“Michele Bachmann Is The Real Deal”: The Other Beck-Approved State Of The Union Response

One of the few members of Congress frequently fawned over by Glenn Beck is Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who is delivering the Tea Party's response to the State of the Union. Beck has helped Bachmann fundraise, pushed her to run for president, and described her as a “truth-teller” and “the real deal.”

Beck Regularly Praises Bachmann And Features Her On His Show

Beck: “I Don't Endorse Anybody,” But Bachmann “Is The Real Deal.” From Fox News' Glenn Beck:

BECK: I have to tell you America, this weekend -- I don't endorse anybody. You have to make up your own mind. I met with Michele Bachmann on Friday -- is it Friday? Friday night I spent like 30 minutes -- I never really sat down with her. I really liked her. I think she is the real deal; Whether she's right for Minnesota, that's for Minnesota to decide. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 2/8/10, via Nexis]

Beck Tells Bachmann She Is “One Of The Truth Tellers.” From Beck's Fox News show:

BECK: Michele Bachmann, you are one of the truth tellers. And by the way, when you see Lindsey Graham who, you know - he says, “I don't speak for the Republican Party, thank God,” you just give him a big (inaudible), will you? Because I love him.

BACHMANN: Well, I think the other part is that I am one of the chief targets of Speaker Pelosi for defeat next year.

BECK: No, no. Have you ever thought to yourself - when you go to bed and thought to yourself, “Maybe, I'd be better off if I wasn't in Washington?”

BACHMANN: Well, sometimes, I do think that. But then I would have to look at our five kids, our 23 foster kids that we raised and realize that I have to hand the baton of freedom off to them.

I have to look at myself in the mirror and ask myself, did I do everything I could possibly do to make sure our country stays free under our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

BECK: Michele, thank you for being one of the actual Republicans fighting for values. I appreciate it. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 10/14/09, via Nexis]

Beck Suggests Bachmann Should Be Higher On The List Of Most Influential Conservatives Because She Is A “Real Conservative.” From Beck's radio show:

BECK: Have you seen the most powerful, or what is it, the most influential conservatives in the U.S.? Have you seen this list that came out yet?

PAT GRAY (co-host): Some of it, yeah.

BECK: Um, I'm seeing 80 through 61 they released today. Michele Bachmann -- I think she needs to be higher than number 80, don't you?

GRAY: From Bachmann-Turner Overdrive? Yeah, they were really good in the '70s. Loved them.

BECK: Lou Dobbs is number 79.

STU BURGUIERE (executive producer): Lou Dobbs is not a conservative.

BECK: No, he's not.

BURGUIERE: He's conservative on illegal immigration.

GRAY: Compared to the people probably writing the article, he's conservative.

BECK: No, yeah. I mean this was written in England. I mean, Michele Bachmann, I think, is a real conservative.

GRAY: Is.

BECK: Yeah. She's a real conservative.

GRAY: Like, yesterday they had Lindsey Graham in there. He's not conservative.

BURGUIERE: Yeah, but Lou Dobbs is not even conservative like Lindsey Graham is conservative.

BECK: No.

BURGUIERE: He's like -- I don't know how to describe him.

BECK: Lou Dobbs is a populist.

BURGUIERE: Yeah, I would say maybe a populist.

BECK: He is a populist.

BURGUIERE: I don't know. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 1/12/10]

While Discussing Bachmann's Re-Election Efforts, Beck Tells His Audience, “I Think You're Going To See Miracles.” From his radio show:

BECK: You know, I told Michele Bachmann -- because Michele Bachmann is targeted by Nancy Pelosi. And I think, personally, you know -- I think that Michele Bachmann is one of the real good guys.

BURGUIERE: More of a female, myself. I've noticed --

BECK: Well, you don't know her very well.

BURGUIERE: Pretty sure. I've done some --

BECK: Really? You ever seen her in a pantsuit?

BURGUIERE: I don't know. I -- probably. I don't --

BECK: I'm sorry I'm not political correct. She's one of the good people.

