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World Net Daily Dumps 5 Million 'Pink Slips' On Capitol, Bachmann Cheers

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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Publisher of World Net Daily Joesph Farah

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World Net Daily has a message for all 535 members of Congress: do what we say or you're fired.

Today, Michele Bachmann and three other right-wing members of Congress responded to the threat with a hearty "thank you."

WND founder Joe Farah held a press conference with the members outside the Capitol today where he announced users of his site have sent 5 million "pink slips" to Congress through a program launched by Janet Porter, one of his columnists. Porter is the founder of "Faith 2 Action," a right-wing activist group. The small sheets of pink paper Porter and Farrah say they've been delivering by the crate-full to every member of congress for the past few weeks, warn members that if they vote for "Government Health Care, Cap & Trade, 'Hate Crimes' or Any More Spending," they'll be voted out of office. The pink slip comes "signed, your employer" and lists the address of the World Net Daily who spent $29.95 to send it to Congress.

Farah said the campaign was a natural fit at WND.

"A lot of people are asking me, 'why would a news man get involved in what is so clearly an advocacy campaign?" he said. "Well, I'm an American first and a newsman second."

Bachmann, whose past voting record has included "more spending" -- which, according to the pink slip, would mean she's out of a job -- said she welcomed the mailers and claimed they were aimed at the Democratic leadership, despite the fact that they were delivered to every member of Congress.

"We can't say that we didn't know where the hearts of the American people are," she said. "The fact that it's going to all of our offices is a good thing."

Bachmann claimed Washington under the Democrats has led America on a "historic shift away" from the constitutional framework for the nation and said it was that shift that caused protests like the pink slips and the tea parties.

Bachmann was joined at the presser by fellow right-wing representatives Trent Franks (R-AZ), Steve King (R-IA) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX). Franks echoed Bachmann's claim that the slips were directed at the Democrats.

"They had better make a distinction [between Republicans and Democrats]," he said. "The American people really blew it in the last election."

All three members of Congress said the tea parties and the pink slip campaign prove that the right has a strong influence over politics, even in a city currently dominated by Democrats. Porter, the organizer of the pink slip campaign, agreed and pointed to the slow pace of cap-and-trade and health care reform as an evidence.

"This is the reason why we are seeing the bills not moving as fast as they'd planned," she said.

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27 comments

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November 17, 2009 1:37 PM   

Huh, so I guess the "employers" don't want their "employees" to do anything, other than criminalize abortion of course. What a bunch of idiots. I wonder what super rich person is funding this bull to get more tax breaks. Pathetic.

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November 17, 2009 2:14 PM    in reply to Michael A

Congressional gridlock = economic prosperity.

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November 17, 2009 2:40 PM    in reply to Silence

Yeah right. Ever wonder why jobs are going overseas and the us can't export shit because the products are too expensive? Nah, that would take a brain.

Oh, and don't throw out the talking point about tax rates. Rates are meaningless and the US tax payments are the lowest in the industrialized world. The problem is healthcare costs that are tacked on product costs. Doesn't happen anywhere else, but the good ole USA. But, we want gridlock, so we keep circling the drain that we have been circling for 30 years. I don't think so.

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November 18, 2009 7:36 AM    in reply to Michael A

The majority of our products are shipped overseas. My workforce is 100% American citizenry, fully insured, non-union and compensated well above pay scale.

Can't be done? Think again.

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November 17, 2009 4:54 PM    in reply to Silence

Why does your icon depict an eagle in the middle of an explosive fart?

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November 17, 2009 1:49 PM   

First of all, 5 million people have been scammed.

Secondly, wouldn't it be funny if Nancy Pelosi came out, looked at the pile and said, "Thank you for supporting breast cancer research"?

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November 17, 2009 2:24 PM    in reply to Xantar

Love it!

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November 17, 2009 1:54 PM   

"The American people really blew it in the last election."

Way to broaden your support there, Michele.

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November 17, 2009 2:00 PM    in reply to Ann Arbor

Actually, I think Franks said that. In any case, WTF? The American people were wrong when they voted last november? Talk about anti-democratic.

