ConservativeHome's The Republican

Bachmann’s shoot-from-the-lip habit just keeps getting worse…and has just about done her in

Ryan Streeter
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All of us who heard Michele Bachmann’s post-debate interview in which she claimed that HPV vaccine Gardasil causes mental retardation sat up a bit straighter on the couch – mainly because her “source” was a sobbing mother who came up to her after the debate. Well, who knows, many of us thought: maybe she knows something we don’t, and is capitalizing on a highly emotional personal anecdote to pack a powerful punch that citing medical data can’t do.

But it didn’t take long for the medical community to call her out for a wildly inaccurate statement.

As injudicious as her remarks were, her follow-up defense is even worse:

During the debate, I didn't make any statements that would indicate that I'm a doctor, I'm a scientist or that I'm making any conclusions about the drug one way or another.

With this, she has essentially lost all the points she scored during the debate the other night when she defended all the innocent little girls who had been subjected to Rick Perry’s bad HPV vaccine policy. She clearly used the post-debate remarks to make claims about the drug. Immediately after citing the mother’s claims about mental retardation, she said the drug is dangerous. Now she is using a “Hey, I never said I was a doctor or scientist” defense that looks utterly silly – and deeply insincere.

Politico is now reporting that three former staffers of hers are saying misstatements and twisting details is something of a chronic problem with her.

She has now created a problem for herself that is worse than the problem Gardasil has created for Perry. He made a decision that he says he has come to regret. She has made claims that she refuses to back down from, which no one but she thinks makes any rational sense to do.

Although he says he's staying put, Republicans insist that it's time for Geithner to go

Natalie Gonnella
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Amid a growing list of economic failures and repeated calls for his resignation, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner today assured America he's staying put (lucky us):

Secretary Geithner has let the president know that he plans to stay on in his position at Treasury.

With discontent surging on both sides of the political spectrum, here's a quick look at the latest calls from Republicans for Geithner's timely Treasury departure:

Senator Rand Paul:

Secretary Geithner assured everyone that raising the debt ceiling without a plan to balance the budget would not result in a downgrade to our debt...He was clearly wrong. Our debt has been downgraded for the first time in history, and now American taxpayers will have to suffer the consequences.

Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn:

The Obama Administration must get on board with Republican efforts to cut up the credit cards and put our economy back on the path to prosperity.  The first step necessary in this process is for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to resign immediately.  It's time for new fiscal leadership in Washington.  Americans have had enough of the same old bad ideas that got us into this situation in the first place.

Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann:

We were warned by all the credit agencies that a failure to deal with the debt would lead to this downgrade in our credit rating,” she said. “But instead, the president submitted a budget that had a $1.5 trillion deficit, the he request a $2.4 trillion blank check on top of that. President Obama is destroying the foundations of our economy, one beam at a time. I call on the president to seek the immediate resignation of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and submit a plan that balances the budget in year. Turn the economy around and put our people back to work.

Senator Jim DeMint:

The president should demand that Secretary Geithner resign and immediately replace him with someone who will help Washington focus on balancing our budget and allowing the private sector to create jobs," DeMint said in a report Saturday in The Hill...For months he opposed all efforts to reduce the debt in return for a debt ceiling increase. His opposition to serious spending and debt reforms has been reckless and now the American people will pay the price,

Cain tops Perry to take Colorado straw poll

Natalie Gonnella
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As Americans await the outcome of ongoing debt negotiations, in other political news from across the country Herman Cain has claimed the top spot in the latest conservative conference straw poll.

Earning nearly half the ballots cast at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver, the Georgia businessman trumped his GOP competition, with undeclared candidate Rick Perry finishing a very distant second.  According to Politico's Haberman & Burns:

Herman Cain easily won the Western Conservative Summit presidential straw poll Sunday, drawing 246 ballots out of 508 cast and beating his nearest runner-up by a 179-vote margin.

Second-place contender Rick Perry took 67 votes, or 13 percent, to Cain's 48 percent. In third place was Rick Santorum with 50 ballots, or just under 10 percent,

In addition to Perry, the survey also included other unconfirmed candidates like former Ambassador John Bolton, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.

As well as appearing in the straw poll, Perry also featured as the event's keynote speaker on Friday night.

