Michele Bachmann calls on President Obama to "tell the truth"

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) says President Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are trying to pass a misnomer to the public about the debt ceiling.

/ CBS

Updated 6:38 p.m. Eastern Time

White House hopeful Michele Bachmann said President Obama is a playing a "dangerous" game when he says he cannot guarantee retirees will get their Social Security checks if the debt ceiling is not raised by August 2. Bachmann called on Mr. Obama to "tell the truth."

"We cannot go on scaring the American people, we need to be truthful. And I call on the president and the Treasury Secretary (Timothy Geithner) to tell the truth to the American people," the Minnesota Republican lawmaker told reporters on Capitol Hill.

The Obama administration and many economists have warned of economic catastrophe if the United States does not raise the amount it is legally allowed to borrow, now set at $14.3 trillion, by August 2.

"We don't believe that for a moment," Bachmann said.

Bachmann and two other Republican lawmakers introduced legislation that would make sure military families and bondholders, including China, get paid first if the debt ceiling is not raised by the deadline.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke, who served as a top White House adviser to President George W. Bush before becoming Fed chief, has said such a prioritization move would cause unnecessary concerns in the financial markets and would only buy a short amount of time.

"While debt-related payments might be met in this scenario, the fact that many other government payments would be delayed could still create serious concerns about the safety of Treasury securities among financial market participants," Bernanke said last month.

Still, Bernanke said Wednesday that Treasury would prioritize payments on principal and interest to the government debt if the debt ceiling is crossed, "because failure to do that would certainly throw the financial system into enormous disarray and have major impacts on the global economy."

Mr. Obama told CBS News on Tuesday he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.

"We were all shocked and appalled that President Obama dangled out in front of the cameras that senior citizens may not get their checks. That is a very dangerous statement to make," Bachmann said.

Lawmakers from both parties want to use the threat of the Aug 2 deadline to work out a broader package on long-term deficit reduction, with Republicans looking to cut trillions of dollars in federal spending while Democrats are pushing for a more "balanced approach" which would include both spending cuts and increased revenue through taxes.

With just weeks before the deadline, that deal remains elusive. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled a complicated back-up plan Tuesday that would allow the debt ceiling to be raised without making cuts. McConnell's plan would effectively hand the burden for raising the debt ceiling over to Mr. Obama, placing the blame on higher spending squarely with the White House.

[zenia5]

Michele, how clever of you to suggest that the President "tell the truth" when you don't even know the meaning of "truth". Your list of proven lies is endless and getting longer.

[I_Mean_What]

It is clear that the current state of politics proves that all the gloves are off and there will be hell to pay for the loser of the next election because what they will do to try to win will make the Tudors of England seem like The Smurfs http://*****/5Ey8i

[nearl451]

If Obama tells the truth, how would Bachman recognize it?

[jasoncholman]

Bachmann called on Mr. Obama to "tell the truth."

When she tells the truth then she can call on someone else..... The first is the best since it deals with the topic she's talking about, dumb bimbo.

"Social Security, like I told you, is out of money. This year it is borrowing from the general treasury."
Michele Bachmann on Friday, June 11th, 2010 in her keynote address

Social Security isn't yet out of money, nor is it borrowing from the general treasury, as Bachmann says. According to the latest projections, the "cow" won't run dry until 2037.
http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2010/jun/24/michele-bachmann/bachmann-says-social-security-running-deficit-and-/

"My husband and I have never gotten a penny of money from the farm."
Michele Bachmann on Sunday, June 26th, 2011 in an interview on Fox News

Bachmann has received somewhere between $32,503 and $105,000 in farm income between 2006 and 2009, according to her disclosure forms. That's a lot of pennies.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/jul/01/michele-bachmann/rep-michele-bachmann-says-shes-never-received-penn/

"One. That's the number of new drilling permits under the Obama administration since they came into office."
Michele Bachmann on Saturday, March 26th, 2011 in a speech at the Conservative Principles PAC Conference

Prior to the gulf disaster, the Obama administration reported approving 217 new well permits (shallow and deepwater).
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/mar/29/michele-bachmann/michele-bachmann-claims-there-has-been-just-one-ne/

Says the Constitution only requires her to tell the census "how many people are in our home."
Michele Bachmann on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 in a Washington Times interview

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jun/25/michele-bachmann/michelle-bachmann-claims-constitution-only-require/

In the 1970s, "the swine flu broke out . . . under another Democrat, President Jimmy Carter."
Michele Bachmann on Monday, April 27th, 2009 in an interview with Pajamas Media.


The scare began in February 1976 when recruits at Fort Dix, N.J., came down with flu symptoms, and one died. This led to fears of a pandemic. The president in 1976 was Gerald Ford - a Republican.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/apr/30/michele-bachmann/michele-bachmann-wrong-70s-swine-flu-broke-our-/

"The president released all of the oil from the Strategic Oil Reserve."
Michele Bachmann on Sunday, June 26th, 2011 in an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation"


So the release of 30 million barrels accounts for just over 4 percent of the current holdings in the reserve -- nowhere near "all" of it.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/jun/27/michele-bachmann/michele-bachmann-says-barack-obama-has-released-al/

[gadfly65]

Here's the truth, spoken by an appointee of the GOP:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/13/eveningnews/main20079288.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

[kansas1946]

I think it takes a lot of nerve for any Republican to as anyone to tell the truth. Just another typical religious fanatic. Brainwashed and ignorant.

[documemts]

"Tell the Truth", direct from the high priestess of the Flat-Earth Society.

[MJJR1]

Ms. Bachmann should not comment on anything unless she has a clear understanding of the subject. She has already destroyed her credibility by signing a document she admits she didn't take time to read and now her husband has been proven a liar. Ms. Bachmann is clearly not equipped to be President and should bow out of the race before anymore embarrassing information comes to light

[WeHappyFew]

OK this is ridiculous. Why do posters keep changing their usernames? I'm not buying the whole 'banned' story. No one can get bounced that many times.

[Progress4U]

Happened to me too...

[Progress4U]

by N75RGR July 13, 2011 4:13 PM EDT
BLUF "mercury" I ain't no boy -- I'm a B A D Man!
---

And B A D satnds for Big And Dumb, so watch it!!!!