Posted on 12/03/2011 11:49:02 AM PST by Son House
Gail Harville supports GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann because she wants a candidate who can debate President Obama and beat him.
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., talks during the book-signing event for her book "Core of Conviction" Saturday in Aiken, S.C. Advertisement
No, thats not enough, said her husband, Bill, adding, someone who will shred him!
The North Augusta couple were among about four dozen fans, activists and skeptics who turned out for the Minnesota congresswomans book signing at Books-A-Million in Aiken on Saturday morning.
A handful hoped to see a ticket that combines Bachmann and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the latest contender to march to the front of the GOP field.
I could go either way, Bachmann-Gingrich or Gingrich-Bachmann, said Harville. Her husband favored a pairing with Gingrich in the presidential slot.
But Roy Luke of Martinez said putting Gingrich with Bachmann would be a mistake, in part because he said former Georgia congressman turns people off. Its his image.
Whats more, Luke said, the ticket would be imbalanced. Pairing Bachmann with the more moderate Mitt Romney as a vice presidential candidate would stretch the GOP tickets appeal, he said.
That would work because weve got to bring in the political middle ground, Luke said.
Brian Raborn, 17, who is home schooled and serves as the vice chairman of Teenage Republicans of Aiken, said he's still making up his mind about the field but that Bachmann "seems to have a backbone."
Bachmann offered brief comments about repealing President Obamas health care law, while signing copies of her memoir Core of Conviction.
People recognize that the federal government doesnt do a very good job at running anything, and they dont want their healthcare run by the federal government either, she said.
When asked what she would say to Herman Cain supporters who may soon be looking for a new home, considering speculation about the collapse of the businessmans campaign, the congresswoman had no tailored pitch.
I think that for all the candidates supporters, I would be the best candidate, so I ask them all to come and support me, said Bachmann, who was elected to Congress in 2006 after serving in the Minnesota State Senate from 2000-2006.
But despite the soaring confidence of the mornings supporters, poll numbers force the congresswomans candidacy back to Earth.
An InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research poll conducted Nov. 28 for The Augusta Chronicle about South Carolinas Republican primary had Gingrich leading with 38 percent support, followed by Romney with 15, Cain 13, Ron Paul 7, Rick Perry 4, Bachmann 3 percent, Rick Santorum 2, someone else at 5 percent and 13 percent of respondents offering no opinion. The telephone survey targeted 519 registered voters who say they are likely to vote in the states Jan. 21 GOP primary.
A campaign spokeswoman said Bachmann would be leaving later in the day for New York City to participate in Mike Huckabees Fox News Channel presidential forum. She planned to return to South Carolina on Sunday to visit Myrtle Beach and Florence before returning to New York, then Washington, D.C., and Iowa.
S.C. Sen. Lee Bright, a Spartanburg Republican with Bachmanns team, said the previous day the candidate had attracted a wrap-a-round crowd in Greenville. He said she is the only candidate whose supporters dont have to condition their pitch with excuses for various policy inconsistencies.
Ideological purity was key to Susan Swansons support for Bachmann, too.
Michele Bachmann is the conservative candidate, said the North Augusta woman.
Shes been the real leader of the Tea Party, and other people just try to say that.
There was at least one Democrat in the crowd, too.
I come from a very divided family, said Barnwell resident Harold Geddings, a 33-year-old sheet metal worker at the Savannah River Site. He attended the event to have Bachmann sign her book as a Christmas gift to his mother, who is a Republican.
Geddings said Bachmann is his preferred Republican candidate because she would be easiest for Obama to defeat in the general election, noting that he is a member of the Facebook group, Democrats for Bachmann.
I like her as a person, but she just has too much ideological baggage, said Geddings. But she did just encourage me to run for Congress.
Is that a ‘cut’ as in slowing the rate of growth or an actually cut in the funds essential to benefit of a Veteran? At face value, this charge of cutting Veterans benefits is an unintended consequence of having to realistically deal within the limits of a budget, there isn’t infinite funds no matter how much we appreciate what bravery and service to this country our Veterans do. Yes, cut government over head and support the Veterans, but look who else she right now has to deal with.
Unfortunately, they virtually all go meet with Reid’s 2010 supporter Donald Trump, that is disappointing.
It was all over the VFW sites at the time. It was a “cut” at a time many of our troops were coming home with war wounds. She claimed it was open for discussion ...the mere thought that she would even consider such an act infuriates me. This is from the VFW “. The Air Force Times reports her plan would slice $4.5 billion from the VA, including reducing 150,000 veterans disability compensation and the amount they receive in Social Security Disability Income.
