It’s the State Of The Union, which means that it’s our favorite time of the year at MNPublius — how creepy can Michelle Bachmann be?
As the State of the Union address loomed last week, Rep. … began to think about her strategy.
On Monday, the… Republican would meet with constituents… in the morning, then hop a flight to Washington, race over to the Capitol, prance down the halls, fly through the doors of the House chamber, elbow her way past like-minded colleagues and plant herself in an aisle seat, preferably in the center. There would be no time for small talk.
[This Representative] would then sit in the chamber for the rest of the day and wait for that priceless moment to come when President Bush would walk down the center aisle, give her a small embrace—and maybe even his classic wink—and the television networks would capture it all.
Who are we talking about? Quick! 3 guesses.
Drat. It’s not Michele Bachmann. It’s Scientology lovin’ Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. But — Representative Bachmann is mentioned in the same Politico article.
Squatters aim for presidential face time
… Ros-Lehtinen isn’t the only one who will be arriving fashionably early—and it’s a bipartisan group.
Other aisle seat stalkers include Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), Todd R. Platts (R-Pa.), Jean Schmidt ( R-Ohio), Mary Bono (R-Calif.), Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and a handful of others….
That is totally the best way I can think of spending an afternoon on the taxpayers dime! Keep making us proud Representative Bachmann!
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Let’s work to make sure that this will be the last State of The Union address Michele Bachmann attends.
It is also creepy that Bachmann supports the Republican-proposed Middle Class Protection Act, a misleadingly named piece of legislation that would give even more Tax Breaks
to her Coorporate campaign benefactors. It’s her thinking that this legislation will stimulate the economy and put more money in the pockets of Middle Class and Minimum Wage earners. Is Bachmann thinking straight???
It’s also a bit condescending on Bachmann’s part to congratulate Minnesotans for being forced to work longer hours, 2 jobs or more, and have more women working outside the home. In the meantime, who’s minding the kids???
Groping Michelle?
What are we going to see from her this evening?
Can she stifle herself long enough to keep her hands off?
The Kissy Monster didn’t get close. I was watching CNN and they went to audio for the prez leaving the House floor, and some guy in a suit brought over a program for him to sign, saying it was for Michelle Bachman. Maybe he was secret service? If I was the prez I would tell them to keep her far away, after last year.
Isn’t it a bit condescending to suggest that women should be staying at home minding their children rather than pursuing their chosen careers? I think that it would be safe to say that more women choose to work than are being forced to work.
Yeah, but rarely does a person choose to work two jobs instead of one.
Bachman was spotted in the background on ABC when el presidente first entered the chamber.
It was Senator Coleman that stalked the chief executive after the speech was delivered.
Tom A.,
For fear of sounding anything but progressive, I’ll preface this with my firmly-held belief that men and women should both pursue their chosen careers as they wish. At the same time, I also believe it’s a shame that most couples cannot afford to have all of the following:
1. A single-worker household
2. A decent place to live
3. A child
The second income is a catch-22 for many families — with the cost of child care skyrocketing, many families have the second job to pay for child care and little else. It’s a gruesome decision — spend time away from your children so you can spend time away from your children. It would be great if more families could afford for one parent to stay home with the kids, at least for the first couple of years or at least the first few months.
I won’t put words in Kathy’s mouth, but that’s what I took from her comment — that it’s wrong for Bachmann to be bragging about Minnesotans working so hard when the reality is that they work so hard because they must, not because they like it.
I’ll modify my previous statement to say “many” families instead of “most”, since I don’t have economic data in front of me to prove that assertion.
Minnesotan’s are “forced” to work 2 jobs - plenty of parents could have 1 parent stay home if they chose to do so. Instead, people are products of the choices they’ve made -
- Chose not to go to college and work really hard? Well then, yes, you may have a hard time on 1 income.
- Chose a poor paying career path? There’s something to be said for following your passion but why complain about it if that was your choice and you knew the consequences?
- Decide that you need to live the American way and live beyond your means? Unfortunately, this is endemic.
For reality’s sake, if parent #1 earns $50k that should be plenty to live on. There are lots of jobs that pay that much - heck, that’s almost the starting wage for college grads with an accounting degree. Using normal mortgage guidelines a $50k salary will net you a $200k house using today’s interest rates on a 30 year fixed loan. Checking Edina Realty shows 200 single family homes in Dakota County alone that are
Mr. Moose and others:
Would you please provide some examples of those $50K jobs that are supposedly in such plentiful supply and where in non-metro Minnesota (where 47% of the state’s residents live) those jobs may be found? Sorry, but I am having a hard time buying that one. The median household income for all Minnesotans, according to census data, is not even $45,000.
As for people choosing to live beyond their means, for a goodly number of them, the insane increases in food and energy costs did them no favors. (Energy prices alone have increase 139% since 2001).
I can almost bet that Michele Bachmann was standing upright, hooting and hollering praise, everytime that Bush said things on the Economy, Iraq, Islamic Extremists, Social Security, etc.
Overall, the State of The Union speech had a condescending tone to it….Telling Congress “Give me what I want or I will VETO it!!!” He sounded as if he were scolding Congress for wasting time and money! What has he been doing for the last 7 years???
Missing were the ‘Glory in the Gallery’ introductions of military personnel in uniform with family members.
Guess the ‘heroes’ are no longer needed as a backdrop when one no longer needs to run for re-election, and has become a liability for helping the campaigns of other members of their party.
