Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - With the air of a college instructor, Michele Bachmann essentially gave college students a Conservative 101 on the economy, national and foreign affairs and other important issues on Thursday in Iowa. But when the Republican presidential candidate took questions, some students turned the tables on their lecturer, peppering her with tough questions.
The Minnesota congresswoman appeared at a town hall at Drake University in Des Moines. Campus Republicans sponsored the event and helped pack the room.
But a few students who support President Barack Obama spotted in the crowd before the event began foretold of tense exchanges ahead. At least two of them sat onstage just inches away from Bachmann - one of them wearing a T-shirt with the president's image.
Throughout her comments, Bachmann tailored her delivery seemingly to suit her young audience.
"How many of you, this will be your very first presidential election to vote in? Let me see your hands," the candidate asked, receiving several raised arms from the students.
"What do you think so far?" Bachmann asked.
Among the replies: "chaotic," "roller coaster" and "circus."
Bachmann proceeded to tackle big issues, frequently explaining them first - not assuming the students were already familiar or understood critical details.
"Have you heard about the super committee?" Bachmann asked. After explaining Congress' role in passing spending bills and recent problems over the negotiations, Bachmann warned that raising taxes could cause another recession.
"In other words, very difficult for job prospects for all of you when you leave Drake," she said.
"We could either have tax increases, which I and a number of my colleagues have pledged we won't raise taxes. The other alternative will be dramatic cuts," Bachmann added.
The candidate specifically criticized the potential for massive cuts to the defense budget.
"We just heard that some of the cuts would mean the military, which just took $400 billion in cuts, would take another $600 billion in cuts," Bachmann said.
"The current Defense Secretary [Leon] Panetta said that would be like taking a bullet to the head."
Bachmann also discussed the national debt.
"Why would you care? Because you're the people that are expected to pay off that debt," she said.
On taxes, Bachmann criticized the number of Americans who don't pay taxes - and referenced the Occupy Wall Street movement.
"Today, 47% of Americans pay zero federal income taxes," Bachmann said. "And the top 1% of income earners in the United States, that you hear so much about with Occupy Wall Street, the top 1% of income earners pay 40% of all the federal income taxes."
"So I want to change the tax code, so that it is fair and so that everybody pays something."
And the congresswoman lectured the students about the work world that lies ahead.
Mentioning her own personal financial struggles, Bachmann said: "It's an animating principle of the United States - it's the fact that nobody owes you a living. Now maybe your parents said that to you."
When Bachmann opened the session to questions, some students asked relatively tame questions on what the U.S. position on Syria should be and where Bachmann stood on campaign finance reform. Some others pounced.
"You used the line of 'bullet to the head' for the American military," one student said.
"Part of the super committee, is that there would be mandatory cuts on either side - on entitlement programs and the military spending aspect of it. I would classify it as a bullet to the American family's head if our entitlement programs in this country were cut drastically," the student added. "For the people who depend on that - that are in an unemployed situation where they need federal aid, they're the most vulnerable."
Bachmann responded by reiterating that the nation is spending too much.
Another student asked: "You said that you wanted to increase offshore drilling and just drilling in general for oil. So that you could decrease the price of oil in the near future. Don't you think that would kind of just be beating a dead horse instead of trying to find a reasonable solution for the long term?"
Bachmann reiterated her stance that the U.S. has tremendous energy resources, "But the problem is, even our own Department of Energy, won't let us access them."
Another student questioned Bachmann on national service programs, such as AmeriCorps: "You've gone on record as opposing those. So just wondering, if elected president, you might make that a part of your agenda? And if you think it's a good idea, during this economy, to take away opportunities for young people to serve their country?"
"Well it isn't the idea of young people not serving their country," Bachmann said. "The point is, we're broke. I don't know if you all have gotten that message yet from me this morning," Bachmann said.
Arguably the most tense exchange came as Bachmann restated her opposition to "Obamacare."
As she criticized specifics of the nation's health care law, one student shouted: "So screw the sick and homeless?"
