When Michele Bachmann was still fondling her hat in the presidential nominee ring, I sent an email to her official web site and suggested she consider a responsible gesture that would be sure to garner positive attention (desperately needed as the gaffes piled up): She should prorate her annual $174,000 plus expenses ($52,000 in 2011) paid by taxpayers and return money for the time she spent in self-promotion and stumping for office instead of doing her elected job and representing the Sixth District in Congress. Not surprisingly, I never received any acknowledgement of my suggestion. This appeal is obviously part of another agenda, yet to be disclosed.

Just another publicity stunt. Let's see what she does when responsible action is needed on avoiding the fiscal cliff and the pending debt ceiling issues. No doubt she'll be grandstanding, while offering no practical solutions. If she and her wacko-theocrat Tea Party had their way, they'd wreck this country's economy with misguided devotion to austerity. Michelle's clarity of thought continues to be reflected in her more obvious paranoid delusions, such as the Muslim Brotherhood's conspiracy to bring us under Sharia law. What an embarrassment she is!

Maybe she is feeling guilty for taking paychecks for 6 years and never doing a thing for them? Nah that would take integrity.

Can this lady be impeached for stopping the country moving forward?

I'm no fan of Bachmann but she's right on this one. Congress does not deserve and has not earned a raise.

276 Republicans & Democrats signed the NO TAX pledge.. when they did this,, They VIOLATED their House of Reps and Senate.. Code of Ethics. Also? Non-Elected, Lobbyist Grover Norquist committed Treason by threatening elected Republicans not to be re-elected if they didn't sign such pledge. What are we going to do about it as American Citizens???

Michelle you are a day late and a dollar short. It has already passed the Senate to nix the pay raise.

Michelle continue your terrorist witch hunt at least this seems of a more sensation grabber.

But what none of the press coverage about this issue mentions is whether or not the peon Federal employees are going to get their pay raises which in cases of $50,000 annual earnings would only amount to a $250 raise to $50,250. Way to go Michelle.

Petty proposal by a petty, self-righteous tea party politician.

She's already "stumping"for the next time she's up for re-election....watch for more un-characteristic actions from this woman!!

The words honor and integrity are totally missing in her dictionary aren't they.

Michelle Bachman is a dollar short and many days late. I'm usually all here to support women, but this one doesn't deserve ANY support. She should just go home.

AGAIN SOCK it to the MIDDLE WORKING CLASS, SENIORS AND SMALL BUSINESS. The working person contributes, the seniors already contributed and small business keeps the country going. Politicians, big business and millionairs/billionairs live off of this....

I am baffled...this is a good bill coming from someone who deserves it the least...

If Michelle "batshit crazy" Bachmann really wants to save the governement some money, she should stop applying for her family farm subsidy payments. And have her "closeted" spouse stop taking Medicare and Medicaid payments at his "clinic".

The intelligence of this "intelligence community" leaves me speechless. I guess in 2013, "ignorance is still bliss".

http://beforeitsnews.com/economy/2012/12/the-real-2013-cliff-2475018.html

I agree, I agree

She discovered (and announced to the nation) that vaccinations cause mental retardation. Why isn't she working on stopping those? We could save a boatload of healthcare dollars by getting rid of vaccinations.

C'mon Michele, work on your most important agenda!

It doesn't say much for the intelligence of the people of Minnesota that they would reelect this idiotic woman. What were they thinking....or were they?

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan

In reference to the statement of Tom Degan, above, he's the idiot, if he thinks it all
right for the legislateres of this country to get a pay raise(whose salaries are to high
to start with), while others are losing their jobs.
Neil Powers

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a congressional pay raise -- it was a termination of a previously imposed pay freezefor all federal employees ... which would have resulted in an increase of less than $1000 per year for members of Congress.

Not exactly worth getting all riled up about, beyond the symbolism of a "reward" for the least productive Congress in the last 60 years.

Of course, we're talking about Michele Bachmann, the Queen of Petty Tea Party Politics.

She is on the right track though. I feel all of Congress should get a 30% pay cut.

