“This could be a career ender for Michele Bachmann”

[DonViejo]

The ethics questions swirling around the Tea Party lawmaker are a "big problem," experts say

BY ALEX SEITZ-WALD

With a special investigator soon to be appointed by the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, the ethics cloud hovering over Rep. Michele Bachmann could quickly become a major problem for the Tea Party hero, experts tell Salon.

“This is very serious,” said Craig Holman, a government ethics lobbyist at liberal-leaning watchdog group Public Citizen. “It’s not Watergate, or at least not yet, but these are a series of allegations that are each serious on their own, and when you put them all together, this could be a career ender for Michele Bachmann.”

Ken Boehm, chairman of the conservative-leaning National Legal and Policy Center, told Salon that we should wait to see what investigators find — indeed, no wrongdoing has been reported so far — though he acknowledged the escalating scrutiny could be a major headache for the congresswoman down the line.

The Iowa investigation, looking into whether the campaign improperly paid a state senator, is just one of at least three different probes examining a range of allegations related to Bachmann’s failed presidential campaign, including charges that she improperly used campaign funds to promote her book, that her campaign “launder[ed]” money, and that one of her staffers stole an email list from a home-school organization.

full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/this_could_be_a_career_ender_for_michele_bachmann/

[MotherPetrie]

1. We can but hope!

[Wait Wut]

3. Hope? This is the 'National Day of Prayer"

Let us pray.

[Sunlei]

12. if we could really "pray her away" she'd be in the next galaxy by now

[illegaloperation]

15. I hope that the Tea Party stays.

The Tea Party will cause the Republican Party to swing to the extreme right and alienate more moderates.

[winter is coming]

2. I'm not so sure.

After all, the "dumber than a sack of hammers" and "nuttier than squirrel shit" haven't done her much harm.

[Heather MC]

8. Exactly

Her Supporters will consider this an attack of Satan

[firenewt]

23. Funny, I look at it as an attack ON Satan

[oldbanjo]

45. I would consider it a attack on Satan, she is the Devil.

[gademocrat7]

4. I hope it will be soon.

[DJ13]

5. Since when have ethics mattered to the TP nutters?

[busterbrown]

29. Absalutelyfucking Correct!

They don’t give a shit about anything except Muslims and cheating lying illegal minorities who perform abortions and take away white people’s guns...

[Cosmocat]

43. The sad reality is

the more ethically crooked someone is, the more they tend to support them ...

[bvar22]

6. Ethics problems do NOT end careers for Republicans.

All they have to do is appear contrite in public with their supportive spouse,
claim that they "Asked the baby Jesus to Forgive them",
and, like MAGIC, its ALL GOOD!!!!

Even BETTER for some,
because if he/she is good enough for Jesus,
he/she is good enough for them!!!

BTW, have any of them EVER had the Baby Jesus say "No",
what YOU did is too disgusting even for Me"?

[AlinPA]

7. ...or "I believe in a forgiving God who I love very much and He is on my side". Praise the Lord!

The faithful in her district will then turn out to vote in record numbers.

[davidpdx]

17. I think that is more likely, then her actually admitting she did something wrong

Either way she'll play the "God card"

[marble falls]

9. Bachmann has made me laugh harder than Palin ever did. I would love to...

hear a progressive Rep is in her seat but isn't there a chance she'll be replaced by a Minnesotan Ted Cruze?

[LongTomH]

25. Then, let her do Vegas!

Or make regular appearances on Stephen Colbert; but, for the love of God, keep her away from Congress!

[marble falls]

36. unless theres a chance the "Ted Cruz" candidate will win.

[WcoastO]

10. I'm not holding my breath about this....

the GOP has shown a huge tendency to forgive/ignore the misdeeds and crimes of their own......Bush, Rummy, Rice, Cheney, Gingrich.....I could go on and on.....

[mikeysnot]

21. Vitter, Sanford,

If Sanford wins in SC the R party members are deranged.

[truebluegreen]

11. At most she'll have to say she's praying for forgiveness

and then she can get back to her batshit crazy ways.

IOKIYAR, especially for the persecuted "Christian" variety.

[Cha]

13. Tea party heros= liars and criminals. So tell me again

.. what good are the teabaggers?

[illegaloperation]

14. Actually, I like the Tea Party and want it to stay.

You see, as long as the Tea Party make the Republican swing to the far right, we get to reap the benefit of Republican alienating moderates.

[KennedyBrothers]

16. I must have missed something...

...you're saying Bachmann actually had a "career" at some point?

[greiner3]

18. I think;

The continued 'existence' of Michele as a TP member of Congress does more good than bad, ie thinking people across the nation will see her rantings as typical of the TP's stance on EVERYTHING.

This is in NO WAY meaning I support ANY Republican for ANY office (just so I can keep any flaming against my post).

Jus saying.

[BlueManFan]

19. I'm Afraid For Marcus and his "pray away the gay" business

Marcus might actually have to start spending time with his idiot wife.

[lastlib]

20. that's sweet music to my ears!!

[apnu]

22. Nah. One thing Conservatives have shown is they'll stick to their people no matter what.

Larry Craig was allowed stay. Sanford made a comeback, Dave Vitter is still wearing diapers... Its the power of crazy. Crazies like crazy and will stick with crazy no matter what. Its self-propagating crazy. Conservatives and the GOP has shown this to be true time and time again.

[Addison]

24. Her sin was not in committing ethics violations.

They all do that.

Her sin was mistreatment of her staffers. She's apparently burned through dozens of them. Never make enemies of the people who guard your secrets.

[PearliePoo2]

26. This!!

and welcome to DU!!

[Addison]

31. Thanks, its good to be here

[sofa king]

27. It does happen from time to time.

But usually, the target has to be involved in a scandal that extends to many others beyond herself in order to be sacked--think Tom DeLay and Duke Cunningham.

I don't think Bachmann has ever been trusted enough to be given enough responsibility to put other Republicans in that sort of position. Her batshit crazy act works for them--but they are probably just as wary of it as anyone else.

Therefore, since Republicans habitually protect one another from disclosure, investigation, and prosecution rather than police themselves, I expect they will find a way to defend Bachmann at minimal risk to themselves.

[azurnoir]

28. we can only hope

she's such an embarrassment for Minnesota

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

30. Unless she is put in jail....

....the voters will continue to elect this nitwit. They should be ashamed.

[LiberalElite]

32. Since when does the TP care about ethics? eom

[Left Coast2020]

33. Yes, TP'ers are going to go bats*** nuts over their...

crazy leader in legal trouble.

But no problem, Cluster Faux, ABC, and CNN will just change the topic.

[Doctor_J]

34. insanity hasn't ended her career

Why would corruption?

[Volaris]

35. because insanity isn't Federally illegal.

And, given the current level of ALLOWABLE corruption when it comes to Campaign Finance in the is country, this is not a story (or a charge) that is without merit. Anything not BLANTLY illegal seems like it would have been thrown out by the Judge already.

Not to worry though, her "followers" will just make up some shit about this being another example of "Big, Evil Liberal Government" trampling all over the "Rights" of the Little People.

Yeah, Michelle. Your "Right" to be a vapid, self-serving corrupt Criminal moran. So sorry about that. Have fun with the Grand Jury.

[crim son]

37. I very much doubt it.

Republicans are like the undead, nothing can kill them but light.

[mzteris]

38. I really hope that's true, but

she'll probably just be replaced by some other ignorant politicized so-called "do-gooder" (who is really a very very do-BADDER!). :sigh:

The ignorance in this country is mind-numbingly astounding. HTF do we manage to function on a daily basis.

I'd rather be affiliated with the most un-educated "project" individual with some modicum of common sense and a moral compass than the the most highly educated "me-first" ayn rand" corporate-minded ijut

[oldbanjo]

46. These Ayn Rand believers should be run out of Washington.

[struggle4progress]

39. Another plot by gay commie whales to undercut her 2014 Presidential campaign!

[DonViejo]

41. LOL. I see what you wrote there. LOL

[BobTheSubgenius]

40. I am so ambivalent about this.

On the one hand, of course...she has to go. Stupid is distant in her rear view mirror as she reaches new and uncharted realms of the incomprehensible, she is evangelical to the point of evoking fear and loathing, and her constituents deserve far, far better, even if not all of them know it..

On the other...how often does comic genius like this - even unintended - come along? The comically moronic public figures of the future will, unfortunately, not be standing on her shoulders in order to reach still greater heights, but will instead be dwarfed by her magnificent shadow.

Observers looking back on these days will shake their heads and wonder if we knew how good and how bad we had it, all at the same time. We truly live in a time of unprecedented paradox.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

42. K&R nt

[Politicalboi]

44. They're coming to get you Bachmann

I bet she will blame this on her keen work on Benghazi.

The President is so afraid of her, he is having her investigated.