The Debate: Thoughts on Bachmann, Pawlenty, and Blaming the Economy on Dems

Why would the Dems be blamed for the GOP obstructionism? The Republicans in the Senate spent most of 2009-2010 saying "NO" (400 plus House-passed bills never even made it to the floor because of threats of a filibuster). The Affordable Health Care Act only got passed because the Senate Democrats passed it as a reconciliation bill, which needs only 51 votes and of which there can be only one per year (thus explaining why such a bad deal was made in December in order to extend unemployment benefits for 2 million Americans). Now it is the House Republicans in 2011 who have prevented passage of any bills which would actually help the economy. It appears to be in the GOP's interest to keep the economy from recovering before the 2012 elections.

Michelle Bachmann is just part of the Minnesota freak show under the Republican tent. Pawlenty trashed Minnesota when he was governor. No new taxes? Let's just call them fees, and let them impact only the poor and middle classes. Let's just sweep these deficits under the carpet until 2011 (let's borrow a billion plus from education) until a new governor get in. And let's cut health care for the poorest of the poor (the sick and the disabled) in Minnesota.

Bachmann is the self-proclaimed head of the Tea Party. She vastly outspent her opponent to win re-election in 2010, but it appears that no amount of money will correct her increasingly bizarre versions of history or her misguided ideas.