(CNN) - On the eve of her official presidential announcement, GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann incorrectly identified movie star John Wayne's origins in an attempt to draw a parallel between her and the American icon.
"I want them to know just like John Wayne is from Waterloo Iowa, that's the spirit I have too," Bachmann said Sunday on Fox News. "It's embracing America. It's sacrificing for America."
John Wayne the movie star was born in Winterset, Iowa, which is approximately three hours Southwest of Waterloo, Iowa, Bachmann's native city and the site of her presidential announcement Monday. But according to the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, the actor's parents did live in the city at one point.
However, it was a different John Wayne that caused the misstep to go viral on the internet.
Serial killer John Wayne Gacy was born in Chicago, Illinois and later lived and worked in Waterloo where he was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to prison. Gacy, known as "the clown killer" was found guilty of 33 murders in the Chicago area in 1980 and died by lethal injection in 1994.
Bachman's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
From CNN Politics
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I can see the similarities between Bachman and John Wayne Gacy....but not the Duke. Aside from being a draft dodger (I think he taught Cheney and Ted Nugent), nothing about John Wayne reminds me of Bachman. The Duke loved America while Bachman wants to destroy it.
Maybe Michele Bachmann has more in common with JOHN WAYNE Gacy than we want to know, LOL. This is just one more lie from this fruitcake, although she will say she "mis-spoke", a lie is a lie, call it what it is! This woman is a true idiot.
John Wayne, John Wayne Gacy, the similiarities are endless, I can see how someone might be confused! Let's get a life, who cares about where the Johns were born or lived. Look out -Bachmann OVERDRIVE
To be blamed on the lamestream media as a gotcha moment again.
Your new Bachmann obsession is sick. So, John Wayne was born 3 hours away from Waterloo. Big deal. Why would she need to comment about such a non-issue? You, liberals are disgusting. For being the rabid supporters of women's rights, you sure like to ridicule Palin, Bachmann and any other conservative women. Hypocrites!
she makes it too easy!
So the real question is how long it takes this tea bagger to commit career suicide with her air-headed and ignorant comments, something to be expected from a mental midget.
Michele, before you run for President, please go back to school and learn geography, science, and history. Basic stuff. OR maybe she was comparing herself to Gacy – they both like to act like clowns.
Well, she DOES look a lot like Marilyn Manson.
She has a BAD habit of not checking her facts before opening her mouth. Hopefully that is one of the things that will eventually do her in.
so we can make jokes about how she wants to be like john wayne gacy. the real issue is how big of an idiot she is, and that she is accepted by the gop. what a bunch of fools.
What a dunce this sorry excuse for a woman is.
Read from a teleprompter next time...
Basic Speech 101 have your notes available, why make error after error and then expect to be the President of the USA foolish woman Bush all over again.
Good Gawd – she can't even pander correctly. Yea this is great Presidential material.
Wallace was right and need not to have apologized. Bachmann is a FLAKE, so many verbal faux pas.
Oh dear! Oops she did it again.
Who cares...did anyone expect a GOP member to get a fact actually correct?
"the clown killer"
Bachman's campaign will defeat the non teabag clowns and restore this country back to a time of greatness !
Bring in the Clowns !
Bachman / Perry 2012
When you don't know who you are or what you stand for it's easy to identify with another person you don't know. I remeber when Palin was addressing a college in California and tried to compare herself to Reagan by naming the college he attended in California which doesn't exist. Bachmann has a good education and doesn't need to drop to the level of stupidity just like Palin.
What a dummy. Can you imagine her making so many mistakes when she is trying to prove she is presidential material. She is clown material.
Brilliant, Michele. Another fact flubbed. This is what we would have to look forward to in a Bachmann administration (you can't call it a "presidency" because it would look more like a sideshow).
Just the first of many "missteps" by this flake.
all salute, the victim flag for what I say and what I meant will begin to raise. I can't wait for the video of her hiding in the bushes comes out and is talked about, it will be the media's, no the land scapers fault the bushes weren't high enough to hide her.
how anyone can claim she would be better than Obama, and not being able to say how W was as a president amazes me.
Clueless on all matters. This woman can't seem to get anything right. I pray to God she does not get anywhere near the WhiteHouse, other than as a guest. . . You thought Sarah was bad (and she is), this one makes her look lame.
What do you except from this bozo. All she needs is the red hair, floppy shoes and the red nose. Fool!