"Who said that?" Bachmann asked.
"You have," the student said.
"You could not be further from the truth," Bachmann shot back. "You're looking at someone who lived below poverty. Have you ever lived at that?"
Bachmann continued: "I know what I had to do. I got a job. That's what you need to do. You need to figure out how to get a job and make your way."
– Follow Shannon Travis on Twitter: @ShanTravisCNN
Also see:
Perry says 'privileged' Obama can't relate
Santorum: Republicans 'ignore some realities' on economy
From CNN Politics
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Oh what I would do to be in attendance of that "lecture". Kids are much smarter than she gives them credit for. But for the first time, and this pains me to say this, I actually agree with one thing that came out of that vapid woman's mouth.. "I know what I had to do. I got a job. That's what you need to do. You need to figure out how to get a job and make your way."
Has she not gotten a clue yet? Her campaign is naught!
The young woman seated directly to Ms. Bachmann's left, wearing the Obama t.short, is my hero for today. YOU GO GIRL!
Bachmann continued: "I know what I had to do. I got a job. That's what you need to do. You need to figure out how to get a job and make your way."
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but if you can't find a job, even in Rick Perry's minimum wage atmosphere, too bad, It's your fault. She is so dense it's not funny.
Next week she'll try a group of high schoolers. After she finds that they're also above her intellectually, she'll speak to a class of deaf, dumb, and mute people. They'll still be smarter than her, of course, but they won't be able to hear/reply.
Someone who receives a government handout of $200,000 worth of the taxpayers' money for her family farm is in no place to lecture others on the "difficulty of poverty" or how you should "get a job and work hard" instead of relying on others.
Dear Ms. Bachmann, the country is not broke, it just has a few deadbeat dads who won't pay their support. Now that isn't hard to understand, is it? So replace "deadbeat dads" with insanely wealthy (I mean the top 1to 5 percent) folks and you get the picture. We like our police, we like our firemen, we like the emergency medical technician, we like our barave young people who answer the call to serve their country, and we are really tired of corporate toadies like yourself (and so many others in Washington) who have been "privatizing" the profits and "socializing" the debt. Why is it capitalism when it bails out multibillion/multinational banks and socialism when it helps the people who teach our children?
I love it when politicains say, "You need to figure out how to get a job and make your way" as if it is the easiest thing to do. Unemployment is at 9.1%. What should these people who don't have health care but want a job do? As if the only solution to the healthcare problem is people getting a job. Healthcare costs are extremely expensive, and are only going to get worse. Something needs to be done to bring down the cost.
Bachmann continued: "I know what I had to do. I got a job. That's what you need to do. You need to figure out how to get a job and make your way."
Ohhhhh, all the unemployed and homeless need to do is find a job! Why didn't anyone think of that before!
That's different: A black man that is priviledged in the US, compared to a rich Texas oil man. Who ever votes for these sick, twisted republicans need to have their behinds kicked!
Michele, forget it. You are not the one. You're crazy talk gets the tea party excited, as does anyone who bashes our president (think donald trump being at the top of the polls last summer and more recently, herman cain) but eventually they move on to the next crazy . Honey, they moved on to the next crazy months ago when rick perry entered the race.
They should have asked her about her about the subsidies hr family farm received and her gay husbands business. I'm all for automony for everyone and I feel he should not hide his gayness. All anyone has to do is look at his mannerisms, if he is not gay he sure has effeminate mannerisms. I wonder how trying to change DNA by prayer is working for him.. Does he have a success rate listed on his website. Bunch of morally bankrupt people.
Didn't she realize that most, if not all, of the policies that are on her agenda have a negative effect on the students?
What an arrogant twit. "Have you heard about the super committee?" Nah... they're college students, they can't read (or watch the news).
"Figure out how to get a job." Like all the jobs you and your House cronies have created while you pass one anti-abortion bill after another, followed by concealed gun carry laws? Right.
