Inside the Beltway: Bachmann on Barack

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By John McCaslin

YOU BE THE JUDGE

"It is not true, I did not say that, and this is a case of a false accusation," Rep. Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican, told this Inside the Beltway Radio host late Monday, referring to harsh statements attributed to her about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama while she was a guest on MSNBC's "Hardball."

"It is amazing to me how the wind tunnel and spin can go around and around in an echo chamber. And this is simply a lie. I did not question Barack Obama's patriotism, I did not say he was anti-American. And the other accusation is that I was calling for members of Congress to be investigated on their anti-American views.

"That's absolutely a lie. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, today in the [Minnesota] Twin Cities, made a statement that I had called for the investigation of members of Congress for being anti-American and holding anti-American views. That's an out-and-out bald-faced lie. I did not stay that."

While a guest on the MSNBC program, Mrs. Bachmann said: "I think the people that Barack Obama has been associating with are anti-American, by and large."

Pressed further by the host, Chris Matthews, who was the first to use the word "anti-American," the congresswoman said of Mr. Obama: "Absolutely, I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views."

Regarding Congress, she said: "The news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would, I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out are they are pro-America or anti-America."

• Listen to Rep. Bachmann's segment on John McCaslin's 'Inside the Beltway' radio show, in Part 2, below:

BACK TO THE CAVE

This Friday, the National Archives and Records Administration will dedicate its new National Personnel Records Center Annex Facility -- a retrofitted limestone cave, actually.