Bu: Nice. Good job.

BECK: Thank you. She's one of the good guys in Washington, and she's being targeted by Nancy Pelosi. I mean hard. The left -- the progressive left is coming after her hard.

And I said, “Michele, leave it to God. Go down swinging, man. If that's what's going to happen, that's what's going to happen. But you fought the good, and you fight it all the way down. Or all the way up.” I think you're going to see miracles. I think you're going to see things that you couldn't explain.

Look, already, haven't we seen things in our country that are -- I mean, almost anti-miracles? Haven't you seen things that you just say, “That would never happen in America.”

A year ago, if I told you -- six months ago, if I told you: “They're going to jam it [health care reform] through, all costs, damn the torpedoes, doesn't matter what the American people say. They will just do it.” In fact, I did. Nobody believed me. Right?

You're going to see the opposite happening. You're going to see things that you thought, “No way. No way.” But it requires people to have a spine. It requires people to stand and do their duty. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 4/9/10]

Beck: “I Like Michele Bachmann. ... She Knows What She Believes In.” From Fox News' On The Record with Greta Van Susteren:

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN (host): Who do you admire today who is a politician in office, and why?

BECK: In office? Let's see. I like Michele Bachmann. I'm really not willing to give my endorsement on anybody because I don't trust anybody.

VAN SUSTEREN: I'm not looking for an endorsement.

BECK: We've been burned over and over again.

VAN SUSTEREN: I'm not looking for -- I'm not looking for an endorsement, I'm trying to think, “Who do you think keeps the most true to your principles?” I mean, who do you --

BECK: I think -- here --

VAN SUSTEREN: There must be someone who --

BECK: Here you have --

VAN SUSTEREN: OK.

BECK: There's two people. There's two people. There's one is Michele Bachmann. She was doing the Tea Party thing before Tea Parties were doing Tea Parties. She knows what she believes in. I think you have -- Senator DeMint is very good. On the other side, I've got one guy who I can't name right now who is so liberal, he makes my eyes bleed. [Fox News, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, 2/5/10]

Beck Praises Bachmann For Being One Of The “Very Few” Who Have “Backbone,” Like Jim DeMint. From Beck's radio show:

BECK: But we don't need anybody else that is going to compromise, because we already have people in there who are liars, cheats, and thieves.

BURGUIERE: Yeah.

BECK: And you're compromising with what? There's nobody -- there's very few that have the backbone of Jim DeMint and Michele Bachmann. You know why I respect Michele Bachmann so much? Is, I sat in a private meeting with her -- and I hope she doesn't mind me saying this --

BURGUIERE: Oh, this is a good time to test it. On national radio. Let's see. Maybe she does. Let's not ask her --

BECK: She won't. You were in the meeting. She won't mind.

BURGUIERE: -- about it in advance, let's just blurt it out on national radio. What are the odds? Let's test this one.

GRAY: I don't know what it is you're about to proclaim necessarily.

BECK: What I respect about her is, she took all of her clothes off, and then --

[laughter]

BURGUIERE: That's not what happened.

BECK: No. Why I respect her is --

[...]

BECK: OK, so anyway, Pat was naked and Michele Bachmann walked in. And we were sitting there and we were talking. And she knows very well that she's the, you know, most targeted -- Nancy Pelosi and the progressives have targeted her for a loss more than, I think, anybody else in the country, right?

BURGUIERE: Yeah, I think so.

GRAY: Yep.

BECK: She is just under the gun, and she may not survive. And I said to her, I said, “Michele” -- she said, “You know, I just don't know what to do, what I can do, et cetera, et cetera.” And she said, 'I'm just going to keep fighting." And I said, “Michele, here's what you don't do: Don't compromise your values. If you lose, you lose, but at least you'll be able to hold your head high and you'll be able to, you know, fight on for another day.” And she looked at me like I was nutty. She's like, “Yeah, I know that. I know that.” [Premiere Radio Network, The Glenn Beck Program, 9/14/10]

Beck Tells His Audience To “Beg” Their Representatives To Join Bachmann's Proposed Constitutional Caucus Because She Is “The Real Deal”. From Beck's radio show:

BECK: Michele Bachmann is one of those people that's been here from the beginning, and she has an idea of now a Constitutional Caucus in the House of Representatives, and I wanted to get her on. First of all, Congresswoman, congratulations.

