TPMDC
Bachmann: No Government Control Over My Body!
Eric Kleefeld | August 20, 2009, 5:18PM
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
Share
Send to a friend!
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who is a a staunch champion of the religious right and an opponent of President Obama on all things under the sun, has a new line against the Democrats on health care: Keep the government off my body!
Bachmann appeared on Sean Hannity's radio show on Tuesday, and check out what she said, at the 5:35 mark.
"That's why people need to continue to go to the town halls, continue to melt the phone lines of their liberal members of Congress," said Bachmann, "and let them know, under no certain circumstances will I give the government control over my body and my health care decisions."
The irony here is that this same message is often used in American politics to mean something completely different -- as a slogan of the pro-choice movement, to which Bachmann most certainly does not belong.
Other Stories Featured at TPMDC
Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
PollTracker
Most Popular
- Sarah Palin Goes Rogue With Bill O'Reilly
- Where Does This Leave Us?
- Lieberman Repeats Claim That Public Option Not Part Of 2008 Presidential Campaign
- Stewart Takes Down KSM Trial Fearmongerers
- Backfire! NC GOP-er Delivers Anti-Republican Survey Comments To Dem Gov
- Lincoln: "I'll Filibuster A Public Option Bill"
- Senate Agrees To Debate Health Care Bill
- Bernie Sanders: 'My Vote For The Final Bill Is By No Means Guaranteed'
- Owens Winning The Absentee Ballots In NY-23
- 'President Or Jihad?' Billboard Replaces Birther Sign In CO
- Lieberman Repeats Claim That Public Option Not Part Of 2008 Presidential Campaign
- Senate Agrees To Debate Health Care Bill
- Is Everybody Disappointed In Obama?
- Bernie Sanders: 'My Vote For The Final Bill Is By No Means Guaranteed'
- November 22
- I Call Bullshit.
- HCAN: "It's a Shame Not a Single Republican" Voted To Allow Debate
- Steele: 'Moderate Democrats Sacrificed Their Principles'
- THE EXPERT AS THE DANGEROUS WHORE
- Intel Inside? Prove It.
- Where Does This Leave Us?
- Filibuster Thwarted ... For Now
- I Call Bullshit.
- Is Everybody Disappointed In Obama?
- Establishment Reality
- THE EXPERT AS THE DANGEROUS WHORE
- The Cast Has Assembled
- Bernie Sanders: I Want My Leverage!
- Clinton Not Attending Health Care Event Because it's Politicized?
- Time to contact the FCC
TPM Stories Now Surging on Digg.com
TPM Top News
© 2009 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
tiowally
August 20, 2009 5:21 PM
Interesting stance for a rabid anti-choicer.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
slb
August 20, 2009 5:26 PM in reply to tiowally
Hah! I was thinking exactly the same thing!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
AnswerFrog
August 20, 2009 7:13 PM in reply to slb
Yes, a very interesting angle to attack the "deather" fringe. They don't want some kind of government panel making health choices for them. Does that include the government forcing them to have a baby? And in Palin's case, she wants the government to force raped woman to have babies. Can we call those "rape panels"?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Docb
August 20, 2009 9:52 PM in reply to slb
And who cares about her body,,,do as you will but no one cares!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
TheraP
August 20, 2009 7:30 PM in reply to tiowally
Same exact thought!
Amazing how these folks fail to realize that holding a value affects many issues, not just the one du jour.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Seeryer
August 21, 2009 9:22 AM in reply to tiowally
She is being consistent, her line of thinking goes, "I am a conservative woman so I don't want the government messing with me. But liberal women, now that is a different story, they need all the direction they can get, including from the government"
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
wendy davis
August 21, 2009 9:40 AM in reply to tiowally
More accurately: A forced-childbirther.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Kuyleh
August 20, 2009 5:27 PM
She's hellbent pro-life, but she doesn't want to give the Government control over her body?
Does she think for even half a second before she opens her pie hole?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
aka clio
August 20, 2009 5:40 PM in reply to Kuyleh
Representative Bachmann is incapable of thought-rational, irrational, logical, illogical, or even incoherent. She's the closest thing to an invertebrate serving in the Congress today. She is not, however, the only national Republican with this mental disability.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
tiowally
August 20, 2009 5:45 PM in reply to aka clio
Are you thinking of, say, James Inhofe?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ohyeathatsright
August 20, 2009 5:32 PM
Translation: Under no circumstances will I give the government control over my body and my healthcare decisions, but I will vehemently defend my position to control other people's bodies.
Sarah Palin actually said more or less the same thing to a group of anti-abortion activists.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Minne sconsin
August 20, 2009 6:09 PM in reply to ohyeathatsright
Exactly, just as it ever was.
I'll bet if abortion were banned and Rep. Bachmann had a daughter with a little "problem", there would be a trip to a foreign country to take care of things. Just like the good old days.
Those who have $$ always had choice.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
libdevil
August 20, 2009 5:33 PM
Do they really not understand the difference between health care and paying the bills for health care?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Stroszek
August 20, 2009 5:42 PM
I love that cartoon.
ACORN!!!!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
SchrodingersCat
August 20, 2009 5:42 PM
Would it be possible to try and get a statement from her office asking whether she's still firmly anti-choice? If so, can you then please inquire as to why she doesn't consider her uterus part of her body?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
AlphaLiberal
August 20, 2009 5:42 PM
That's just confused, not crazy. She can do better.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
S1
August 20, 2009 5:43 PM
I've seen Michelle's body. I'll bet the government's no more interested than I am.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Susan from 29
August 20, 2009 5:43 PM
She is stealing my argument!
The difference is that I know what I am talking about.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
navamske
August 20, 2009 5:49 PM
What a maroon.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
BillMcD
August 20, 2009 5:57 PM
I think the best way to handle this would be for someone with decent name-recognition to welcome Rep. Bachmann to the pro-choice side of the abortion debate, very publically... saaay... Mr. Gibbs...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Minne sconsin
August 20, 2009 6:12 PM in reply to BillMcD
Barney Frank does snark MUCH better.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
DrToast
August 20, 2009 6:18 PM in reply to BillMcD
Planned Parenthood should put out a press release congratulating her on changing her mind.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ws84
August 22, 2009 4:13 PM in reply to DrToast
The only thing she and the other conservatives are consistent about is their hypocrisy!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
tpmgary
August 20, 2009 6:00 PM
could you edit the embed? I'm not prepared to listen to 9 minutes of Sean Hannity, and sacrifice my sanity, to get to the money quote.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
lousgirl84
August 20, 2009 6:27 PM in reply to tpmgary
I'm with you. I've seen enough of this low life to know I don't need to hear or see any more. My acid reflux can't take this.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Minne sconsin
August 20, 2009 6:10 PM
This will be the centerpiece of her run for president in 2012.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
sbv
August 20, 2009 6:12 PM
you know, the stupidity of some would be laughable if it weren't so damn serious. the gop's karma has come around; after spending how many years "dumbing" down america for their own agenda, it has come back to bit them.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
jpaese
August 20, 2009 6:22 PM
Anyone who can make Sarah Palin appear cogent and articulate scares the crap out of me personally. Is anyone else noticing that these most extreme hard-right politicians all came to be in a vaccuum?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
lousgirl84
August 20, 2009 6:32 PM
I keep having this recurring dream that I have successfully managed to gather all of these psycho nuts into the Los Angeles Coliseum for an anti-health reform event/rally and the place is jam packed with standing room only, and then all of a sudden the sky darkens and this huge bomber is over the Coliseum and out of the bomber comes a bomb and BANG!!!!!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
tiowally
August 20, 2009 7:32 PM in reply to lousgirl84
That's just not right, lousgirl. Who's going to clean up the mess? Oh yeah, Democrats.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
AnswerFrog
August 20, 2009 7:01 PM
Love those crazy eyes in that photo.
Anyone home???
