the site.
They got some real kooks over there.
I am in no way a fan of Bachmann but this line of reasoning for criticizing her is stupidity at it’s finest.
By this logic everybody here who is in favor of universal health care should refuse to use any sort of private market based insurance. All those in favor of publicly financed campaigns should refuse to donate money to candidates until it happens. The truth is it is completely rational to live within the system we currently have and still try to change it. Those being forced to pay taxes they don’t agree with can take advantage of the services provided by those taxes without being hypocrites. Those who are in favor of raising taxes but take deductions and tax cuts themselves are true hypocrites.
Those who are in favor of raising taxes but take deductions and tax cuts themselves are true hypocrites.
AMEN!!!!!
Really, people. We ALL know that you would be going crazy had Bachman collected farm subsidies and voted FOR the program. You’d be screaming “Conflict of Interest!! She’ll benefit from this!!”
So she votes against it, and you still have you knickers in a wad? Good grief.
I’m a Republican who collected farm subsidies for a period of time. I bought some family farmland which was already enrolled in a federal Conservation program contract, the remaining 8 years of which I had to honor. Had I opted out, I would have been severely penalized by our Federal USDA. The Conservation payments were at considerably less than the private market rate for rental prices, so it is not exactly like I was fleecing America. The only thing keeping in in the program was the fact that the GOVERNMENT WOULDN’T LET ME LEAVE IT. So yes, in some cases, it is compulsory.
Not saying this is the case with the Congresswoman, but my situation occurs more often than you think. It could be one explanation.
Why was my post deleted that detailed my conversation WITH MICHELE BACHMANN about the family farm in question????? Is this site now being run from Pakistan??? The conversation would help to clear up some of the misunderstandings!!!
Gipper because this blog is not concern with honesty or truths. As long as they can get a zinger in on a Republican they are fine with not being honest.
I think this blog as all should have to claim their political leanings. That way the ones who try to claim non-bias (like this site) could be called for the liars they are.
Let us not forget about teh $2.4 MILLION in farm subsidies that Marion Berry, Democratic Congressman from Arkansas, received in the 10 year span of 1995-2005.
And I think he voted FOR the subsidies to continue. We can all understand why!
MN Publius,
You should be ashamed of yourself for deleting my post!
Gipper!!!
Did you not see the pdf link that is several pages long with Bachmann’a name on it disclosing her “earned” incomes, even from the Bachmann Family Farm, that recieves federal Farm Subsidies??? It’s as close to reading anything with her name on it.
You asked, I provided.
Kathy -
Please clarify for me what the issue is.
1. No conflict of interest - he votes against her own personal gain
2. She’s not “fleecing America” (less than $5,000 per year)
What is the problem again?
Kathy,
I appreciate your link. Seriously
That being said, how do you know that the less than $5,000 is from subsidy? Why is it that that money didn’t come from actual beef/dairy profit produced from the farm? Had my post not been deleted, you would have been privy do a detailed explanation about the farm from Michele herself!!! I talked to her and made a subsequent post about that conversation. I think it would clear up whatever misconceptions and holes that exist. However, you’ll have to petition Musharaf, err, I mean…MN Publius editors, for the releasement of that post! Good Luck! 
she is taking the high road by voting to cut her income..how can anyone possibly criticize that? on the other hand..why shouldnt she take free money if given to her?… she will come out ahead on this issue…grasping at straws once again Mnpoobliar…meanwhile yuo ignore a rwal scandal involving your beloved SOS Ritchie
here is another hypocritical gem.. we will call thias Hyfrankicy.. Al Franken (D-Hollywood) has railed against “Big Pharma”.. recently he went to Texas for a fund raiser (WTF??) hosted by a lobbyist for , you guessed it, Big Pharma!! Hilarious
Gipper - I’d be interested in getting a copy of your comments that were deleted. If as you say, you did interview Congresswoman Bachmann on this matter, and have her defense, we’d be glad to post it on Dump Bachmann. (dumpbachmann@gmail.com). Karl Bremer and Eric Black both contacted the Bachmann office for comment. Why didn’t her press secretary Heidi Frederickson get back to them?
Eva, your hatred of Mrs. Bachmann knows no bounds…this is such a non story it is pathetic
I don’t hate Bachmann. I find her good copy, and I don’t think she belongs in a policy making position.
If this Farm subsidy story is such a non-story, why did Eric Black publish it, and why did the strib pick it up in Blog House?
Eva,
Why is what Bachmann did wrong? She pays her taxes so shouldn’t she have access to the services those taxes provide? You don’t think it is wrong for people who are in favor of publicly financed campaigns to refuse private donations do you?
It is a story because people like stories that play to their prejudices and this one feels good to those who dislike Bachmann. Bachmann, like most politicians, has plenty of real faults. Try focusing on those instead of making yourself a hypocrite with this tripe.
because Black is a left wing shill..and the Strib is a fish wrapper..ever wonder why their circulation is down 8%? you have to do better than that…you hate her faith…I thought you were deepr than that LLoyd..I guess I was wrong
Are only Democrats allowed to be farmers nowadays? That seems very prejudiced.
And I also like the fact that Republicans are supposed to shut their yappers and suck it up when complaining about paying high taxes, but are expected to voluntarily decline any kind of Government payment out of principle.
In other words, Republicans should reject any form of Govt benefit because it would be hypocritical, however if we reject paying 50% of our taxes to the Government, we get arrested.
The point is that Michele Bachmann rails against these sorts of subsidies - all the while taking advantage of them. It’s notable that no-one is disputing the facts of the case.
Also, I believe the article stated that Michele Bachmann did nothing illegal, but made the point she was hypocritical.
I find it interesting that when I ask Gipper to contribute his response from Bachmann to Dump Bachmann (btw, Bremer and Black both attempted to get comments from Bachmann’s office prior to writing the article), that others respond by changing the subject - and blasting me.
Also, if this is such a non-story, why are so many of the Bachmann supporters responding - here, and on the anonoblogger Learned Foot’s blog.
Eva,
You want the response??? Ask MN Publius!!! I already posted and was censored!!! Your going to have to lobby them if you want it!
Eva,
I understand your point and it is completely invalid as a method of real criticism. It is nothing but empty and hypocritical rhetoric on your part. Talking up BS like this as an attack on Bachmann even got me, an anti-war atheist, to defend her.
Well MN Publius - I’d be interested in getting a copy of Gipper’s response - if it was censored. Is Gipper correct in his claim, that you deleted his post giving Bachmann’s explanation.
we are responding here to defend her actions against baseless BS charges……. it would have been hypocritical of her to not vote against subsidies..she obviously thinks subsidies are wrong…but she would be a fool not to accept them..come on Loyddletta…think!!!!
Michele Bachmann was given an opportunity to respond - and defend her actions in that article - her press secretary blew both Karl Bremer and Eric Black off. The article was factual, and from public records. The reader was encouraged to decide for themselves whether Bachmann was being hypocritical.
Also, I’d just like to see a comment from the MN Publius management on the Gipper’s claims. If correct, I think they made a very bad call - but I’m not going to take those claims at face value without a comment from those who manage this blog.