BACHMANN: Glenn, thank you. It is so awesome to see what happened last evening. And it really was the fruition of a few years work by a tremendous number of coalitions saying, “We've got to be serious about taking our country back.” And you were the nation's educator. You were the one who motivated people to get off the couch. You taught us from your blackboard. You -- so that people today know the head of the SEIU, how the AFL-CIO, the Tides Foundation, how all of this works together. That highly educated and motivated people to such a great extent, that people were able to go to explain to their friends and neighbors what was going on.

And that coalition grew and grew and grew, and some people maligned it, and called it the Tea Party and called them all sorts of pejorative terms. But last night, after two years of Congress not listening, the people got to have their voices heard at the ballot box, and it was overwhelming and astounding.

On one side you might say it was negative, because it was a full-scale repudiation of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid -- their agenda that they had passed. But on the other, it was an extremely positive vote, because it was an affirmation in the future of the country. Republishing in our hearts our fidelity to the Declaration, the principles to the Constitution and Bill of Rights. I think this was a vote that America will go on. That's what I saw last night --

BECK: Yeah, I think so too.

BACHMANN: -- and I'm really excited about the direction of the country.

BECK: So, Michele, I spoke to you, what a week ago or two weeks ago, when I was in Minneapolis, and you said -- and I thought this was very, very smart -- you said we need a Constitutional Caucus, not a Tea Party Caucus. Explain. What are you thinking?

BACHMANN: Well, this is a little bit broader of a caucus. It would be called the Constitutional Conservative Caucus. And the purpose is to bring all of these wonderful new people in, that just ran for office that have the pulse of the American people, and bring them in, because quite quickly, within a matter of two months, people can be co-opted into the Washington system, and it's very easy to lose your way.

[...]

BECK: As a listener, I want you to understand, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is about to happen. I want you to go back and watch that movie. It is about to happen. And the only thing that will save it -- the only thing that will save this movement is if they are not co-opted. And I -- Michele Bachmann is the real deal. And I don't say that lightly. I don't think I -- Michele, I bet there's less than a handful of people -- less than people I can count on five fingers that I would say this about. Michele Bachmann is the real deal. This is her caucus.

I urge you to call your new members of Congress and tell them, “please, please I beg of you, get into this caucus. Michele has the right idea on this.” And if we can get them, and we can hold on to them, and they don't lose their soul, and they tie themselves to the Constitution and to each other, they won't be lost. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 11/3/10]

Beck Asks Bachmann, “Would You Ever Consider Running For President?” From his radio show:

BECK: Michele Bachmann, would you ever consider running for president?

BACHMANN: Oh, goodness. I haven't thought about that. Right now, I'm Nancy Pelosi's number one target to get rid of. She's slated me for defeat, and I am her number one target. All I think about now is trying to get re-elected in a very tough neighborhood in Minnesota, Al Franken country.

GRAY: I'll take that as a yes.

BECK: Yeah, I would too. I'll take that as a yes, I'll do it. Yes.

GRAY: Yeah, I'll consider it, sure.

BECK: Yeah, good.

BACHMANN: What did you just say?

BECK: We just announced that you are going to run for -- whether you like it or not, you're going to run for president.

BACHMANN: I'm running for re-election to the House of Representatives.

[laughter]

BACHMANN: Look, I've got a bull's-eye on my forehead, and Nancy Pelosi is aiming at it. Please.

BECK: Whatever, whatever, whatever. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 1/22/10]

Beck Frequently Assists Bachmann In Her Fundraising Efforts.