The full results of the Western Conservative Summit Straw Poll are included below.

Michele Bachmann -- 9 percent, 44 votes
John Bolton -- 4 percent, 20 votes
Herman Cain -- 48 percent, 246 votes
Newt Gingrich -- 1 percent, 3 votes
Rudy Giuliani -- 0 percent, 0 votes
Jon Huntsman -- 0 percent, 1 vote
Gary Johnson -- 0 percent, 1 vote
Thaddeus McCotter -- 0 percent, 2 votes
Sarah Palin -- 1 percent, 5 votes
Ron Paul -- 2 percent, 12 votes
Tim Pawlenty -- 1 percent, 7 votes
Rick Perry -- 13 percent, 67 votes
Mitt Romney -- 10 percent, 49 votes
Rick Santorum -- 10 percent, 50 votes
Paul Ryan -– 1 vote

Romney and Perry smile as Pawlenty and Bachmann feud

Ryan Streeter
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The spat(s) over the weekend between the two presidential contenders from Minnesota has the feel of two campaigns showing early signs of unravelling. The mini-feud has been going on for a couple of weeks, but temperatures rose noticeably the past few days.

Pawlenty’s campaign sent out an email on Saturday touting his record of experience. The email also took a swipe at Bachmann’s lack of experience without naming her.

Bachmann didn’t take the criticism sitting down. On Sunday she fired back. According to Katrina Trinko at The Corner, Bachmann accused Pawlenty of (1) praising big government, (2) praising the individual mandate, (3) supporting TARP, (4) supporting cap-and-trade, and (5) messing up Minnesota’s budget before leaving office. Wow.

The spat continued throughout the day. By last evening, Pawlenty had resorted to going after Bachmann by name, and Bachmann ended up comparing Pawlenty to Obama.

Trinko reports an update from each campaign:

Pawlenty shot back at Bachmann by saying that while he was busy moving a liberal state in a conservative direction, Bachmann “was giving speeches and offering failed amendments.” No more veiled critiques, apparently.

Bachmann replied by claiming “there’s very little daylight, indeed, between Governor Pawlenty’s record and the Obama administration’s policies.” Really?

Pawlenty’s attacks on Bachmann may have the effect of eroding some of the sheen on her campaign right now, but they ultimately leave him looking smaller than he should be.

Bachmann’s critique is littered with the sins of over-reach. Pawlenty is not at all like Barack Obama, and Bachmann knows it. He has also said over and again that his early support for cap-and-trade, for instance, was a mistake, so raising the issue makes her look like she’s grasping for any little piece of debris to use as a projectile. Her rhetoric simply goes too far and makes her look petty and defensive. Her biggest weakness is clearly her lack of executive experience. Everyone knows that. Her overly defensive reaction suggests she knows it, too.

The net result of all of this is that Mitt Romney, a highly flawed candidate, comes out looking good. He is sailing above the Minnesota fray.

Now, you might say, the Bachmann and Pawlenty feud should be seen in the context of their respective efforts to win in Iowa. And whoever wins Ames on August 13 will see a surge in his or her numbers, and will likely make gains against Romney. But Iowa is also a national stage on which candidates make impressions on voters across the country. And on that front, Bachmann and Pawlenty are weakening themselves.

The other winner in all of this is Rick Perry. It’s looking more and more like he will get into the race. And, of course, Romney, Pawlenty, and Bachmann are probably all worried about that, as they should be. The feuding Minnesotans each stand to lose support from a Perry candidacy. Perry’s record of accomplishments will take make it hard for Pawlenty (moving liberal Minnesota in a conservative direction hardly compares to Texas’s long run of job creation, low cost of living, low levels of bureaucracy, etc.), and his “Fed Up” persona and rhetoric will appeal to tea partiers currently casting their lot with Bachmann.

Why they voted 'No': A look at the nine House Republicans who opposed 'Cut, Cap, Balance'

Natalie Gonnella
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As expected, the Cut, Cap, Balance bill passed the House yesterday 234-190. And although strongly supported by GOP leaders (and five blue dog Democrats) across a range of political offices, nine House Republicans (including two presidential hopefuls) yesterday voiced their opposition to key provisions within the legislation, ultimately voting against the measure during last night's roll call.

