Posted on 11/04/2009 6:37:33 PM PST by markomalley
The aide who helped turn Rep. Michele Bachmann into a controversial mainstay of cable news has informed colleagues that she’s quitting — just as the firebrand Republican congresswoman prepares for her biggest media moment yet.
Multiple sources have confirmed that Michelle Marston, a veteran Hill aide, is leaving Bachmann’s office.
In an e-mail exchange with POLITICO, Marston declined to say why she’s going.
“I’m just not talking about it, and frankly I don’t think there’s a story here,” Marston wrote. “Now, the thousands of people calling our office to tell us [they’re] coming to Capitol Hill tomorrow — that’s a story.”
Marston was referring to the prolific Bachmann’s latest political brainstorm, a “house call” on the Capitol Thursday to which she’s invited Fox News viewers and other conservatives to march with her through House office buildings, “find members of Congress, look at the whites of their eyes and say, ‘Don’t take away my health care.’”
The idea was hatched by Bachmann and a small clutch of allies at the member level, and aides say that the response to it has been so overwhelming that the conservative Republican Study Committee has been tapped to help with the arrangements for the event on the West Front of the Capitol.
The image of travel-ready conservatives flooding the hallways of the Capitol complex to confront members of Congress may not be one that Republican leaders are too keen to project.
A conservative Republican House member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, suggested that Bachmann’s views — and her willingness to state them — make it hard for her to keep staff.
“When your captain’s crazy, it’s time to find a new ship,” the lawmaker said.
Marston replaced Bachmann’s former chief of staff, Rich Dunn, last February. She beefed up Bachmann’s outreach operations with the aim of getting her out in the public eye more often.
“She looks like the type of person who you would invite in to have a cup of coffee at your table,” Marston said at the time. “There are a lot of people who are good, smart, well-meaning, well-intentioned members of Congress, but they speak to the people like they are members of Congress. Rep. Bachmann talks to people like they are people.”
But when Bachmann infuriated liberals with the suggestion that then-Sen. Barack Obama and other Democrats in Congress held “anti-American” views, Marston acknowledged that her boss wasn’t for everyone.
“You either love Michele Bachmann or you don’t love Michele Bachmann at all,” Marston said in an interview with POLITICO last fall.
I’m praying for and working toward our own “General Grant.”
History is filled with ups and downs, wins and losses, and amid the dust and dirt of the fight we’re in, I strongly believe we conservatives will prevail and find our “General Grant.”
Hear, hear, well said, and I totally agree!
For a long time to come, conservatives are going to have to critize Rinos. They have to be beaten back and out and replaced. They are doing it to conservatives now that they have power because that is what you do when you are a wing of the party and want control over the party. Socialists like Graham and Snowe and Collins are NOT acceptable.
Good ! We need a rebel in DC and since all the Republican men need a shot of testosterone she stood up and said Get Outta My Way !
The ONLY reason this is being discussed is that the Dems are yellow-belly scared.
I appreciate your sense of decorum and can't say you're wrong. What I can say is that Obama and congressional Democrats have whipped up hatred this year and directed it at Wall Street, Las Vegas, corporate aviation, Tea Party and townhall attendees, talk radio, FOX News, doctors, health insurers, the CIA, and “the wealthy” just to name a few. Obama told a group of bankers that he was the only thing that stood between them and “the pitchforks” of the angry mob.
It is way too late to be polite when the GOP is literally being locked out of this process of the Dims intent on destroying our country.
You thought you were making a joke.
well wouldn’t a GOLFINCH pick up on that? LOL!! ; )
“When your captain’s crazy, it’s time to find a new ship,” the lawmaker said.
Question: When are we going to stop eating our own?
I would lay heavy, heavy odds there is NO basis for this "quote". The use of unnamed sources is a favorite of the libs because it allows them to say absolutely anything.
We're currently in a war to save our nation. To save our liberty and all that we know to be right.
Bachmann’s action today... inviting thousands of Americans to Washington to meet with their House Members in the “People's House” and tell them what they feel about this destructive piece of legislation, follows the most basic tenant of sound strategic engagement - “bring the fight to the enemy”.
Bachmann, as many like her that are willing to stand up to these Marxist leftist who have taken over our government, is just one more American hero.
An American hero who will be embraced favorably by history as the story is told someday about how the United States of America was saved and brought back from the brink of Marxist/Socialist/Leftists/Progressive totalitarianism and destruction at the hands of the political puppets (Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Frank, Waxman, Schumer, et. al.) of the great manipulators like George Soros, SEIU, ACORN,, etc., etc., etc....
God's speed to all of today's American heroes, fighting the good fight, including Michelle Bachmann.
I appreciate so much the effort folks are making on short notice to go to DC.
The left IS is doing it. Who do you think sends in union goons to disrupt public meetings, who sends quasi military black goons to intimidate voters in precints, who changes locks on conference room doors to keep out duly elected representatives while formulating a plot to subvert the constuitution etc etc etc.
Don't be naive. Some of us have LIVED through Communist tactics and we know how they operate and we alaso know how to fight back and the ballot is not the only means available.
Fight fire with a bigger fire!!!
I am thinking it was San Fran Nan.
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