Michele Bachmann: "I grew up in John Wayne's America"

Marathon Pundit at Wayne's
birthplace in 2010

"I am an old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness, flag-waving patriot." John Wayne.

Like John Wayne, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was born in Iowa and moved on to bigger things in another state. Bachmann was born in Waterloo, and the Duke entered this world in Winterset.

Bachmann told Newsmax she is looking back at Wayne's America. "We're seeing the nation move into decline," she said. "I'm not willing to do that. I'm not satisfied. I grew up with John Wayne's America. I was proud that you grew up in John Wayne's America: Proud to be an American, thrilled to be a patriot."

Bachmann will officially announce her entrance into the presidential race tomorrow in Waterloo. In related news, Fox News' normally reliable Chris Wallace strayed off the reservation today when he asked Bachmann, who is an attorney, a member of Congress, a mother of five, a foster mother of 23, if she was "a flake." Wallace has already apologized for asking the question.

Eau Claire is not a state

UPDATE June 27: Yesterday Bachmann confused Winterset with Waterloo, Iowa. The Duke was born in the former, but suburban Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy lived a short while in Waterloo, where he was convicted of his first crime. He served a short prison sentence in Anamosa, which I wrote about last fall. But the Minnesotan claimed that Wayne was born in Waterloo.

I'm certain Bachmann knows the difference between the two men. Hey, if Obama can claim there are 58 states, with one of them being Eau Claire, Wisconsin, then then Bachmann can be confused with messing up her Iowa "W" towns.

Related posts:

John Wayne's birthplace
Monument Valley at sunrise
Monument Valley at sunset
The road to Monument Valley

Technorati tags: photos photography history america usa culture Americana des moines politics minnesota Republican gop minnesota politics tea party news conservative michele bachmann movies entertainment john wayne