Michele Bachmann defends her Gangster Government© talking point

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Bachmann standing by ‘gangster government’
By Molly K. Hooper - 04/22/10 06:00 AM ET

Firing back at former President Bill Clinton, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Wednesday defended her controversial “gangster government” criticism of Democrats.

Asked if she thought it was appropriate to use the term as American frustration with government hits record levels and lawmakers have received death threats, Bachmann told The Hill, “Absolutely, I do.”

As an ardent proponent of free markets and small government, Bachmann is standing by the phrase that Michael Barone of the Washington Examiner coined in 2009 — and one that Clinton recently said could incite violence against federal officials.

Other Republicans are not embracing “gangster government” as a talking point. During an appearance on “Meet the Press,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on Sunday distanced herself from Bachmann’s statement, saying, “Those are words that she chose. Those are statements she made.”

In an interview with The Hill, Bachmann cited the Obama administration’s actions on rescuing automakers as a type of gangster government.

“When government comes in and decides who the winners are, who the losers are and there’s no recourse, that’s what happened to 3,400 dealerships across the country. That’s one example of gangster government,” Bachmann said.

She calls herself Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) No. 1 target this November. While that claim is open to debate, she is clearly reviled by many on the left.

In the last cycle, liberals in Hollywood and New York made political donations to Bachmann's opponent, including actress Jessica Lange, film producer Jeffrey Soros and writer/director Nora Ephron.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/93697-bachmann-standing-by-gangster-gov