On Fox News Sunday today, Michele Bachmann denied that she has personally benefited from government subsidies for her family’s dairy forms, but her disclosure forms tell a different story.
Here is the transcript from Fox News:
WALLACE: All right. We’re going to talk about the other candidates a little bit later.
But let me ask you about yourself. With the spotlight comes new scrutiny. The Los Angeles Times has a story out today that says for all your talk of being a fiscal hawk, that, in fact, you have gone after federal and government — excuse me, state government money over the years, both personally and professionally. And let’s it up on the screen.
A counseling clinic — excuse me — run by your husband got almost $30,000 in state federal funds. A farm, in which you are a partner, got almost $260,000 in federal subsidies. And over the years, you sought more than $60 million in the state earmarks and more than $3.7 million in federal earmarks.
Question — that’s a fiscal hawk?
BACHMANN: Well, let’s go through them. First of all, the money that went to the clinic was actually training money for employees. The clinic did not get the money. And my husband and I did not get the money either. That’s mental health training money that went to employees.
Number two, regarding the farm, the farm is my father-in-law’s farm. It’s not my husband and my farm. It’s my father-in-law’s farm. And my husband and I have never gotten a penny of money from the farm.
Regarding the earmarks, I believe the right place to build projects is in the states and the states have to build roads and bridges. And I don’t apologize for building roads and bridges.
Michele Bachmann actually told two lies to Chris Wallace. She claimed that the farm belonged to her father in law, but what she didn’t say is that she was and still is a partner in the farm. Bachmann also stated that she or husband never made a penny from the family dairy farm, but her financial disclosure forms report that from 2006-2009 she made $32,503-$105,000 in profit off of the farm.
Bachmann has to somehow explain how she can be against government spending, while using her power as member of Congress to get $260,000 in federal dairy and corn subsidies for her family farm. Apparently assistance and government subsidies are okay for Bachmann to get, but not those Americans who are elderly, poor, disabled, or unemployed.
She has also advocated for socialism as it related to the government purchasing additional farm commodities in order to prop up prices. She is going to have a hard time arguing against government spending in a general election when she personally advocated for more government spending, and benefiting from federal subsidies for the family dairy farm.
Rep. Bachmann could have skated by on this if she just would have admitted the truth on Fox News today, but she had to lie. Because of these lies, the story is not going to go away. On top of it all, it was a dumb lie. She lied about something that she put on her own public disclosure forms. I am sure her tea party supporters will happily turn a blind eye to Bachmann’s ideological inconsistencies, but if she captures the GOP nomination the rest of America won’t.
After a strong debate performance and an Iowa poll that shows her neck and neck with Mitt Romney in Iowa, Michele Bachmann is about to come under more scrutiny. She may be able to get away with a two sentence answer on Fox News, but that isn’t going to cut it everywhere else.
It looks like the media is going to start taking her seriously, which can only be bad news for the presidential candidacy of Michele Bachmann.
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- Michele Bachmann Tries To Steal Sarah Palin’s Mama Grizzles
- Michele Bachmann Outrages Supporters By Sending Fake Handwritten Letters
- Bill O’Reilly Tries and Fails to Drag Some Sanity out of Michele Bachmann
As someone who has farmed for a long time, those are HUGE profits for a farm, particularly when you realize that profits have been divided equally amongst other partners. The IRS allows many deductions for farming and her “take” would’ve been a lot more than what those “profits” show. I imagine the lies are going to get much larger on this farming thing, if the media just wants to look. It is difficult to even turn/show a profit with a farm.
As one of the leaders for the corporate authoritarian right, the propaganda she spews is almost ALL lies. Just check out her Politifact file: http://www.politifact.com/personalities/michele-bachmann/
As a farmer in the midwest, subsidies are common place. Where we draw the line is when it just plain handouts or fraud. Bachmann’s ilk has no hardships that I can find, they simply claim that they are under duress and the agencies in charge only investigate nominally. Right now, most of us here have lost our first cutting of hay due to rain. Do we get subsidies? I guess we could if bitched loud enough, but we choose not to. She, on the other hand, would be the squeeky wheel without a doubt in my mind. Greed is a sickness, and she is very, very, sick…
Well, it’s Michele Bachmann and her mouth was moving. That is how you could tell she was lying. I’m sooooo tired of the far Right’s versions of the truth.
Does this really come as a surprise to everyone? This is another example of Republican hypocrisy. If any of these ass-hats gets near the oval office I guarantee either the end of America as a free country or a civil war that would make the first one look like picnic. We cannot let Bachmann and her ilk remain in office. We will need to remain vigilant in the run-up to the elections for gerrymandering and tricks thru the corporate, conservative controlled courts. Liberals and independents must come out and vote in force so we don’t have a repeat of 2010…
So true. Democrats, Progressives, Liberals…Whatever we call ourselves, we MUST be more pro-active from now on, and most importantly, VOTE!