Beck Hosts Republicans, Bachmann To Campaign On Fox, Asks, “What Do You Need?” From his Fox News show:

BECK: All right. Michele Bachmann, you are in the House. What do you need? What do you need? What person? What --

BACHMANN: First of all, we need to do exactly what Jim DeMint is doing. I set up MichelePAC to try and bring people in the House who will be constitutional conservatives, just like Jim is trying to do in the Senate. But I'm being proactive about all these great new people that I believe will come in, Glenn.

So, I've already laid the foundation to start classes as soon as we go back so that we have classes on the Constitution taught to us by constitutional experts. Every week, I'm hoping the hour before we go in to cast our first vote, we'll have a class. We'll invite in existing members. We'll invite new members.

And we'll teach them the foundation of the Declaration, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, so that they know who they are and they know what they stand for, so they can come against the pressure, because it's the Constitution, their belief in the greatness of this country, that got them to D.C. That's what will keep them there, because that's what the people want.

BECK: OK. How sad is it that we actually have people going to Washington, and they have to have a class on the Constitution and Declaration of Independence? That's amazing.

All right. God bless you, guys. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 10/26/10]

Beck To Bachmann: “How Can I Help You Raise Money?” From Beck's radio show:

BECK: Congresswoman Bachmann. Welcome to the program. How are you?

BACHMANN: Good morning, Glenn Beck. I'm doing great. Great to talk to you.

BECK: May I say, I believe you are one of a handful -- give me a number, I'm thinking five -- a handful of people, maybe three, that actually are in there doing the right thing, and you'll fall on your sword if you have to, but you're in there just -- you don't care about the parties anymore.

BACHMANN: That's right, and I think that's why Speaker Pelosi has made me her number one Congresswoman to defeat next year.

BECK: Oh, that is -- congratulations [applause].

BACHMANN: She just released the list, and I'm at the top of her list to defeat next year. She's raising money hand over fist right now to defeat me next year.

BECK: How can I help you raise money?

BACHMANN: Well, people could go to MicheleBachmann.com. I need the help. She's raising money at a clip no one has ever seen before because I'm her number one target to get rid of.

BECK: We should have a fundraiser for you, Michele.

BACHMANN: I will take it. A Glenn Beck fundraiser -- you are it, my friend, and you would be the draw of all draws.

BECK: I have to tell you, I can't take the Lindsey Grahams of the world anymore. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 10/14/09]

Beck Helps Bachmann Fundraise, Calls Her “One Of The Good Guys.” From his radio show:

BECK: Michele Bachmann is with us. One of the good guys in Congress. Hello, Congressman, how are you?

BACHMANN: It is great to talk with you, Glenn. I'm right here looking at our nation's Capitol right now. Up and at 'em.

BECK: I'm sorry for that. Michele, first of all let me ask you, how is the race going? It kills me, Harry Reid is still in the race and how far is he down? But you are up by nine points, and I actually saw a headline yesterday: “Michele Bachmann only up by nine points in Minnesota.” In Minnesota, for the love of Pete!

BACHMANN: Al Franken country. Let me tell you.

BECK: Jeez. Have you done a prison outreach at all yet?

BACHMANN: [laughs] Well, Speaker -- [laughs] that's right a prison outreach, because we had 341 felons that had voted for Al Franken. That's right.

BECK: No.

BACHMANN: Well, Speaker Pelosi has made me her number one target for defeat, and she raised almost a million dollars for my opponent just this last quarter. The pro-abortion group EMILY's List made me their number one target for defeat this fall, so did the radical environmental group League of Conservation Voters. So, I mean, they are very serious about making me their number one piñata to take down, and they're doing absolutely everything they can.

BECK: Hang on. How's your fundraising going?

BACHMANN: Well, we're keeping up. I mean, we're keeping up, we're keeping pace.

BECK: Give me your Web address.

BACHMANN: Oh, sure. it's MicheleBachmann.com. One L in Michele, two Ns in Bachmann. MicheleBachmann.com.

BECK: How many Bs?

BACHMANN: One.

[laughter]

BACHMANN: I can't help it. I married a guy with a German last name.

BECK: MicheleBachmann.com. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 7/15/10]