Problem for Bachmann is, those students know how to think critically, they're are at a real university, not the Bob Jones (pseudo) University she attended.
So what this means is that the students at Drake are paying attention.
Every time somebody confronts her on anything, she falls back onto talking points. How in the world did she manage to keep her job for this long?
Amazing !!!! Bachman badly under estimated her audience. These young people are sharp and interested in politics otherwise they wouldn`t have attended. Also, they are very astute at filtering out the political BS and getting directly to the point.
Let's reduce this article down to brass tacks:
Dippy Doolittle travels to Drake Univ. to show students in person precisely why the GOP/Teatrolls are a misinformed, undereducated, simple-minded, myopic, corporate-puppet danger to the middle-class and the country's future stability and economic growth, virtually guaranteeing that the vast VAST majority of Drake Univ. students who vote will vote for Obama.
BTW: "With the air of a college instructor"
Not a single college or law school instructor I ever had talked down to the class in such a condescending, dumbed-down manner as though the students were simpletons that deserved no respect and should simply believe whatever they're told at face value. That's what priests and politicians do, not teachers.
Does this heiffer know that she worked at the IRS, used hundreds of thousands of dollars in subsidies from the federal government, and then opened up a clinic to mentally rape people one medicaire's dime? "I went out and got a job and made my way." Umm, yeah you're no one's role model lady.
Translation: You need to figure out how to get a job that doesn't exist and shut up if you can't.
Those students let her off WAY too easy.
This woman is clearly out of touch with reality. "I know what I had to do. I got a job. That's what you need to do. You need to figure out how to get a job and make your way." Wouldn't it be great if everyone could find a job that paid enough to live on and provided decent medical benefits! The sad fact is that far to many working people do not make a living wage and are not provided access to decent insurance! Once that happens then you should ask them to pay taxes!
For the record I am gainfully employed and make a decent living, I know far to many WORKING people that cannot say the same thing.
What's more, she's the one who got schooled, not the students. Seems to me they weren't buying her line of crap in the slightest. Good for them. There may be hope for the future yet.
This was a town hall at Drake University. Why then did she feel she had to water down everything and assume they did not know anything about current events? This would have been appropriate had she been meeting with K-12 students, but most college students are very aware of what's happening. She must have misjudged her audience.
This woman just flabbergasts me. I would rather weed my garden than read an article about her, but just can't help it.
Any person who thinks they can talk the gay away is ready for the funny farm. Cain said one thing right when he referred to Michelle as "Tutti Frutti".
If we take a play out of the Perry hand book. Bachman told them that for almost half you your folks are dead beats and don't pay taxes. Her response to their questions yielded no real answers that address the meat of the question just canned campaign remarks. What I got from that is she has no actual plan to govern.
Three cheers for these young people who had the guts to stand up to this dipstick. doesn't look like they got anything through her thick head, though. she is a brain-dead idologue and nothing is going to change her opinion on anything. but these young folks give me hope that the rethug party is fast being religated to the dusbin of history, where it belongs!
If the student-posed questions quoted in the article are any indication of the audience's level of understanding of issues, she should have dumbed her speech down quite a bit more, perhaps to about the third grade level. Have you had a conversation with a college student or recent graduate lately? Disturbing to say the least.
Another "no need for government" broadside by Ms. Bachmann, excluding her congressional salary, benefits and future pension...but, of course...
No compassion for the poor Michelle.
I just enjoy it when people like Bachmann who are gainfully employed and not in fear of losing their job (unless of course the people of Minnesota WAKE UP next time she's up for re-election) can tell somebody to GO UT AND GET A JOB!! If it were that easy then I am sure the unemployment rate would not be hovering around 9% at the moment.
Bachmann must know she is wasting her time running for president. Anyone still planning to vote for her should be kept away from sharp objects. Bachmann has set one mark, however. She has evaded and not answered directly more questions posed to her than any other candidate.
"Why then did she feel she had to water down everything and assume they did not know anything about current events?"
Because that's the current perception the GOP/Teatrolls are promoting, particularly in places like NH and ME where GOP/Teatroll leaders have babbled nonsense about students being totally clueless and uninformed and voting soelly on their feelings, etc., and therefore "maybe we should raise the voting age, take away their ability to conduct registration drives and consider it voter fraud when college students who came from out of state vote in the state in which they attend school." In other words, they project all the usual attributes of a GOP/Teatroll base voter onto young people who are concerned about their future, are trying to better themselves and trying to do their civic duty. Why? Because they voted in record numbers for a black Dem for POTUS last time around.
"How in the world did she manage to keep her job for this long?"
Simple: she does what her owners pay her to do.
The reason that the top 1% pay so much of the taxes is because they have all the wealth hoarded among them. The bottom 47% would be happy to pay more taxes if there were more opportunities for them to make a little bit more money. The wealthy is becoming more and more wealthy while the middle and lower class are seeing their wealth decrease or stagnate. How do you explain that Michelle? Is it that these executives earned the millions of dollars in bonuses that they receive meanwhile laying off their hardworking employees. And why do you and the others bash the OWS movement for protesting the lack of opportunities while the rich get richer?
These kids are probably 10 times smarter and better informed than this arrogant, out-of-touch whackjob.
"47% of Americans pay zero federal income taxes" And who exactly are these people?
50% of them are living the sweet life on less than 20K a year. That's how much someone with a million dollar salary makes IN A WEEK
22% of them are seniors, with probably only Social Security to keep them alive.
15% are low income families with at least 2 children.
And 7000 of them are millionaires. 0% tax rate municipal bonds and tax exempsions are a wonderful thing.
Oh, and I also forgot the unemployed. Can't tax people who shockingly can't find a job with 9%+ unemployment.
I was there today and very proud of my fellow Drake Bulldogs. That woman is nuts.
Bested by a bunch of subservient college students! OUCH!~
":We could EITHER have spending cuts OR increase taxes which would cause a recession". She thinks the students are too naive (dumb) to realize that you could do both, have spending cuts and increase taxes.....And you might note that she and all other candidates, never state increase taxes on the rich, they just state increase taxes, in order to scare these immature, naive, young people who probably don't have a clue.....there was someone in the room who didn't have a clue!
I don't know which to choose......is she just without a clue and ignorant or is she without a clue and arrogant? That she would, even now, be considered a "candidate" is beyond all logical thinking. One of the comments sort of hit it squarely when they asked (paraphrasing) why it's ".... capitalism when you bail out big corporations and business but socialism when you talk about Social Security, healthcare, and jobless benefits?" It seems that Ms. Bachmann, like her colleges on the debate stage, doesn't have a real clue and has absolutely no comprehension of what's going on beyond the Potomac River.
Her calculations on the "Obamacare" should have included how many people will die if she had her way and eliminated health care for the poor. I suppose, for her, dying poor would also reduce the social security costs.
The whole Republican gang have already signed a pre-nup oath to Grover that superseedes their oath to the United States.
How stupid can we get. This woman couldn't run a hot dog stand
Once again I AM SO GRATEFUL that I do not live in the MN 6th district that she represents, or should I say was elected to serve. MN 6th district – you should be SO proud. Any voter's remorse going yet?
I was raised in a Republican home, and was a GOPer, until Dubya came along. I am amazed at the group of clowns that the RNC is offering America as possible presidents! Bachman is delusional, totally inept.
The only candidate worthy of my attention is Huntsman, and he is too Liberal for the Teabaggers!
PS. I feel sorry for these students having to listen to Bachman!
She states that 47% of the people don't pay federal income tax which may be directly related to the fact the U.S. now
has the highest poverty rate that it has ever had. If trickle down economics and tax breaks for the rich are the answer,
can she please explain this? The least educated in the room was standing in the front of the room and the students knew this.
@Leigh...... I agree Bachman is nuts!
A hundred people on my facebook have a "job" and are in college without health care. Full time jobs too. I don't think they can get a fancy legal job before leaving college. So I guess she means "You're screwed until you're out of college and get a shiney good paying job." If everyone thought like that, who would serve this woman her coffee?!
Wow, amazing woman. Is she high on something or what..
Bachmann has an utterly reactive frame of mind. Its no wonder she got the crap kicked out her by a group of college kids, since she can only make snarky comments. There is no "Bachmann Doctrine" on anything, only arrogance and derision. Nice job, kids. Its Bachmann who is painfully lacking in knowledge, and we've paid her over $850,000 since she entered Congress: she's a lousy return on investment.
So, is Ms. Bachman saying that all the folks in our country out of work now have never figured out how to go out and get a job?
"If the student-posed questions quoted in the article are any indication of the audience's level of understanding of issues, she should have dumbed her speech down quite a bit more"
Really? Defend that with a cogent analysis instead of simply making a conclusory statement. THose students pointed out her bias and flaws in her reasoning and expressed their concerns (albeit one of them did so rudely) about the issues in a very effective manner. The first one pionted out quite effectively how lopsided her position in on "bullet in the head to the military" when similar cuts int he triggering mechanism would be a bullet in the head to the middle-class...and her answer revealed shallow, talking point styled reasoning that "we don't have the money" for one but have the money for the one she prefers. The second student correctly opinted out that her and the GOP's answer to energy prices and supply, i.e., drill baby drill, is a short-term, near-sighted fix that would create no viable long-term solution and would deplete supply even faster....and her answer was unresponsive and irrelevant to the question asked, blaming the Dept. of Energy for not letting us do what she wants to do instead of explaining why what she wants to do is a good idea in the first place. The next student accurateluy pionted out that her opposition to Americorp is counter to her claims that she cares about the next generation and wants to see them employed. Even the kid who was rude to her raised a valid point, albeit by simply expressing outrage that the GOP/Teatrolls are so focused on repealing something that will and is helping the poor and sick obtain health care. Reality is, those students embarassed the crap out of her and made her look infinitely stupid, and she helped them by failing miserably at addressing the questinos and issues posed to her.
Michelle Bachmann – What an idiot! The kids peppering her with questions are more qualified to run for POTUS than Bachmann and most of the GOP candidates are! At least Bachmann was truthful with her opinion on poor people – "Screw the poor" – that's Bachmann's moto. I pray the poor come out in droves to vote in 2012 so that none of these hateful, mean-sprited, so-called "Christian" candidates get anywhere near the Oval Office. God help us all.
Awesome! Goes in, thinking she can look smarter than college students. Then, when they actually ask the tough questions, she gives no answers. She just goes back to her talking points.
Lecture FAIL!
"Bachmann must know she is wasting her time running for president."
Bachmann must know she is wasting OUR time running for president.
Fixed
Bachmann is sooooo out of touch with average American voters ... and, apparently, with first-time voters.
Bottom line, Michele Bachmann should be going to college, not speaking at them.
If the student-posed questions quoted in the article are any indication of the audience's level of understanding of issues, she should have dumbed her speech down quite a bit more, perhaps to about the third grade level. Have you had a conversation with a college student or recent graduate lately? Disturbing to say the least.
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LOL! Yet it was Bachmann who sounded like a second grader without a clue! That's disburbing. Priceless!
and Bachmann is still going strong with roughly 2% of the GOP vote!
Add young people to those who will NOT be voting for the republicans next year. Being the stupid person she is – did it not occur to her that some of the students may have a family member or a friend active in the movement BEFORE she critized the movement? She is so used to being the TP queen she doesn't know how to address people who may not share her views (whatever that may be). I'm glad the students showed us once again how UNqualified she is.
It is interesting to note that the story DOES NOT say that the "tough" questions were asked by those students which support President Obama. However,if one is a careless reader you would possibly jump to that conclusion.
GOD BLESS OUR YOUTH! And a special shout out to whoever those students were that appeared to be on top of the issues and did NOT allow Batty Bachman to get away with her repertoire of lies and misinformation.