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November 17, 2009 2:24 PM    in reply to eric the red

Oops, you're right. But yeah, WTF?

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November 17, 2009 2:00 PM   

The small sheets of pink paper Porter and Farrah say they've been delivering by the crate-full to every member of congress for the past few weeks, warn members that if they vote for "Government Health Care, Cap & Trade, 'Hate Crimes' or Any More Spending," they'll be voted out of office.

One can only presume the same standard will be applied to war spending, since it's going to become part of an expanded budget and no longer treated as emergency funding.

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November 17, 2009 2:01 PM   

5 million rubes willing to part with $30 for WND's coffers instead of a postage stamp or an email? Genius! Sheer Genius!!

No wonder El Gordito Limbaugh can demand $400,000,000 a year! These people would probably sell their kids into sexual slavery for him and WND.

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November 17, 2009 2:14 PM   

I'm reasonably sure that stating that "5 million" pink slips have been sent - while accurate - grossly overstates the number of participants. Take this from the WND Superstore page:

"The "Send Congress a Pink Slip" program permits participants to FedEx 535 individually addressed pink slips to members of Congress, each one with the name and address of the sender for just $29.95. One click is all it takes. Let us do the rest!"

To me this means that ONE 29.95 purchase buys 535 pink slips. This means that 5 million pink slips were sent by between 9 and 10 thousand people - not 5 million. Not insignificant, but hardly something to get worried about.

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November 17, 2009 2:18 PM    in reply to Socratic_Squirrel

I couldn't read the fine print: my PC's crap filter automatically shuts the box down when I click on a WND link.

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November 17, 2009 2:38 PM    in reply to Socratic_Squirrel

In the scope of the overall American population, even a million people is such a tiny minority as to be politically unimportant.

If we assume those 10,000 people are spread equally across all 50 states, that's 200 people per state. Not enough to affect most any Senate election.

And Congressmen, don't worry about the 22-23 people in your districts that gave money for this nonsense. They won't have any effect.

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November 17, 2009 3:27 PM    in reply to Icon

Because they're being sent to all 535 they likely are not coming from any given Congresscritter's district, which means they will be discarded. What a shameful waste of paper.

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November 17, 2009 3:28 PM    in reply to Socratic_Squirrel

Or one person with $280k to spend on a hokey stunt.

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November 17, 2009 2:27 PM   

I actually think this is terrific. And not just because of the sheer comedic value in members of Congress being led around by World Nut Daily.

"Representative X? You're going to vote the way that an organization who thinks Obama is the AntiChrist wants you to vote? "

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November 17, 2009 3:30 PM    in reply to CT Voter

I can't think of anything that would put a scare into congressmen than a dopey stunt by the World Net Daily.

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November 17, 2009 2:40 PM   

It should come as no surprise that Bachman would thank WND for firing her. After all, she also organized the Guy Fawkes Day rally - remember, he was the guy who tried to blow up Parliament. And what does the Republican Party stand for if not destroying government?

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November 17, 2009 3:01 PM   

"Well, I'm an American first and a newsman second."

That may be true in wingnut terms, but to everyone else it means a "swindler" first and a "fiction writer" second.

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November 17, 2009 3:04 PM   

Farah. Sounds Moslem to me. Is this guy an American? Does he hate freedom? And pinko slips? Must be a Commie or gay. Come on, Michele, don't be duped.

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November 17, 2009 4:13 PM   

News Man? News man? HA!

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November 18, 2009 8:28 AM   

Try as you will, oppressives. You will never break the spirit of the American people. Never.

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November 18, 2009 8:47 AM    in reply to Silence

GTFOOH you piece of pond scum.

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November 18, 2009 9:02 AM    in reply to lousgirl84

Never.

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November 19, 2009 3:11 PM   

These people are angry white racist homophobes...end of story. And have you ever heard Janet Porter speak? Laughable at best. She's an idiot. Hate to be so forward, but can't really think of a better word for her...Janet Porter is an idiot...a real poster child for the importance of a real education.

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