Sam and Dr. Lou and others see underlying conspiracies when the simple idea of "no congressional raises" is all that it is. They chose to attack Bachmann(she's embarrassing??). She's actually thoughtful and willing to put the President in his place (who has no idea about spending when there's no money) about a raise that wasn't even asked for. Liberals always believe there is no end to spending money because we can always borrow from China. The pay raise issue IS SYMBOLIC. We need to make spending cuts all over the place. The President insists on spending our money and Chinas. He has no idea of how an economy makes money.

Congress get paid???????

I like that. Though im not completely aware of everything she has done as all of seem to be. Why in the heck does the congress deserve a pay raise when our whole entire nations people are suffering in one way or another? So sorry but in my opinion despite whatever hell else she has done. She is starting down the right path to redeem herself.

How about rescinding the farm subsidy you get, too? And maybe the money Marcus gets from Medicare for the "cure." Austerity starts at home.

OMG! This is the first sane thing this little lady has done. But while you are at it Michelle baby... Pass a law to put them on SS and medicare! Then I will believe in you. Make it law that they are not above the law like they are now and give them the same benefits that we get! Then you will have a real chance of getting elected president next time around.

From a recent post at the website: http://www.legistorm.com/

House and Senate salaries slide further, continuing trend
Posted by LegiStorm on Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Frugality reigns on both sides of Capitol Hill, LegiStorm's analysis of recently released House 3rd quarter and Senate biannual reports reveals.

Cuts in the Members' Representational Allowance, the budget provided members of Congress, have taken a toll on salary levels since the GOP took control of the House in 2011. Total House salaries slid downward to $168 million this quarter, a 2.1% decrease from the 3rd quarter of 2011, the first year of GOP control since 2006. It fell 5.8% from two years ago. Overall, the $168 million figure represents the lowest tallied amount since the 3rd quarter of 2008.

On the Senate side, salary levels have also fallen in recent reports, but not as steeply. In the April-September months of 2012, Senate figures fell 1.6% from the same period of 2011 and 5.4% from the same period of 2010.

This ditzy woman really thinks she can outdo Obama in any way. Obama is brighter, more rational, better educated and frankly shows more pure American values that Poor Michelle will ever show. I am a moderate Republican but this woman and he ridiculous blather that is so embarrassing to me! It is so full of racism and hate speech that I refuse to believe a word she says.

I think it is important to point out that President Barack Obama issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees. Yes, this means that those in Congress would fall under that category, but so would many other federal workers. I agree that Congress should turn down their raise, but not all federal workers.
Congress doesn't spend enough time in office (roughly 4 months when you figure it in, or less) to deserve an increase; especially when they have so many write-off's that cost the taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Exp - Michelle's over $52,000 in expenses she wrote off and collected on our dime. Last I checked none of us got to write off those kinds of expenses.
Did you know that these same Congress people get to write off travel expenses (I’m not talking the small ones) and collect them on our dime? How about their housing? Food expenses? Parties? Yep, that's right. The same thing you and I do on a daily basis, eat, sleep, drive to work, have gatherings with friends and can't write it off on our taxes; they write off and get a monthly check for it – ON OUR DIME.
As for Michelle doing something so nice, think about it! It no longer affects her, so what does she really have to gain by offering this up? She knew that raises were coming; why not raise a stink long before now? She already knew they fell into the category of “Federal Employee's.” Why would you wait until now to finally say something? Unless.......

I just cannot believe it! This useless lump of protoplasm without any brain cells at all introduces her first bill in, what, six years? And I actually AGREE with it...! I've got to schedule some ECT sessions - FAST!

All the way from NJ I came across this article. I find it interesting that most of the posts are about MB when the issue is really the topic.

We just put a poll up on our PATCH article @Hogendorf you may want to do the same here while also putting links to your Senators and Congress.

Heck, even letting the President know your opinion would help. A link to his contact page is embedded in this article under the PATCH Poll: http://fortlee.patch.com/articles/should-congress-federal-workers-vp-get-pay-raises

It's fun to see that Bachmann can bring everyone back! It's been quiet here on our local Patch for the last week, but a Bachmann statement will always rile the masses. Welcome back everyone, I hope you had a great holiday season!

