Sanest Person in D.C. to Vote

Michelle Bachmann has been judged, laughed at, ridiculed and condemned repeatedly in the past on web sites devoted to left wing campaigning and hype. Sometimes shown out of context in videos carrying such labels as "Bats*** Crazy Bachmann," other times pronounced unbalanced for her breathing during Congressional meetings, Representative Bachmann is no stranger to the ugly techniques employed by her opponents. At least one groups' website even used mux synchronization in a digital cut and splice hit job, a calculated effort to make her look bad. That isn't rare or complicated, it's just entirely dishonest.

During the 2008 election, one I covered just for fun and a sense of national involvement, although it was merely from the Internet angle, it seemed like harmless fun. Completely naïve about the motivation behind spin angles here, it wasn't until this year that ballpark figures on the amount of money involved with such attacks came into my focus. Because of private beliefs, money has always been precluded entirely from my creative matters. After the truth slammed home, translating headlines and captions such as the ones described above became very easy. Michelle Bachmann's sanity must be solid as a rock, and considering the angles used against her she must be kind, considerate and compassionate. That's the sort of person who would be most vulnerable from such bile.

The Republican from Minnesota has been campaigning in South Carolina. She missed an early vote today on a debt ceiling "cut, cap and balance" bill. The bill would raise the debt ceiling and at the same time require that a balanced budget amendment be passed by the entire Congress, which would restore budget balance for the first time since the 42nd President was in office.

Representative Bachmann initially refused to back the plan without requiring repeal of the healthcare reforms instituted by the last Congress. Doing such a thing has historially taken a minimum of ten years. It could, ideally, be accomplished in one senatorial term, but that would require a nearly unanimous Congress. She must maintain that stance on that issue, although hopeless at the moment, because it is expected by her constituents. Bachmann is a founding member of the Tea Party caucus, which demands cuts in federal spending during a time when taxpayers are suffering. To many hometown Minnesotans, in places such as Duluth, extravagances of congressional action and spending in D.C. have taken place during hard times, at the wrong time.

Results of tonight's legislative action will be available tomorrow. I'll follow up on coverage of the vote, which was preceded by a pledge from Senator (R-S.C.) Jim DeMint. The advocates of hands off government consider this a key issue, and as such it is a very big deal which is tremendously understated.