With the proposal facing a challenge from the 'Gang of Six' plan, as well as President Obama's veto promise, here's a look at what a number of representatives who voted 'No' had to say about their decision:

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann:

While I embrace the principles of Cut, Cap and Balance, the motion does not go far enough in fundamentally restructuring the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars. The principles found in this bill are a step in the right direction toward the fundamental restructuring we need in the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars.

Along with cutting spending, putting in place enforceable spending caps that put us on a path to balance and passing a balanced budget amendment, we must also repeal and defund ObamaCare.

Congressman Ron Paul:

What we have been asked to do here is support a budget that only cuts relative to the President's proposed budget.  It still maintains a $1 trillion budget deficit for FY 2012, and spends even more money over the next 10 years than the Paul Ryan budget which already passed the House...while I sympathize with the aims of this bill's sponsors, I must vote against HR 2560.  It is my hope, however, that the looming debt ceiling deadline and the discussion surrounding the budget will further motivate us to consider legislation in the near future that will make meaningful cuts and long-lasting reforms. 

Congressman Paul Broun

I gave my word to my constituents in Georgia and to the rest of the American people that I would not vote for any bill that increases the debt limit.  Although the Cut, Cap, and Balance bill is a step in the right direction, it still raises the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion, and we simply cannot afford it.

Also missing from the Cut, Cap, and Balance bill is the urgency to pay down the debt by immediately reducing the outrageous spending levels to which Washington has become so accustomed.  Unfortunately, the cuts outlined in Cut, Cap, and Balance take effect over a period of ten years.  We no longer have ten years to spare – it’s too little, too late.

Congressman Quico Canseco:

While I support the main principles of this legislation, cutting government spending, capping government spending and balancing the federal budget, I did not support this bill because it was tied to an increase in our debt.

We are sitting on the edge of an fiscal abyss not because we can't spend enough money. We are here because we have continued spending money we don't have. Now is the time to get serious about our spending driven debt crisis. I believe we must rise to this challenge to give our children and grandchildren a bright future and not continue politics as usual here in Washington.

Congressman Scott DesJarlais:

I could not support the Cut, Cap and Balance Act in its entirety and therefore voted against it.

While I do agree that we need to cut current spending, cap future spending at under 20% of our nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and send a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment to the states for ratification, I simply cannot vote in favor of giving this president another 2.4 trillion dollars to continue his reckless government spending spree for the next year and a half.

Congressman Morgan Griffith:

I support the general goal of cut, cap, and balance, and I appreciate House leadership bringing this concept to the floor for a vote. However, to keep my commitments made to my constituents, I cannot support raising the debt ceiling without significant cuts and a substantial change to the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars. The Balanced Budget Amendment, if passed by the House and Senate and then by the States, would substantially change the way Washington spends money, but I have repeatedly stated that year one cuts must be more than $100-200 billion.

Congressman Connie Mack:

I believe voting for this increase, at this time, is a step in the wrong direction and puts our party on record as supporting a raise in the debt ceiling without any plan from President Obama.

Representatives Walter Jones and Dana Rohrabacher also voted against the bill.

Poll: Bachmann takes the lead as conservatives remain skeptical about Romney

Natalie Gonnella
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She may suffer from migraines, but at the moment Michele Bachmann certainly isn't suffering in the polls. In a new 2012 survey from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, the Minnesota Congresswoman has now "taken first place by the smallest of margins on PPP's newest national Presidential poll."  According to the latest analysis:

Bachmann's rise has been fueled by her appeal to voters on the far right- and their skepticism about Romney.  Romney has the lead with centrist Republicans (23-17) and with those defining themselves as only somewhat right of center (24-17). But among 'very conservative' voters only 48% have a positive opinion of Romney to 34% who view him negatively, weak numbers, and Bachmann's capitalizing on that with a 26-15 lead over Romney, who's in third place with that group of voters.   

Overall, Romney has a slight lead over Bachmann when it comes to voter opinion, with 50% of Republicans offering a positive view of the former governor over the Congresswoman's 48%.  And should Sarah Palin decide to enter the race Romney could regain the lead, citing 20% support compared to Bachmann's 16%.  However, most GOP supporters don't want Palin to run:

Just 29% think she should enter the race at this point to 53% opposed to that idea.  Even among those voters who see her in a positive light only 45% think she should make a White House bid.