It has become all centered around the chief executive, and not about We the People.
Frankly I get tired of people complaining about this politician or that politician taking money from “corporate campaign benefactors.” It is such a loaded term. All the candidates, Democrat and Republican, have taken money for their campaigns from people who are “corporate campaign benefactors.” And they will in the future. Until we change the system.
Also, I suspect there will be plenty of Democrats supporting that misnamed piece of legislation. And it sounds like it will put money into the pockets of the middle class. I know my wife and I plan to spend ours. The question is will it stimulate the economy? Probably marginally in the short term.
The real issue is that we need a comprehensive fix to our economy. And real campaign finance reform. Unfortunately, most Democrats are about as serious about that as most Republicans are. When we blindly attack one side for behavior that our side also engages in it paints us as hypocrites.
MRW - well I could have researched it better if you’d given me a city to look into. Outstate MN is kind of broad.
Looking on Career Builder I found over 1000 sales jobs in Minnesota - a large number of them pay over $50k. For example, 3 of the 5 sales jobs in a place like Alexandria paid $40-100k. Obviously, if I’d expanded outside just sales it likely would have been quite a few more.
Don’t like sales, there are these types of jobs in business consulting, finance, healthcare, marketing, managerial, banking and IT.
Yes - almost all require a 4 year degree and many require experience. That goes back to the choices people made in the first place.
Poor Michelle limited to aural pleasures this year. But then maybe her oral Bush pleasures were off camera.
Seems like Chris Shays had the chance to kiss Bush this year. I bet Bachmann is jealous. Hopefully this means Shays has just dug his own grave.
Nony — First of all, a four-year degree isn’t a matter of “choice” for many people. It’s a bit dismissive to put a person’s lack of formal education down entirely to “choices” they make.
Secondly, I wouldn’t believe much of what I read in ads for sales jobs. Aren’t most of those jobs paid by commission, and aren’t the figures generally “earn up to,” or “you could earn …”? I’ll bet you can win valuable prizes, too!
Third, the Department of Employment and Economic Development is somewhat more reliable on this score than Career Builder, I would guess. There is no job category that pays an average of $50K. The state gives the median wage in Minnesota as $17.11 per hour, which — assuming 52 forty-hour work weeks — comes out to somewhat more than $35,000 per year. The highest reported median — $22.22/hr., or $46,000 per year — is (surprise!) in public administration. Close to $50K, but no cigar. Are you telling us that the people of this state are, for one reason or another, freely passing up better paying jobs?
I love how everyone on this website makes fun of Bachmann kissing President Bush but conveniently ignore Members of Congress like Sheila Jackson Lee who elbow their way to the front to give him a big ol wet one on the cheek. This is the 7th year in a row that Jackson Lee has been there for her smooch.
Chris - Rep Lee is not from Minnesota - duh!
Cassie,
Who gives a rip where Sheila Jackson Lee is from. She’s a Democrat who loves getting a smooch from W but you people won’t make fun of her because of your Bachmann derangement syndrome.
Bacmann is the only one suffering from Bachmann derangement syndrome.
“Nony–First of all, a four-year degree isn’t a matter of “choice” for many people. ”
What?
How is that not a choice?
Aid, grants, loans - everyone “can” choose to get a 4 year degree. Even for those with no money, 2 years at a CC and 2 years at a state school is VERY doable and won’t put you in that much debt. In fact, with the advent of AP & PSEO many students are now able to finish college in less than 4 years (my daughter will finish in 3 1/2 with a double major).
As far as your claim that no job catagory pays more than $50k - again you’re wrong. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows dozens (probably 100 ) catagories of jobs in Minnesota that pay more than $50k. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mn.htm
No, I did not say that there are no jobs that pay more than $50K. I said that the median income of even the highest paying job category is less than $50K per year. A theoretical possibility of earning more than $50K is just that — a theory.
Your post reminds me of President Reagan’s claim in the early 80s that there were plenty of jobs, and the employment ads in the Sunday New York Times were his evidence. Sure, there were plenty of jobs listed for electrical engineers and heart surgeons. I think the Ford Foudation was looking for a director that week, too.
” I said that the median income of even the highest paying job category is less than $50K per year.”
Any my link proved you wrong.
No, your link proves only that the term “category” is subject to different definitions. Here is where I got my figures — argue with them: http://www.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/wages.htm
Like John McCain I don’t that much about economics, but I do know that Michelle Bachmann was, is, and always will be, an embarrassment to the 6th CD and all of Minnesota.
Randy - you aren’t looking at your own link correctly.
If you click on Minnesota Salary Survey Data - then choose Minnesota in the window and click select - then click the button that says View All you will see LOTS of catagories (again probably 100 ) that have median wages of more than $25/hour (the equivalent to $52k/year).
I still claim victory on this argument :)
I give you partial victory. I was looking at a section that defined “category” much more broadly than occupational title. On the other hand, the top of the chart still gives the state median wage at $17.11/hr.
Well, I even take issue with your $17.11/hour “median”. That number includes part-time workers.
The argument we started with had to do with married households with kids wanting a stay at home parent. Those types of households would certainly headed by a full-time worker who likely makes more than the median.
In addition, the website you provided had the following to say “Some exclusions from the wage are overtime pay, shift differentials, non-production bonuses, holiday premium pay, meal and lodging payments, draw, severance pay, back pay, jury duty pay, and tuition reimbursements.” These items could certainly make for additional earning opportunities that would raise the median pay for many occupations.