I won’t have Michele Bachmann to kick around any more. Good.
Tea Party advocate and history-addled Congresswoman Michele Bachmann suddenly announced that she will not be running for re-election in 2014, and everyone knows why: she is the object of serious investigations regarding financial improprieties and violations of election laws during her run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. She was also facing a rematch against the same opponent she barely defeated last year. Rather than destroy her brand by losing in an overwhelmingly Republican district (Romney took it easily), Bachmann made the reasonable career decision to leave voluntarily before she was fired.
She didn’t have to lie about it, though. That’s just the way she is.
“[T]he law limits anyone from serving as president of the United States for more than eight years. And in my opinion, well, eight years is also long enough for any individual to serve as a representative for a specific congressional district….Be assured: My decision was not in any way influenced by any concerns about my being reelected to Congress. … I have every confidence that if I ran, I would again defeat the individual who I defeated last year, who recently announced he is once again running.And rest assured, this decision was not impacted in any way by the recent inquiries into the activities of my former presidential campaign or my former presidential staff. It was clearly understood that compliance with all rules and regulations was an absolute necessity for my presidential campaign. And I have no reason to believe that was not the case. …I fully anticipate the mainstream, liberal media to put a detrimental spin on my decision. … But I take being the focus of their attention of their disparagement as a true compliment of my public-service effectiveness. … To m my detractors, my work continues for YOUR best interest as well. … God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”
If there is one thing that has always been true about the Congresswoman, she has never admitted failure or wrongdoing, even when the evidence was unavoidable and beyond question. She never before advocated term limits, or suggested should limit herself to eight years. What has changed? Simple: she’s facing investigative scrutiny that will embarrass her and weaken her already dicey chances of re-election. Everybody knows it. Yet she felt compelled to announce her retirement with a series of disingenuous statements that bolster public cynicism, not just about the honesty of Bachmann, Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Party conservatives, but all politicians and elected officials. Of course she lied. They all lie. They can’t help themselves.
At least Bachmann can’t help herself. One reason the Tea Party is likely to remain in the shadows until it withers is that it can’t seem to find any high-profile champions who aren’t unprofessional, inept, ridiculous , untrustworthy, or some combination thereof. For many Bachmann is the face of that movement, and a disturbing face. Getting her off of the stage can’t help but strengthen the movement she claimed to lead, though without a superior replacement the benefit will be relatively small.
I suppose we should applaud Bachmann for giving such a blatantly dishonest statement, rather than the kind of sneakily deceitful ones we have been hearing from I.R.S. officials, Eric Holder, and Jay Carney. It should, though it won’t, serve as a confession to her followers, stating clearly that, “Yes, I too can’t be trusted and will lie to you when it suits my ego, agenda, or whims. I too was corrupt, and have no business representing your interests. I claimed to be something better, but I’m really not. Keep looking. Don’t be fooled again.”
If only the people who need to hear that were really listening.
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Sources: New York Times, Politico
Ethics Alarms 
Also, unfortunately, I would add: “One reason the Republican Party is likely to remain in the shadows until it withers is that it can’t seem to find any high-profile champions who aren’t unprofessional, inept, ridiculous , untrustworthy, or some combination thereof.” Democrats strike me as all of the above but adept rather than inept.
Seems like their adeptness may be running out with the trifecta, though.
Yes, you can be too smart for your own good, as are the Clintons from time to time. But I just don’t see any real repercussions for Obama over the next three years. He’ll just hang around scolding people from time to time. He has no second term agenda. All he’s good at is getting elected, and that gig is up. But today’s political class, intellectual elites, media and even the electorate are so left leaning, I think we’re in for a long run of nearly socialist governing. Recall if you will, the efforts to un-do Bill Clinton went on for eight years, were nearly Herculean and unsuccessful. Besides, Obama’s so comparatively ephemeral, he doesn’t present a suitable target. It’s part of his modus operandi.
Too gloomy. Each party is superb at proving that it is too incompetent and arrogant to govern, guaranteeing that the last party to screw up always gets another chance. I thought no party could look worse than the corrupt and inept GOP hacks from 2000-2008, but this is close. The media can’t hide it, and they are showing signs of getting disgusted….and I think they know this Administration has a flat, flat, flat learning curve. My guess is that by 2016 the deficit will be scary, bridges will be collapsing, gas will be 5 bucks, Iran will have nuked Israel and there will have been another financial collapse, not to mention a bunch more scandals stemming from Obama’s non-leadership and oversight, and even his race won’t stop all but the African-American bloc from being sick of the Democrats and Obama. Oh—and Holder will still have his job.That’s not exactly optimistic—just wait and see what the Republicans will do to screw things up…but it’s the most likely scenario. Unfortunately.
And I’M too gloomy?
I’m supposed to root for three or four Armegeddons so a different political party can get their turn at screwing things up and fleecing the taxpayers? Caramba!
🙂
I didn’t say you should ROOT for it. I’m not. I just think that’s the likelihood.
There are some that make the grade, as is true of Democrats. Rep. Jeff Flake. Rubio. McCain, most of the time. Lindsey Graham. Gov. Kasich. Chris Christy. Colin Powell. Mitch Daniels.
Not a very deep bench, Jack. I’ve been in Arizona since 1981. I think Jeff Flake is just the Arizona branch of the Mormon Church’s current senior office holder from Arizona. John McCain is old and has only enough energy to protect the spirits industry on behalf of his second wife’s Anheiser Busch distributorship here in AZ. Rubio will be hamstrung by the Cuban-American refugee lobby. (I was born and raised through HS in Miami). Colin Powell has a serious Hamlet problem and has withdrawn. The others, I can’t say anything about and can only hope for the best. I get a kick out of Chris Christy. I worry about his surviving his obesity problem. I fear that younger voters (my kids’ ages- mid thirties) are just not buying a conservative political orientation. Unfortunately, none of the people you mention are attractive to younger voters. Maybe Bobby Jindal?
In the words of the great Irish playwright Brian Friel this woman is “bone stupid” so good riddance and good luck. I hope that if she has broken any finance laws that they indict her and throw the book at her.
I still can’t believe she was elected 4 times. Can we require all candidates for national office to first win “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” before being allowed on the ballot?