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
commie atheist
August 20, 2009 8:13 PM
How soon before Michelle starts chanting "My body, my choice!" on the floor of the House?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Taylor Doose
August 20, 2009 8:13 PM
Hehehe...someone should make that into a political attack ad..you know, pull a Republican and take her words out of context. Make it seem like she suddenly flip-flopped on the abortion issue. Boy, that right-wing district of hers would just flip their crucifixes!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Bademus
August 20, 2009 11:39 PM
Someone should be sure to remind her of that when she turns 65 too.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
wevets
August 21, 2009 12:42 AM in reply to Bademus
I am so glad that Ms. Bachmann has finally come out as pro-choice. "Keep the government off my body" is EXACTLY what we pro-choice folks have been saying for 30 years. We should all do our best to publicize this new position on Ms. Bachmann's part.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Redwood Rhiadra
August 21, 2009 2:30 AM in reply to Bademus
She doesn't have to turn 65 - as a member of the House, she already has government-paid health care.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
acf_ma
August 21, 2009 12:42 PM in reply to Redwood Rhiadra
Yes, she does, but it could also be looked at that she has employer provided health insurance. I know, as a member of Congress, she's not an employee of the government, but in effect, it's the same thing. BTW, I want a strong public option in any health insurance reform package. It's the only way to apply pressure on commercial insurance companies to control costs and prices to the public.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
DrZee
August 21, 2009 8:51 AM
It's just too bad that the subtle art of IRONY is completely wasted on Bachman.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ivy22
August 21, 2009 9:20 AM
New Headline: Bachmann Is Now Pro-Choice.
God has spoken to her again.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
AhTrini1
August 21, 2009 9:32 AM
Alternate universe!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
lizbensky
August 21, 2009 9:45 AM
Yeah, but gawd wants government to control a woman's choice with respect to abortion. Ya see, it's a moral thing. The old man in the sky is agnostic on healthcare. So clearly its not a moral issue. Hands off my body you pervert uncle sam!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
tmccarthy0
August 21, 2009 10:11 AM
"Don't let them Palinize me"! Hahahahah too late, you did it to yourself crazy.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
stillidealistic
August 21, 2009 11:33 AM
HYPOCRISY ALERT! Do they they really not hear themselves talking? I don't know why it STILL astounds me...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
eve cairo
August 21, 2009 11:46 AM
Well fine. But please have them do something about her mind. Then maybe the stupid/crazy stuff would stop coming out of her mouth which is part of her body. And I'm so glad she's pro choice now.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
artwrite
August 21, 2009 11:46 AM
My mother's admonition "think before you speak" applied only to those with the capacity to do so. Barbi Bachmann is not blessed with that capacity. My new admonition, this one directed at the news media, is "Think before you repeat the utterances of those who cannot think."
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
eve cairo
August 21, 2009 11:47 AM
Well fine. But please have them do something about her mind. Then maybe the stupid/crazy stuff would stop coming out of her mouth which is part of her body. And I'm so glad she's pro choice now.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
labman57
August 21, 2009 12:52 PM
This is a fundamental component of conservative political ideology: "I believe in choice, so long as the only choice available is the one that I choose to make".
What part of the word "option" doesn't she understand?
The government would not be running health care for the country. The goal of the public option is to provide more choice -- people can stick with a private plan or opt for the federal plan. And the CBO analysts confirmed that a public option will not drive private companies out of the marketplace.
Of course, the whole notion of the GOP objecting to government meddling in one's personal life is laughable. One of the ideological tenets of the Republican mindset is:
- Thou shalt not let the federal government intrude on the rights of individuals...
...unless it's a right that we don't believe in, such as a woman's right to choose for herself whether or not to seek an abortion, or a gay couple's desire to be legally married, or a person who is suffering from cancer or glaucoma and wishes to use medical marijuana to alleviate the discomfort or symptoms, etc.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
dick_data
August 21, 2009 2:01 PM
Someone should ask her why she didn't believe in extending that "no government contol" to Terry Schiavo.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
nyjosh
August 21, 2009 3:30 PM
Terry Schaivo should be the response to all of the GOPs arguments on Healthcare, especially for end of life consultations/ "The Death Panels".
Why in 2005 was it ok for politicians (mainly pro-lifers) & government to determine whether or not to keep her alive thorugh feeding tubes? I think they even passed legislation on it.
Such hypocricy...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
LuxVeritas
August 21, 2009 4:55 PM
LOL: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009083421/michele-bachmann-pro-choice-warrior
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Immoderator
August 23, 2009 12:35 PM
Perhaps Rep. Bachmann should take some advice from Mark Twain, "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
Strangely enough she is actually on to something here without realizing it. If the government has a governing interest in preventing you from having an abortion they also have a governing interest in forcing you to have an abortion! (Which occurred in SC which was a no abortion state yet allowed court ordered abortion among the mentally retarded!)
I am right to life, yet because of this governing interest quandary, I am also pro-choice! Then again I am anti-death penalty. I guess that makes me not fit in well in the "right to life" movement.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
jik
November 5, 2009 5:50 AM
I love this
Movie super
My blog
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?