Keith J., thanks for checking in all the way from the east coast. I hope Sandy left your neighborhood in tact and that things are progressing for those that didn't fare so well. Michelle will ALWAYS be the subject here in Minnesota. There are some here that still love her but more and more are embarrassed to be represented by this woman - we almost had her beat in November, but she still snuck in.

Sure, this sounds like a good idea (and is), but this isn't a real proposal by Michelle, it's only a statement to get her name out there again, and again, and again, and again...most of us here want her to shut the h#ll up!

Thanks for the link, Keith.

PANDERING in it's weakest form. Is her opinion of American Citizens this low?

After all the Bat crap crazy things this person has said and done this is the one thing all Americans should support.

What a joke, sh'e s like the airhead who is running for class president; "And if elected I will put Coca-cola in all the drinking fountains, and there will be no more homework". Seriously, could she have found a more obvious way to pander to her idiot supporters?

The 112th congress ONLY passed about 215 bills between 2011-2012 as Boehner as speaker. The previous record was held by grinich only passing about 330 bills plus two government shut downs. She & the others in the 113th congress & senate don't need a pay raise, but a pay cut to $9.50 an HOUR.

Congress doesn't deserve a pay raise. The 112th congress was the least productive in recorded history. Out here in the real world, such incompetence would be rewarded with a dismissal, not a raise.

The fact that local voters sent this batshit crazy lady back to Congress speaks volumes about their collective stupidity & they have no one to blame but themselves for the continuous embarassment she never fails to provide to her constituents !!!

Washington Post reported this monrning that one provision of the bill passed last night cancels the congressional pay raise.

But Marcus looked divine in her Vera Wang gown as he tangoed with the poolboy.

We have all become blinded by our own petty indulgent entitlements, who wants to compromise, no one, we (the governed) have been cowed and shackled to a selfless body of politicians and large corporate lobbying bullies who do unto us as they see fit to do, do any of you truly feel that a sheet with signatures are going to turn heads in washington? I for one do not...we need to come back to democracy, for the majority and the poor, not the rich and the mighty political thugs that we have now....but who is willing to stand up first

I"ve read every post here and I can see that 99% of you are accepting SOCIALISM for AMERICA and IGNORANCE REALLY is BLISS. ENJOY the DICTATOR you support. If you think This Michele is bad, wait till the other MICHELLE'S husband gets done with you. Maybe you should do a little RESEARCH of AMERICAN HISTORY to see what is really is going on. Or are you a
part of the Communist PLATFORM?

I think I just wasted and hour reading liberals who should run for OFFICE.

Wow- I am astounded at all the myths people believe in! Go Michele! We need an alternative voice in Minnesota. Here is the latest; President Barack Obama last week signed an executive order that would provide members of Congress and federal workers a pay increase in the early part of this year. The order called for salaries for rank-and-file senators and representatives to rise from $174,000 a year to $174,900 a year.
The fiscal cliff legislation included a provision barring any cost of living increase for members of Congress, at least through September, the end of the fiscal year.

You people are having fun trashing this lady, but ignore the obvious. Why in the world, in this economy, would our President, who is supposed to be looking out for the country, ordering raises at this time? And why did he make 4 expensive trips back & forth (to include the special cargo plane, the security, in addition to the $4 million Air Force One) to Hawaii for his Christmas vacation, when he KNEW this fiscal cliff vote was coming up? He's either an idiot, or he is trying to finally destroy our economy. And BTW, BO spent basically all of his senate time campaigning and most of his presidency campaigning. He doesn't know how to do anything else.

Where do you haters get off on calling everything she does "attention-getting." Absurd. But like what Hitler said, "If you say something often enough, people will believe it." Have you ever talked with the woman? Have you ever pondered the consistent principles she stands by? The woman is not a jellyfish like so many others. Her supreme interest is in the good of this country. She has backbone; she has character. To repeat into oblivion that she is doing everything for "attention" is nothing more than empty character assassination. Repeating things doesn't make it so. The news media makes sure anyone that does not tow the liberal agenda will be pounced on, the news twisted, taken out of context. Let her be the person she is, doing right for right's sake. Sorry there are not more like her.