Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann Embarrasses Herself And Her State Yet Again

Bachmann Interrogates Geithner, Bernanke, Asks Stupid Questions She Should Know Answers To

At today’s Congressional hearing investigating the AIG debacle, Minnesota Republican Representative Michele Bachmann opened her questions to Treasury Secretary Geithner and Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke by claiming socialism. 

“The American people are wondering if their government is making an historic shift, jettisoning free market capitalism in favor of centralized government economic planning.”

(“Centralised government economic planning” being a tenet of socialism.)

She interrupts Geithner’s response and asks,

“What provision in the Constitution could you point to to give authority for the actions taken by the Treasury since March of ‘08?”

(The look on Geithner’s face is palpable. Understandable, for many reasons, including that he has been Treasury Secretary for two months, and it is a ludicrous question, because the answer is, “congress”.)

Geithner responds that it was congressional legislation that authorized the Treasury to take the actions it has. 

Bachmann again interrupts:

“Sir. In the Constitution.”

Geithner:

“Every action taken by the Treasury, the Fed, and the FDIC is authority granted by this body, by this body of the Congress.”

Bachmann: “And in the Constitution, what could you point to?”

Geithner, justifiably frustrated: “Under the laws of the land!” (Quick smirk.)

Bachmann: “To the Federal Reserve Chair, what authority could you point to in the Constitution, this has been over $10 trillion.”

Bernanke: “I don’t know where $10 trillion comes from.” He then gives her a history lesson of the powers granted to the Fed by congress in the 1930s. 

Bachmann: “Could you tell me why AIG was not put into receivership as opposed to conservatorship?”

Geithner: “No legal means existed under US law …”

When will the people of Minnesota wake up and realize that their Representative, who made an embarrassing name for herself last year before the November election by demanding the press invstigate all members of congress, including Barack Obama, for anti-American bias, is operating in another universe?

Bachmann’s other intellectual efforts include attempting to get intelligent design taught in schools. She opposed a higher education finance bill. And she introduced the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act, designed to repeal the ending of conventional incandescent light bulbs.

Given her questionable intelligence, I think Bachmann could use all the light bulbs she can wrap her head around.

See Michelle embarrass herself last year on Hardball: