Posted on 06/18/2011 7:39:04 PM PDT by Hawk720
After her speech at the Republican Leadership Conference, I asked GOP presidential candidate and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann about her repeated claims that she has "raised" 23 foster children, a comment she reiterated in an interview with CNN following her speech.
Writing in the Daily Beast this week, Michelle Goldberg quoted Kris Harvieux, who worked as a senior social worker in the foster care system in Bachmann's county, who said at least some of Bachmann's placements were likely short term.
"Some of them you have for a week. Some of them you have for three years, some you have for six months," he said. "She makes it sound like she got them at birth and raised them to adulthood, but that's not true."
According to Goldberg, the Minnesota Department of Human Services reports that Bachmann's foster care license allowed her to care for at most three children at any one time; she had the license for 7 1/2 years.
Asked to explain her situation with her foster children, Bachmann said "we took children in as teenagers."
"Their family was facing a challenge and they weren't going to be able to be at home with their parents and so we took them in as teenagers," she continued. "And our job was to see that they graduated from high school and were successfully launched into the world."
Asked how long they lived with her, she said "it varied."
I asked Bachmann to explain the parameters of how long the children lived with her - was it as short as one week? As long as three years?
"It varied, it really varied depending on the children," Bachmann responded. "And we've never gotten into specifics about the children because we've always wanted to observe their privacy and that of their families."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Dishonesty would be if she did not foster 23 kids. You are SICK to compare her to "phony Vietnam vets."
I am not parsing words. The word “raise” has a specific meaning—to bring up, rear. This is not something someone should say when only caring for a child for a short period of time. When my sister left her child with me for two weeks while she went out of town on business I did not tell people that I was “raising” her child. I said I was “taking care” of her child. BIG difference. Now if Michele Bachmann had said she has helped take care of 23 foster children this would probably not be an issue.
As far as the Vietnam vet comment is concerned, let me clarify. I wasn’t talking about the ones that said they were in Vietnam and never were. That is totally dishonest. I was talking about the ones that actually were in Vietnam, but stretched the truth about their combat activities (Senator Blumenthal in Connecticut is a good example).
I am a big fan of Bachmann, but she doesn’t have to win me over. This is an issue that most people can understand—it’s not Watergate or Whitewater. And if she’s misrepresenting herself the skeptical voters will be able to figure this out.
Now, of course, the only ones that can clarify this issue are the children. And I’m sure the media will try to track them down to get their take on the issue.
How CNN of CBS sets row boat adrift in ankle deep water,expected.
I think she accurately reflected the attitude of the current DNC Chair, Debbie Wasserman-Shultz ~ one of Gabbie's best known "pretend friends".
I do believe Tony Weiner showed what those downtown Manhattan politicians are like ~ they are devoid of any sense of ethics or right and wrong.
Ah yes, SEE B.S. “NEWS”...the company that got money from Hussein for retirees health care, the one that doesn’t investigate **** regarding the DEAR READER, is now cramming the probes into Michele.
Oh MY God......the woman helped 23 children durning hard time and they attack her on her Syntax?
Obama and Biden made so many stupid and inane comments that it isnt funny and they get a pass.
And they wonder why no one pays attention to the MSM>
Michelle stated the facts and you inferred that she claimed that she "raised them" from the moment of conception until their 18th birthday.
Your inference has nothing to do with her very clear statement.
You truly do work for the government and are as conservative as dukakas or mondale or romney.
You won't find that anywhere in my comments. And has stated she "raised" them before.
I’m getting a bit disillusioned about Bachmann myself, but I’d be willing to bet that is 23 more foster children than Michelle Goldberg has helped.
Michelle Goldberg is an author of several anti-Christian books and articles. She’s attacking Bachmann because of her religious faith, using the foster kids angle for this article. She’ll use Bachmann’s stand on gay marriage for another, and she’ll claim Bachmann’s religious beliefs indicate some sort of theocratic calling for yet another.
Goldberg has made a career out of her hatred of Christians.
I can appreciate that she foster cared for 23 kids. Good for her and her husband!
The thing I don’t like is her ambiguous answer to how long she cared for these children. How hard is it to say “some children stayed for a few weeks, some stayed for a few years.” And then to say that she doesn’t want to speak of it for their privacy is like hiding behind them.
Her response is good example of why people don’t like politicians - they make you want to take a shower after listening to them.
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