KUDOS TO THE STUDENTS OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY IN DES MOINE, IOWA!!!!!!
Our previous president makes all of these GOP candidates look like Einstein – and we all know how smart he was. Cain doesn't know anything about Libya even though its been in the news for the last 8 months. Paul has some radical ideas like pulling the plug on the sick if they have no health insurance. Perry is from another planet, and can't remember what he will do if elected. The Newt is a total liar who no one will believe, and Bachman is a total idiot. All of them are mean spirited, uncaring and vindictive. In 2012 I think I will stick with who we have now. At least he has a logical and clear thinking brain and CARES about the common man and not the ones in their ivory towers on Wall St.
OK FLOP.....you going to create all those jobs. When there are hundreds applying for almost every available job, most of which don't provide health care, her stance doesn't make sense. It is one of the more stupid comments she's made and she's made a lot of them. So getting a job most likely won't give you health care and those that do won't take people with pre existing conditions without "Obamacare". Get a life FLOP and Michelle. Better yet get a brain.
Bachman has fallen so far behind that she's not even being considered any more in most of the major polls.
I wonder why the Drake Campus Republicans even decided to have her speak. I guess she must have a relative that goes there.
Deflecting questions with oblique responses is what she most often does, and it will be her undoing. Most people realize that, when she sidesteps the questions, she offers no solutions! It can be almost maddening to those who are truly paying attention.
Perfect example:
Student: "So, screw the sick and homeless?"
Bachmann: "I know what I had to do. I got a job. That is what you need to do."
Huh?!!
Responding that way only provokes anger and frustration. It also tells the questioner that you are not about to engage in any intelligent discourse with him. These are TERRIBLE leadership qualities. But again, most people have already realized this.
Michele, The top 1% pay little or no taxes. Your plan would raise taxes on the middle and lower income households. that is afact and you know it. You want trickle down economics. Let what is left over trickle down to those who have little or nothing. Her statement that the top 1% of earners pay 40% of the taxes may be true. But you have to have an income to pay taxes. When has a wealthy CEO's or business owners ever taken less so people could stay employed? The sacrifice ALWAYS falls on the less fortunate.
Bachman should have "warmed up" by speaking to a group of pre-schoolers.
I am so encouraged by the questions that were asked by these young men and women, and so very happy to realize that despite the apparent gullibility, mental laziness, and political amnesia of their "adult" GOP counterparts, these young people are paying attention to the political discourse in this country.
That picture, with the young lady in Obama's t-shirt next to Bachman, will be an enduring memory for me. I am going to pin it in my office.
Of those 47% who supposedly don't pay income tax (although, they pay lots of other taxes, as we all do), how many would NOT trade places with any of those poor, beaten-down 1%ers?
Bachmann and her ilk always rant about how much the rich are paying, but they never get around to mentioning how much the rich are KEEPING. It makes very little difference if you pay a million in taxes when you're going home with 9 million.
Dee
So, is Ms. Bachman saying that all the folks in our country out of work now have never figured out how to go out and get a job?
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According to this article and the students, Dee, Ms. Bachman wasn't saying much of anything.
ROFLMAO!!!
LacrosseMom(real one)
@Leigh...... I agree Bachman is nuts!
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Ditto!
"Have you had a conversation with a college student or recent graduate lately? Disturbing to say the least."
Actually yes. They know a lot more about current events than most other people I know. Many of the people I know, both conservative and liberal, start to shut down once they get out of school. Their views never change and they tend to stick with whatever rhetoric is given to them by "their side". I seriously doubt you've talked to a college student. You're a moron that just spouts off whatever the right-wing company line is. Sad.
What else can you say about this incident or anything that Michelle Bachman says, except IDIOT!
....yet another Bachmann fail. LOL!
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
These kid have a look on their face like whatever Bachmann got is contagious. Don't worry kids, the ability to make stupid statements is not like a cold or flu, it takes years to be this uninformed and still be willing to shoot off at the mouth.