Altho one would hope that congresspeople and senators would have a level of familiarity with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights before taking office, the idea of "... classes ..." on all 3 founding documents has some value ~ I admit to having doubts when I learned it was Michelle Bachmann's idea and that she was responsible for organizing it ~ having now read this item, all I can do is marvel at how easily and quickly Bachmann can turn even good ideas into nightmares ~ the last few paragraphs here [emphasis/bolding is mine] sent shivers up and down my spine ~ Sooz

BACHMANN'S 'TEACHER'.... The New York Times had an item the other day on Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and her plans for the next Congress, some of which are pretty ambitious. Reader C.W. reminded me of the significance of the last two paragraphs:

When asked who'll be lead these "classes," Bachmann tends to mention the far-right members of the Supreme Court -- who may not be interested in an unpaid teaching gig at a separate branch of government -- and an evangelical activist/Glenn Beck buddy by the name of David Barton.

Who's David Barton? He became a celebrity in the religious right in the '90s, serving as a pseudo-historian trying to convince fellow activists to reject the separation of church and state. Objective analysis of Barton's materials found glaring factual errors -- which often happens when someone pretends to be a historian.

More recently, Barton helped write the absurd Texas curriculum standards, despite his lack of credentials; became a faculty member at Glenn Beck's "university"; compared Tea Party activists to Jesus Christ; and was the subject of a fairly devastating Keith Olbermann segment.

But that's really just scratching the surface. Check out this recent report from the Minnesota Independent, and this fairly devastating critique from People for the American Way.

And remember, as far as Bachmann is concerned, this guy is qualified to "teach" members of Congress about how they should interpret the Constitution.

—Steve Benen 4:10 PM November 23, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 026782.php

It won't happen. The members of congress probably won't attend classes.

i think most members of congress feel that they are educated enough to miss Bachmann's lectures.

She doesn't come across as a constitutional scholar, or any other kind.

The classes involve reading tea leaves.

If [BIG IF] this is true, it could well be grounds for impeachment ~ especially if combined with Scalia's new public fund-raising profile ~ I don't know if the USSC has a procedure for censure but, at a minimum, both acts are ragingly improper ~ Sooz

SCALIA ACCEPTS BACHMANN'S INVITATION?.... A few weeks ago, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) talked up her plans for the new Congress, including "weekly classes" on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights for like-minded lawmakers.

Asked who'll lead these "classes," Bachmann said she hoped to get conservative Supreme Court justices, but would probably settle for unhinged activists like David Barton, the pseudo-historian and Glenn Beck ally.

It never occurred to me Bachmann might actually get a sitting justice of the high court to participate in something like this, but the frightening Minnesotan appeared on Lou Dobbs' radio show late last week, and boasted about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's decision to lead the first "class."

(Here's the video of the exchange.)

It's possible Bachmann is mistaken. I haven't seen confirmation of her claim elsewhere, and one never knows if the voices in her head lead her to say things that aren't true. Perhaps Scalia was invited, but has not yet said whether he'll attend.

But if Bachmann's right, this is truly bizarre, even for conservatives. A sitting Supreme Court justice is going to teach a class on constitutional interpretation to a separate branch of government? Seriously?

My friend Kyle at Right Wing Watch asked, "Am I the only one who senses a possible problem with having a sitting Supreme Court Justice essentially coaching members of Congress on how to vote in accordance with the Constitution?"

As a matter of fact, no, you're not the only one.

—Steve Benen 10:40 AM December 14, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 027074.php

Why would this be grounds for impeachment?