#1 ~ At CPAC, Ranting on Obama's "Lavish Lifestyle"
A new book is out talking about the perks and the excess of the $1.4-billion-a-year presidency that we’re paying for. And this is a lifestyle that is one of excess. Now we find out that there are five chefs on Air Force One. There are two projectionists who operate the White House movie theater. They regularly sleep at the White House in order to be readily available in case the first family wants a really, really late show. And I don’t mean to be petty here, but can’t they just push the play button? We are also the ones who are paying for someone to walk the president’s dog, paying for someone to walk the president’s dog? Now, why are we doing that when we can’t even get a disabled veteran into the White House for a White House tour? That isn’t caring!
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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, March 16, 2013
From the Washington Post Fact Checker
We could not track down a source for “five chefs” on Air Force One, but perhaps the word “cook” would be better. In any case, taxpayers will be pleased to hear that White House staffers need to pay out of their pocket — $20 a meal — if they eat on board.
As for “the projectionists,” this appears to be part of the president’s 24-hour-a-day staffing requirements. Gary’s book devotes considerable space to how much all presidents have used the White House movie theater, with Jimmy Carter supposedly using it 450 times. (The White House Museum says it actually was 480 times.)
The dog walker is the silliest claim. This refers to Dale Haney, the White House groundskeeper. Gray includes in his source list an Associated Press article on Haney, which states:
“Haney is often spotted walking Bo, the Obama family’s Portuguese water dog. In fact, he’s tended to every White House pup since King Timahoe, Richard Nixon’s Irish setter. . . . Before Bo came along to romp on the South Lawn and roam the White House hallways, Haney spent a lot of time walking and playing with President George W. Bush’s Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley. Haney was most fond of Spot, an English springer spaniel whose mother, Millie, belonged to Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush.”
In other words, the White House groundskeeper — whose main job is caring for more than 18 acres of lawns, trees and gardens — happens to like dogs and has been doing this for every president since 1972.
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As comedic as Michelle Bachmann’s lies and distortions are, I actually feel like this is really dangerous. This gets into the water stream and then it becomes a repeated talking point, and people are completely misled about the realities of our budget and government spending.
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Alex Wagner on MSNBC
Anderson Cooper did an amazing takedown of her the other day, fact-checking her speech at CPAC where she rants on about the Obama's so-called "lavish" White House lifestyle. This poor CNN reporter tried to ask her about it and Michelle pretty much screamed BENGHAZI in her face and then ran away down the hall.
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Tabitha's Shoes on Jezebel
Reporter Dana Bash Tries to Catch Michele Bachmann
via gfln tumblr
Every other president in history has lived in comfort, and it looks like President Bush the younger had a bigger White House budget than Barack Obama does.
This is a trivial pursuit and Michele Bachmann made a mistake pursuing it.
Mr. Obama is entitled to convenience, protection and comfort as he runs the nation. Congresswoman Bachmann and all opponents of Mr. Obama should zero in on what’s really important: the president’s failure to deal with out-of-control spending and his core belief that America’s not a fair country. That’s what’s important, not who’s walking the presidential dog. By the way, that’s the gardener who walks the dog. And he’s always walked the dog!
It’s long past time for partisans on both on both the right and the left to cut the nonsense and look at things clearly… Michele Bachmann is playing small ball with the president.
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Bill O'Reilly of Fox News
But Bill, she learned these baseless smear tactics from watching YOU!
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James C. on Raw Story
And the President doesn't mow the lawn either, or cook his own breakfast, and for sure, he doesn't take out the trash! Just another lazy Black Man!
My "Snark Hat" is on. =)
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SkipDallas on Raw Story
On the Sarah-Scale Bachmann is roughly 9.2 Mega Palins.
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Cheesy Grits on Mediaite
Who walks Michelle Bachmann and much are they paid ?
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Bamboo_Harvester on Mediaite
Why is Bill O’Reilly doing a hit on Michele Bachmann the way he did a hit on Sarah Palin the other day?
Have conservatives hurt themselves over criticizing Obama over crazy stuff?’ What kind of question is that on Fox?
. . . Does CNN know who walks Bo Obama?
Because they had a reporter chasing Bachmann and so crucial was that reporter chasing Michele Bachmann on that clip that Fox decided to run it.
Why? I have no idea. Because, you know, the folks want to know.
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Conservative Mark Levin Criticizing both Bill O'Reilly and CNN for talking about Michele Bachmann
Leave the hard-hitting journalism to Mark Levin. He asks the tough questions. Is the person who walks Bo a secret Muslim? How do we know it's not bin Laden? Is that why the photos of bin Laden weren't released? Because the president has set up some kind of clandestine, Muslim, black liberation Christian, atheist, homosexual, Kenyan Marxist dog-walking program to purposefully undermine American democracy? WE WANT ANSWERS, OBAMA.
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Keane on Mediaite
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#2 ~ Attacking Obamacare for Killing People
What he (Obama) demanded and insisted upon is that the government have 100 percent control over health care. 100 percent control? The American people lose control? What did they get?
They get health care — health insurance, I should say — that is more expensive than anything they’ve ever paid for before. And they get less for it. Well what a deal, Mr. President, Mr. Speaker. What a deal.
. . . Let's repeal this failure before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior citizens. Let's not do that. Let's love people. Let's care about people. Let's repeal it now while we can.
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Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, in a speech on the House Floor about repealing Obamacare
Guns don't kill people, health care kills people.
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Chris J. on Talking Points Memo
When fascism comes to America, she'll be wearing a flag, carrying a cross, and standing side-by-side with her gay husband, Marcus.
Can't we get the History Channel to use HER face as The Devil, instead?...
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Kombema on Daily Kos
OMG, I was just reading the obituaries section in the local newspaper, and MIchelle is right - people are dying! Like, every day, almost! How can this happen in America? It must be Obama's fault! We need to elect a President who will end death once and for all!
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Mose H. on Slate
Bachmann is concerned that Ted Cruz is stealing her thunder ... and her title as reigning Congressional delusional nut case, and so she steps up to the House floor mic, stares creepily into the camera, and delivers her standard rant about the evils of Obamacare and the government trying to kill Grandma and the kids.
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labman57 on Slate
Michele Bachmann’s latest right wing ‘episode’ has done major damage to the RNC’s efforts to fix their party. Just a few days ago, the talk was centered on the RNC’s autopsy report on how they lost the 2012 election. The discussion was centered on how Republicans could repair their party. Three days later, Michele Bachmann’s rant has firmly placed the Republican Party back on the same path that it was before.
When Michele Bachmann uncorks a rant about Obamacare, Medicaid, or Benghazi she confirms the widely held belief that the Republican Party is completely out of step with the rest of the country. Bachmann comments will get all the headlines, and she makes all Republicans look crazy.
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Politicus USA