If anyone still complains about not getting a pony from the President, just think like a republican in one way, and one way only! Vote Democratic because the next President will most likely have to appoint one or two Supreme Court Justices.
Do you want your kids and grandkids to be the recipients of more decisions like Citizens United?
[...] fiscal hawk who has spoken often and ardently against those who benefit from federal dollars, was not forthcoming with Fox News’s Chris Wallace about how her family has personally benefited from federal [...]
Lets face it, this must be the jury that palin was supposed to go to but found the jury was out on Bachmann
We need a new counter. Palin lies, Bachmann lies. Palin tea party, bachmann tea party, the tea party lies
Hi I am michelle bachmann and I am lying my way to the presidency. Can I count on your vote?
How refreshing would it be to see one of our Sunday AM talkie people do the work? How many times have we seen an interview where the answers are on record, but the interviewer lets the subject say what ever they want? Can you imagine if one of them actually pushed back and forced the truth?
Not that he always did, but I loved it when Tim Russert got it!
Ah, Fox News, according to the left in the back pocket of Republicans, asking a conservative tough questions. Imagine that, doing their job rather pushing a candidate. If only the rest of the media who truly are in the Democrat camp would done their jobs in 2008 with their golden candidate Obama. Had they, millions of voters might not have conned by Obama into believing he is a moderate and wouldbring “change.”. Good job, Fox! Showing the way again!
Goodness yes, if only they didn’t allow candidates to fundraise on the air, hire as “talent” the entire 2012 lineup save Ron Paul in the lead up, and donate millions to the RGA and not disclose it. And then if they didn’t mislead their viewers and use lower thirds to suggest things that are inaccurate or Breitbart their videos…I mean, they’re so darn close to news, just with a partisan agenda and a propagandist’s heart.
@FinanceBuzz: Duh, he asked the question so she could ‘lie’ it away. Doing the work of a tough conservative question? No, friend, it was a setup pure and simple. Fox and friends support Bachmann more than any of the other candidates. You should hear how they tout her on r.w. talk radio. But, then, I would guess you already have heard.
She’s a kunt.
[...] Bachmann, who just yesterday lied on Fox News about benefiting from farm subsidies but has yet to be asked to resign from the House for “lying” to the public, announced [...]
JUST announced and lying ALREADY! How very REPUBLICAN of her!
All hail to Astroturf TeaBparty Queen (ASQ), Michele Bachmann. Isn’t she the one that who rails against the Federal Government while every year she benefits from farm subsidies and adopts kids to work them on same farm. Oh yeah she is also a self-proclaimed historian on the US Founding Fathers and US history. The sad truth she will lie to get her way, what honor is there in that? But if you manipulate our US history and double down when you are found out, well don’t go crying to Fake News when you lose. Kind of like the Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (Most recent quitter of her Bus Tour to restore America). We remember what happen when after “W” manipulate Florida to win the presidency and his failure to win any of the two wars he started that devastated our treasury and ruined our economy for the next 50 years. If the GOP thinks that Michele Bachmann is the answer, good luck with that.
[...] 2: Politicususa nicely explains how Bachmann dissembled when she tried to explain away taking millions of dollars [...]
Learn some basic business facts. Bachmann is a limited partner. Recorded INCOME does not necessarily mean she ever received a penny of DISTRIBUTION. I showed income on several LLC’s for years and did not receive a penny until the entities were sold, as it was all reinvested. High-risk businesses like farms rarely distribute profits, since a bad year can wipe out their cash. So the disclosure form does not prove she “lied”, contrary to the hyperventilating media. Certainly, her campaign needs to clarify.
As for the “hypocrisy” of accepting subsidies, limited partners do not have any operational control of the business. Meanwhile, let me know when Obama, Reid, Pelosi et al are asked about the apparent hypocrisy in accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Bush tax cuts while at the same time campaigning against them and calling them “immoral”.
Some basics on partnerships can be found here: http://www.investorguide.com/igu-article-857-tax-basics-tax-issues-related-to-your-business.html)
Why do you have quote marks around “lied”? It’s not in the article anywhere.
You are evading the entire point. The Tea party is against welfare. MB called Medicaid welfare. Her husband’s clinic accepted 137k from Medicaid program. Yes, she took money from the farm profits that came from the subsidies. Sorry. And no, “accepting” tax cuts are not the same thing as applying for grants, subsidies, and Medicaid payments that you rail against and deny others.
It’s not in the article anywhere?
“…she had to lie. Because of these lies, the story is not going to go away. On top of it all, it was a dumb lie. She lied about something that she put on her own public disclosure forms.”