Jingoism 101, by Michele Bachmann

On Friday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN-06) appeared on Chris Matthews' show Hardball to talk about the presidential election, specifically about how Sarah Palin's Website talks about all of the wonderful "pro-American places" in the US. When Matthews failed to get her to name some of those places, he took another approach, and the following dialogue ensued:

Matthews: How many Congresspeople, members of Congress are in that anti-American crowd you describe?

Bachmann: [Deer in the headlights]

Matthews: How many Congresspeople you serve with - I mean, there's 435 members of Congress...

Bachmann: ...Well, right now...

Matthews: ...how many are anti-American in that Congress right now that you serve with?

Bachmann: You'd have to ask them, Chris, I'm focusing on Barack Obama and the people he's been associated with...

Matthews: But do you suspect that a lot of the people you serve with...

Bachmann: ...and I'm very worried about their anti-American nature.

Matthews: Well, he's the United States Senator from Illinois, he's one of the people you suspect as being anti-American. How many people in the Congress of the United States do you think are anti-American? You've already suspected Barack Obama. Is he alone, or are there others?

Bachmann: [Deer in the headlights]

Matthews: How many do you suspect of your colleagues do you suspect of being anti-American?

Bachmann: I would say, what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look - I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think the people would love to see an exposé like that.

After Bachmann's ridiculous nationalistic rant, The Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel hit the nail right on the head:

Chris, I fear for my country. I think what we just heard is a congresswoman channeling [Sen.] Joe McCarthy, channeling a politics of fear and loathing and demonization and division and distraction. Not a single issue mentioned. This is a politics at a moment of extreme economic pain in this country that is incendiary, that is so debased, that I'm almost having a hard time breathing, because I think it's very scary. Because this is a country I love, and this woman had no sense of the history of this nation, which is one of struggle, of trying to fulfill the great ideals of this nation, of movements that have brought about the civilizing advances of this country, and she doesn't even know who Saul Alinsky is - a community organizer who channeled the views of the people from below.

I think Barack Obama is going to win, and he's going to have a lot of work because there is an extremism unleashed in this nation which you just heard on this program, which could lead to violence, and hatred, and toxicity. And against the backdrop of the Great Depression we're living through, it could lead - and I don't use this word lightly - to a kind of American fascism, which is against the great values of this nation, and which people like that are fomenting.

It doesn't get much better than that - vanden Heuvel couldn't possibly have been more spot on, and by the way, it's just one more reason (did you need another?) why all progressives and liberals should be subscribing to and reading The Nation Magazine (vanden Heuvel is a part owner).

However, there's more you can do. A Website has already been established to censure Bachmann in Congress, and you can also leave some kind words on her Facebook page. She's also in a very competitive race for reelection, so any contribution can make a difference. The only way we're going to stop this hateful, absurd language is to get these hatemongers out of Congress.

Update: I've read reports that ActBlue has raised over $100,000 for her opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg following Bachmann's nauseating appearance on Hardball on Friday. Sweet - let's keep it going. Even if you give $5, your contribution can make a difference and send Bachmann back to Minnesota in disgrace, right where she belongs.

Update, Part II: I just visited her Facebook page, and it appears that you have to become a "fan" or supporter of hers on Facebook to leave a post on your Wall. I'll pass. I found something pretty interesting on her page, though - her contact e-mail is listed as "repmichelebachmann@gmail.com" - pretty interesting that a Representative in the U.S. Congress has a gmail e-mail address listed in her Facebook page. Just wondering if that has anything to do with subpoena power regarding government e-mail addresses. Anyway, you can certainly drop her a line at her e-mail address, at least. Please, keep it courteous and respectful, but let her know in no uncertain terms that her language, behavior and demeanor and completely reprehensible and unacceptable.

Major hat tip to Crooks & Liars for the video and transcripts. (Just another reason why I've been consistently saying for years now why C&L is the best liberal blog on the Web.)

Happy Memorial Day

Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME) has made a very fitting, appropriate Memorial Day tribute to our troops who have served and who are still serving in our armed forces around the world - take a look - it's only six minutes long.

Allen, who has distinguished himself in many ways in the U.S. House, is running for the U.S. Senate this year against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a rubber-stamp GOPer who needs to be shown a different career path. Allen is in for an uphill fight, but hopefully he will ride into the Senate on an expected wave of Democratic victories this fall. If you wish to support Allen, you can visit his U.S. Senate Website, or by visiting ActBlue.

Allen would make a wonderful, Progressive addition to the U.S. Senate - I wish I could cast my vote for him.

Anyway, Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, please take a moment to think about our troops and how fortunate we are to have our fighting men and women protecting us from those who mean us harm. We really do owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude, and I can only hope that Congress, President Bush, and our next president all see to it that they are given the benefits they so richly deserve. It's the very least we can do. (The G.I. Bill proposed by Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and recently passed by the House would be a good start.)

In the coming days, I'll be writing about some ways we can support our troops overseas. Whether you agree with the War in Iraq or not, they are still our soldiers who are just doing their duty, and we will have to support them in the coming months years in many, many ways large and small. We can, we will, we must.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

$5 can make a difference

Interested in donating to some Democratic candidates for this uber-important election? I found a cool Website the other day, ActBlue, where contributing is quick and easy. Take a look - progressive candidates are listed with short bios of each. You can either contribute to a general fund, or you can contribute to individual candidates.

The site is simply asking for $5, and that can make a difference. The GOP enjoys a significant funding advantage, and they will use every cent they can to lie, distort and slander in order to hold onto power in both Houses of Congress.

Specifically, if you have a few extra bucks over and above five, I recommend your contributing to Lois Murphy and Patrick Murphy on this site. I did, and I hope you do, too. The latter Murphy is running against a particular type of Republican scum, Mark Fitzpatrick, who has taken an oft-used page out of the Karl Rove playbook - slander, slash and burn an opponent and question his military record, when Fitzpatrick has none at all.

The Murphy/Fitzpatrick race is of particular importance to me, since I used to live in Pennsylvania's 8th District in Bucks County. I campaigned very hard for John Kerry there in 2004. We didn't win the war, but we won that battle - Kerry carried the county, and our state. We did our part, anyway.

Murphy, an Iraq war veteran, has a helluva lot more credibility on what's going on in Iraq than Fitzpatrick, a smug, desperate candidate who, like President Bush and Vice President Cheney, has no military experience. I'll be blogging more about Fitzpatrick in a day or two.

Let's hit the GOP where it hurts - first in the pocketbook, then at the polls.

Go big D! (And in this instance, I don't mean my Dallas Cowboys.)