The full analysis from PPP's latest presidential poll is available to view here.

Michele Bachmann pulls a polling 'hat trick' in Iowa

Natalie Gonnella
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It may only be Thursday, but it's already been a good week in the Hawkeye State for Michele Bachman's presidential bid. Having topped two 2012 polls only days earlier, the Minnesota Congresswoman today pulled a veritable hat trick, taking the lead in yet another survey of likely Iowa GOP caucus goers. CNN reports:

According to a new poll from Mason Dixon Polling and Research, 32 percent of people questioned in the survey say they are backing the congresswoman from neighboring Minnesota for the GOP presidential nomination. At 29 percent is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who's making his second bid for the White House. Bachmann's lead is well within the poll's sampling error.

The survey indicates that seven percent are supporting former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, with former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania at six percent. Everyone else was in the low single digits.

Bachmann was also at the top of surveys of likely Iowa caucus goers released earlier this week from the American Research Group and the IowaRepublican.com.

All three polls follow a much reported recent survey from the Des Moines Register which had Romney at 23 percent and Bachmann at 22 percent.

Michele Bachmann explains her view of constitutional conservatism at The Daily Caller

She writes:

• Let me start by pointing out that the conservative movement, as Ronald Reagan believed, is a three-legged stool. One leg consists of peace-through-strength conservatives, another of fiscal and economic conservatives, and the third of social conservatives — the values voters.

• On issues ranging from light bulbs to bailouts, to the Dodd-Frank banking legislation, Washington has been on a destructive spree of bureaucratic empire-building. It’s time for that to stop.

• Instead of piling more costly mandates on the states and intrusive laws on the people, our federal government should respect all of the resources and responsibilities that properly belong to the states, to local governments, to private industry and, most of all, to the people.

And then she specifically singles out:

• The right to life
• The right to bear arms
• Repealing ObamaCare because of its unconstitutional mandate
• Proper checks and balances that should be able to stop Obama's "unjustified military action in Libya"

Her entire column is here.

Bachmann ahead of Romney in new Iowa poll

Ryan Streeter
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A new poll in Iowa, conducted by TheIowaRepublican.com, has Michele Bachmann ahead of Mitt Romney by 4 percentage points. The poll was conducted among 500 likely caucus-goers.

Bachmann came out on top with 25 percent to Romney's 21 percent. Tim Pawlenty was in a distant third, at 8.9 percent, statistically tied with Herman Cain who came in at 8.6 percent.

Bachmann's favorability numbers are especially high. And despite his low poll numbers, Pawlenty can find some encouragement in his second-place finish to Bachmann in the favorability category. Both of them enjoy a geographic advantage and are benefitting from their investment in Iowa so far.

All of the other candidates were at 6 percentage points and below overall. Rick Perry was not included in the poll.

Cain tops Romney in Nevada as Perry gains momentum

Natalie Gonnella
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In early June Herman Cain commented that he doesn't need to beat Mitt Romney, just Romney's money, and despite a number of recent 'bumps in the road,' the former CEO appears to be gaining traction with some conservative voters.

In this weekend's Washington Times/Conservative Leadership Conference 2012 survey in Nevada, Cain narrowly edged out the former Massachusetts governor, taking the straw poll's top spot with 24% of the vote. Romney finished closely behind with 21% support.

Prospective candidate Rick Perry placed third with 17% backing, with Tea Party darling Michele Bachmann right on his heels at 16%.

The 200 participants also voted on a random array of policy issues, with 51% also supporting the decrminialisation of marijuana.

Conservative Leadership Conference President Chuck Muth commented to the Washington Times that:

The results of today’s straw poll give us a strong indication of the direction that conservatives are heading...In 2010, we elected more conservatives to the state legislature than in previous years — an indication that the conservative movement throughout the state is growing.

While Romney and Bachmann have consistently polled at the top of the pack in a number of recent opinion surveys, with speculation growing about a possible Perry bid, it will be interesting to see how the numbers will continue to shift over the next few weeks, especially with Saturday's results offering further evidence that GOP voters have yet to pick a favorite.