DES MOINES — Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann on Wednesday evening ridiculed President Obama for both the timing of his upcoming jobs speech and his choice of economic adviser at a Tea Party Express rally here.
“We had an interesting little dialogue today with the president,” Bachmann told an eclectic group of about 150 people on a steamy hot, late summer evening at Water Works Park. He decided that he wanted to give his ‘jobs speech’ during the exact same time when the Republican candidates for president were going to be doing their debate at the Reagan library.”
Earlier in the day, Obama said he would unveil his long-awaited jobs proposal Sept. 7 to a joint session of Congress, the same night that eight Republican presidential candidates — Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Rick Santorum — will participate in a debate by the Reagan Foundation, Politico and NBC News in Simi Valley, Calif.
“Now does this show maybe a little insecurity on the part of the president?” Bachmann asked people sitting on lawn chairs in the grass, drawing affirmative responses.
“Either A) He wants to distract the American people so they don’t watch him, or B) He doesn’t want the American people to hear what the next president of the United States is going to say about the president’s jobs plan. Because he hasn’t exactly delivered on his promises for jobs,” she said.
House Speaker John Boehner asked Obama to postpone the speech until Sept. 8, and the White House did so about three hours after Bachmann’s speech, delaying the address one day to Sept. 8.
At the Des Moines rally, Bachmann also criticized Obama’s choice of Prof. Alan Krueger, a labor economist at Princeton University, to be the new chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
She said Krueger lacks business experience, despite having graduated from Harvard University with a doctorate, and worked in the Treasury Department under Secretary Tim Geithner, and at the U.S. Department of Labor.
“There is no private-sector experience in their background. They have not created wealth. They have not run a business,” said Bachmann, a federal tax attorney.
“Wouldn’t you think after all this time that the president would figure out that it would make more sense to hire someone who’s at least run a lemonade stand to be his economic adviser,” she said.
Bachmann spoke on the fifth day of the Tea Party Express’ 17-day national tour leading up to a Sept. 12 debate it’s co-sponsoring with CNN in Tampa, Fla. She took no questions from the media.
The tour continues Thursday in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, although no presidential candidates are scheduled to appear on those days.
The event drew a relatively small anti-Obama crowd of both Iowans and out-of-staters, several who said they weren’t even members of the tea party.
Feliks Sukhovitsky, a painting contractor from Redwood City, Calif., was holding a big sign that said, “Obama destroyed 10 jobs I’ve created. Let’s get them back!” He said he supports Bachmann.
Performers at Wednesday’s rally sang songs about “this socialist nightmare,” repealing “Obamacare” and taking back America. One man dressed as Uncle Sam in an effort to draw attention to veterans’ issues.
Another sold what looked like a children’s book but was titled “The New Democrat” by Dr. Truth. The book by Loren Spivack portrays Obama as the Cat in the Hat and says it’s a parody in celebration of the tea party movement.
For Pat Altwegg, of Clive, Iowa, this week’s tea party rallies offer a chance to comparison shop. She saw Bachmann on Wednesday, and also will attend a Tea Party of America’s “Restoring America” rally Saturday in Indianola featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. She said she saw Perry at the Iowa State Fair.
“One thing that’s very important is getting some jobs back in our country and getting people off of the unemployment lines,” she said. “And of course, our deficit, definitely, our out-of-control spending.”
Altwegg described Bachmann as “tough” and “right in there with the rest of ’em.”
“I think she can stand her ground,” Altwegg said.
As to whether the race for the 2012 Republican nomination for president will come down to Perry, Romney and Bachmann, Altwegg said: “It depends on if Sarah gets in the race,” referring to Palin.
Lynn Campbell covers politics and government for IowaPolitics.com, which is owned by the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity.
