Michele Bachmann: A Consistent Conservative, Really? Tells CYInterview She Received a Cut to her Congressional Pay This Year, Statement Seems to Differ From Facts; Also, Handler Runs Interference for Her, We’ve Got the Audio; More
We were looking forward to our conversation with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. With the Iowa Caucuses just weeks away, we believed we would be able to present CYInterview followers with some insight into where she stands on fiscal issues.
The candidate for the Republican presidential nomination has been doing double duty: out on the stump, running for president and, at the same time, touting her book Core of Conviction.
We asked our questions within the same overlapping context within which the congresswoman has been presenting herself to the American people. She wants to be president and is working at selling a book. We wanted answers on information presented in her book, as well as about her candidacy.
Our main goal was to engage Congresswoman Bachmann in a conversation about her being a – self-touted – consistent conservative. Our main point of focus was to be on fiscal issues seeing that the candidate has been amply covered when it comes to her social views.
CYInterview followers will know that featured columnist Jay Bildstein has been putting forward his set of ideas on how to effectuate positive change in the USA, both economically and otherwise. Jay’s premise is that our leaders – the president, vice-president and Congress – must lead by example. He says it would be the best way to demonstrate to the American people that our leaders in Washington are sincere about taking action in the best interests of the nation. Great things happen when people are inspired by leaders who walk their talk.
At the core of Jay’s ideas is a 50% pay cut for the president, vice-president and Congress. Certainly, this particular act of fiscal discipline would do almost nothing, dollar-wise, to reduce the federal budget deficit and debt. In the scope of the nation’s finances, it is an infinitesimal amount of money.
However, this type of action would demonstrate that the politicians in D.C. were willing to lead by example, accepting financial pain before they delivered it unto the American public. It could serve as a rallying point to deal with the nation’s budget woes.
Who better then self-proclaimed, consistent conservative, Michele Bachmann to agree with this idea?
As you will see in this CYInterview, that does not appear to be the case.
During our conversation, the congresswoman claimed she voted for and took a 5% pay cut this year (2011,) something we cannot find proof of anywhere. And we looked. Congress did cut its budget, but it is clear from Jay’s question, that he was talking about their pay. So far as we can tell there was no congressional pay cut, yet Congresswoman Bachmann claims one.
Ms. Bachmann attempted to avoid committing to Jay’s 50% congressional/presidential pay cut concept by talking around the issue, stating the need to cut everyone’s pay in the federal government by 50%, as well as removing certain governmental departments.
Logically, Jay came back and offered that whatever cuts would have to be made in Washington, it would make most sense to lead by example and immediately introduce a bill to cut congressional salaries. When Jay asked for a direct answer to his question, what followed was an interruption by one of Congresswoman Bachmann’s handlers, asking if there were any questions about the book.
The book is all about being conservative. The Congresswoman is running for president. She purports to be a fiscal conservative. Why not answer the question directly?
We could have pressed the issue, but our feeling was that the non-answer was an answer in and of itself. You decide.
The CYInterview was conducted on November 30th. Since then we researched whether members of Congress received a 5% pay cut this year. As mentioned above, we found nothing to support that assertion.
You can read and or listen to the entire CYInterview with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann below:
Listen to the entire Michele Bachmann CYInterview:
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4 Replies to “Michele Bachmann: A Consistent Conservative, Really? Tells CYInterview She Received a Cut to her Congressional Pay This Year, Statement Seems to Differ From Facts; Also, Handler Runs Interference for Her, We’ve Got the Audio; More”
4 Replies to “Michele Bachmann: A Consistent Conservative, Really? Tells CYInterview She Received a Cut to her Congressional Pay This Year, Statement Seems to Differ From Facts; Also, Handler Runs Interference for Her, We’ve Got the Audio; More”
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