Another Episode Of Michelle Bachmann's Cavalcade Of Crazy

Yesterday in classic Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) form, the Tea Party Caucus Chairman once again pushed the bounds of reality by sending an inquiry regarding Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's aide Huma Abedin. She and four other House Republican co-conspirators, Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Tom Rooney (R-FL) and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), raised questions about Abedin, who is Secretary Clinton's deputy chief of staff. They sent a letter in June to the State Department's inspector general suggesting members of Abedin's family may have connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the writers said may be seeking access to high levels of the U.S. government. Bachmann defended her actions Thursday on the talk show of conservative host Glenn Beck. (cant go wrong there!) "If my family members were associated with Hamas, a terrorist organization, that alone could be sufficient to disqualify me from getting a security clearance," Bachmann said, according to a transcript of her remarks. "So all we did is ask, did the federal government look into her family associations before she got a high level security clearance." There is no evidence connecting Abedin or her family to any terrorist organization.

In a rare moment of clarity, several Republicans took issue with the accusations by Bachmann and her associates. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), at a regular news briefing, said "accusations like this being thrown around are pretty dangerous." He said he did not know Abedin, but "from everything I know of her, she has a sterling character."

Former Presidential Nominee, and Arizona Senator John McCain denounced the accusations from the Senate Floor. "Rarely do I come to the floor of this institution to discuss particular individuals," McCain said. "But I understand how painful and injurious it is when a person's character, reputation, and patriotism are attacked without concern for fact or fairness." He called Abedin "an intelligent, upstanding, hard-working, and loyal servant of our country and our government, who has devoted countless days of her life to advancing the ideals of the nation she loves and looking after its most precious interests." He went further calling the attack "sinister".

Edward Rollins, a prominent Republican strategist who worked on Bachmann's primary campaign. wrote that he was "fully aware that she sometimes has difficulty with her facts," (that's the understatement of the year!) but said "this is downright vicious and reaches the late Senator Joe McCarthy level," a reference to the U.S. senator from Wisconsin who rose and then fell accusing government officials and others of being communists in the 1950s. "....Shame on you, Michele!" Rollins wrote, adding that she should apologize to Abedin, Clinton and "to the millions of hard working, loyal, Muslim Americans for your wild and unsubstantiated charges."

The lawmakers' June 13 letter, which they released publicly, asserted that the State Department had recently taken action "enormously favorable" to the Muslim Brotherhood and that its interests could pose a security risk for the United States. The letter cited a security study by an outside group alleging that three members' of Abedin's family, including her father who died two decades ago, and her mother and brother were linked to operatives or organizations of the Muslim Brotherhood. Abedin is married to former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner of New York, who is Jewish.

A State Department spokesman said Clinton "very much values" Abedin's "wise counsel and support" and called the allegations preposterous. O.K. is it me? You have to wonder what gene pool the people who elect this moron are drawing from? Are there a series of insane asylums in Minnesota's 6th district? We're being infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood? You couldn't make this shit up if you tried? Here are five people in Congress who signed their names to this conspiratorial non-sense? I'm surprised Allen West (R-FL) didn't add his master list of Communists in the House. There are 78-81 of them you know. These people represent not only our government, but are no doubt elected by people just like them. What makes a person vote for someone who pontificates in this garbage?

On a positive note, my hats off to Republicans who would normally let this whack job slide for yet another one of her departures from reality. It provides optimism that the Right realizes this kind of crazy needs to be cut off at the knees. You can't come out with these kind of unfounded allegations, and not reap some kind of consequences. Maybe there is a limit to what the Right will do to score political points, one can only hope.

Mitt Romney Is A Cry Baby

This week Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney asked President Obama for an apology regarding the Presidents attacks on Romney's involvement at Bain Capital. Well it seems Mr. Romney can dish it out, but he can't take it. This man isn't running for dog catcher, he's running for President, and if he was a little more forth coming with the personal information about his finances, and dealings at Bain Capital, some of this firestorm might go away.  The problem is we won't, thus perpetuating the lingering questions, and posing the bigger question, what is he hiding?

What are the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium? The latest members of NATO? Nope, these are all the places Mitt Romney likes to hide his money overseas. When asked, he'll tell you all the proper taxes have been paid and the accounts are legitimate. Now there is the world of the well off, and the world of the Mitt Romney well off, and in the world of the Mitt Romney well off, anyone will tell you that when your net worth is $250 million dollars you hide your money overseas to keep it from being taxed. When pressed on the issue, Romney will simply say he won't apologize for his success. For some that may be a legitimate argument, who wants to give the government money if they don't have to? After all, we all have the luxury of off-shore accounts, don't you?

However, the issue remains if everything is on the up and up with Romney, why won't he release his tax returns to clear the air? He wants an apology from the President for claiming he outsourced jobs when he was at Bain Capital, but then says he wasn't part of that aspect of the business from 1999 to 2001? Yet SEC documents list him as CEO and President of Bain during that same period? So which is it? Romney spokesman Ed Gillespie said he was effectively retired during that period, despite the records that prove to the contrary? Is it me, or does this whole thing smell a little suspect? Gillespie claims that the outsourcing of jobs is not unusual, and that President Obama's policies have helped contribute to jobs going overseas. There is only one small problem with this argument, President Obama wasn't President from 1999 to 2001, so what the hell is he talking about? When asked multiple times if Mitt Romney believes outsourcing is a legitimate business practice, he dodged and weaved like a chicken stuck on the highway, ultimately never answering the question.

If Mitt Romney is going to put all his eggs in the basket that says he was a master of private enterprise, then he should be subject to the scrutiny that particular strategy affords. When that raises questions about his personal finance, as well as, the financial acumen that he claims makes him uniquely qualified to be President, don't these questions deserve answers? Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley found himself in hot water for perhaps a little too much candor when he said Romney would do well to release more tax returns, as Democrats have demanded in recent weeks. “I think he ought to release everything. I believe in total transparency,” Bentley told reporters. “You know if you have things to hide, then you may be doing things wrong.”

Frankly, Mitt Romney's bumper stickers should read, "Mitt Romney - I don't wanna talk about it". If you want to concentrate on the economy fine, then address the issues raised by your decision. Don't cry I want an apology, the President doesn't play fair. If he can't handle a Presidential campaign, hows he going to run the country? I'm sure he was stomping his feet with indignation, when he carpet bombed his primary opponents into the ground.

All these issues would go away if he would just pony up, and lay everything on the table. However, he would rather allow the current tempest to continue, rather than reveal what he obviously thinks would be something much more damaging. The man is scared to death of what lies on these documents he refuses to release, especially if they pertain to the one area he claims to be his strength, making them all the more devastating.

Now Republicans say this is all a distraction from President Obama's record. Some could argue this, but at least he has a record to point at. Everything is a well kept secret with Mitt Romney, the media is in a constant battle to define this man who refuses to define himself. So when the President has success in in doing it for him, he cries foul! You can't have it both ways, I'm better than Barack Obama doesn't cut it, and if he's not more forthcoming about his past, and his plans for the future, he's in big trouble.