A host of veterans groups slammed Bachmanns plan:
Veterans of Foreign War national commander Richard L. Eubank said, The only discussion the VFW wants is to tell the congresswoman that her plan is totally out of step with Americas commitment to our veterans. No way, no how, will we let this proposal get any traction in Congress, said Eubank. There are certain things you do not do when our nation is at war, and at the top of that list is not caring for our wounded and disabled servicemen and women when they return home, he said. I want her to look those disabled veterans in the eye and tell them their service and sacrifice is too expensive for the nation to bear.
The National Veterans Foundations Rich Rudnick told ThinkProgress that Bachmanns plan is terribly misguided, saying, veterans benefits are minimal to begin with and that Bachmanns scheme would be a real step backwards. Cutting back on the VA right now would be showing contempt for American servicemembers sacrifices, Rudnick said in a phone interview this afternoon.
Disabled American Veterans Washington Headquarters Executive Director David Gorman said Bachmanns plan is [s]uch an ill-advised proposal [it] is nothing short of heartless. It is unconscionable that while our nation is at war someone would even think of forcing our wounded warriors to sacrifice even more than they already have, Gorman said. Their injuries and disabilities were the result of their service to the nation, and our nation must not shirk its responsibilities toward them. How do you tell a veteran who has lost a limb that he or she has not sacrificed enough? Yet Rep. Bachmann wants to do just that.
Veterans for Common Sense executive director Paul Sullivan said cutting veterans health care spending is an ill-advised move at a time when the number of veterans continues to grow as troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan. It is really astonishing to see this, he said.
VoteVets.org Chairman Ashwin Madia said, Michelle Bachmanns plan would turn veterans away from the care theyve earned and deserve. Congress voted for two wars that have created many veterans that now need help, and we cannot and will not turn our backs to them. Thats bad policy that I think even a majority of Republican voters will stand squarely against.
In a statement to the Air Force Times, Bachmann said her plan is intended for discussion purposes as an example of ways to cut federal spending.
They will attack the foster kids, bet on it. That may be the reason Santorum looks better. Palin, Rush and Levin all agree that Santorum is more likely, but all will support whomever the party MSM selects. Mitt seems to be at the bottom of all their lists.
Unlike you right Apollo?
and Bachmann’s being a no show to vote on bills as I stated earlier..the 11th worst record in the house of congressmen/women NOT showing up. IF you did that or I did that with our jobs...guess what? we would be fired
Not hardly....I’ll eat MY underwear first.
Yep— they will now have men come out and say she had an affair with them or her husband had an affair or she abused her kids, or her hus sexually abused the kids.....
waiting for the next donkey kick to Conservative/GOP candidates....
Bachmann supporters have been pretty quiet these last couple months till today. It will be fascinating to see where the Cain supporters fall (I'm one -- it'll be fascinating to me to see where I end up -- probably not with Bachmann, though).
I suspect every candidate will get another look. Santorum certainly deserves some scrutiny and even Huntsman's plank is worth looking at. I do not think that everyone will rush to the Newtster.
The whole thing is exhausting, though. No one's even cast a ballot yet and I feel like this election's already gone on for years.
“My hope is that the two RINOs will battle it out, and allow Michelle to come forth and be the nominee.”
BUMP
She is a lawyer who worked for the IRS (no thanks, nobody who believes in the Constitution takes that job), has a menagerie of foster kids that she cant possibly be paying the attention to that they deserve, and has a husband who lisps worse than Liberace (they keep him under wraps, he's no First Dude, more like the First Poof).
All she does is attack everyone except that degenerate con man Romney, hoping for a VP spot.
She is a nut job.
“Bachman has a mental condition known as Megalomania”
You appear to have Bachmann mixed up with Gingrich.
Well, maybe a serious candidate for head of the ex IRS lawyers married to closeted men club, but not POTUS.
You know who's NOT a LAWYER"
Gingrich
Under her stellar "Leadership" the "Tea Party Caucus" has lost membership and never votes as a consistent bloc, rendering it useless.
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'
Im 55 years old. Ive been married 33 years, she said. Im not only a lawyer, I have a post-doctorate degree in federal tax law from William and Mary. Ive worked in serious scholarship
my husband and I have raised five kids, weve raised 23 foster children. Weve applied ourselves to education reform. We started a charter school for at-risk kids. Ive also been a state senator and member of the United States Congress for five years.
Watch your mouth, you sound like a drunken wife beater.
Argue all you want AGAINST Obama.
If the slightest wiff of you arguing FOR Romney, you’ll be thrown off the 4000’ cliff onto the rocky-shoals below; good riddance.
IF Romney is the only Republican candidate in the 2012 general election for President of the U.S.A., I will cast a write-in vote for the candidate of my choice.
Why do you think that I am for Romney?
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