Bachmann's John Wayne slip
By: CNN Political Unit


(CNN) - On the eve of her official presidential announcement, GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann incorrectly identified movie star John Wayne's origins in an attempt to draw a parallel between her and the American icon.

"I want them to know just like John Wayne is from Waterloo Iowa, that's the spirit I have too," Bachmann said Sunday on Fox News. "It's embracing America. It's sacrificing for America."

John Wayne the movie star was born in Winterset, Iowa, which is approximately three hours Southwest of Waterloo, Iowa, Bachmann's native city and the site of her presidential announcement Monday. But according to the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, the actor's parents did live in the city at one point.

However, it was a different John Wayne that caused the misstep to go viral on the internet.

Serial killer John Wayne Gacy was born in Chicago, Illinois and later lived and worked in Waterloo where he was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to prison. Gacy, known as "the clown killer" was found guilty of 33 murders in the Chicago area in 1980 and died by lethal injection in 1994.

Bachman's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



I'm quite sure she will spin out of this and her teabag minions will blindly follow..... much like Palinites and Paul Revere, but


Here is the deal. Everyone makes mistakes when they speak. But her focus in Iowa seems to be that she is "from" Iowa. Waterloo to be exact.

If she was really connected to Waterloo (not that I find that necessarily a good thing) it would obvious to her that the Duke is not from Waterloo, but Mr. Gacy was. I spent 4 years in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area and everyone knows The Duke is not from there.... and most know Gacy was. Maybe his parents lived there once, but that is prior to his birth and not known or celebrated by anyone. Winterset has the home and such memorialized. Waterloo .... nada. It was a bone head thing by someone who is not connected to Waterloo.

Gacy worked at the KFC and touched young men funny. Then went to prison and when he got out went to Chi town or whatever. Most folks there know this.

Waterloo is in NE IA. The Duke was from south central to south east Iowa.


A rock singer accidently thinking they are in Des Moines when they are in Ames is understandable. A politician saying its great to be in the hometown of the Duke while in Waterloo is probably understandable.... a simple gaffe. But this is a person embracing their deep roots, the very thing that makes them what they are..... blah blah blah. If the Big O is an empty suit (and maybe so) anyone lining up behind this hot mess needs their head examined.... and since she is cut from the same cloth as Mr. Gacy maybe she will accomidate you.

If they come out with the yea but his parents lived there it makes things worse in my mind. No one.... NO ONE associates the Duke with Waterloo. To try to make that stretch because someone can find .6% of a fact is rediculas. But some will buy it. Some in here. What a maroon..... The fact she is/was a Jimmy Carter supporter is even funnier.

Have a nice day!

Obama and Biden are a walking gaff machine. This is it? Really? Ok.......

The media is taking the [Kevin Bacon] 7 degrees of seperation game to a whole nuvva level...no one is safe.

After reading this article, I am outraged! I am now convinced. She needs to withdraw now, before she makes an even bigger blunder, like not knowing how many states there are.

I agree with you on them. But that really has nothing to do with her. No direct associaiton. It's actually diversionary.

She has plenty of other gaffs. As I said I sort of write those off (I actually mentioned any other politician doing same wouldn't faze me.). But living in the area this resonated with me. She is claiming to be something she is not. If she is claiming the area as her own but screws up something so basic, she is obviously fake and not sincere. She recieved her back ground info and screwed it up.

What would bother me if I was a tea bagger is does she really beleive or even understand the movement, or is she simply using them. I think she is using them.

I would totally write it off if she wasn't wrapping the I'm from Waterloo and I'm an Iowan around herself. It shows she really isn't. To the resto the country that's prolly a good thing LOL.

A true Iowan that spent any time there would know the Duke is not from NE IA. It's not really close. The gacy thing is just icing that makes it funny.

No one says she should withdraw. I just question her sincerity. I hope she stays in. She will not win but is fun. And it will be great to watch otherwise smart people defend her simply because of her party. One of my favorite past times.

It's the speech writers fault.

TW thinks she's a flake.

That is actually my point. Much like Obama/Biden (there the but they do it too thing is off the table) she says what is written and doesn't think much in to it. If she did it was an obvious problem..... assuming she really knows anything about Iowa and isn't just playin the I'm from there card.

TW..so..you're NOT a teabagger?:-k

Living in MN I can tell you, she's worse than a flake. She is plain freaking scary.

Go F*** yourself, San Diego.

Nope. I am not. I do agree with much of the movement but not lock step. I am also turned off by the if you do not agree 100% then you do not agree at all mentality. It's like the mormans or somethin.

[whip]

Just figgured you to be a teabagger from way back.:-k

So you're saying you are open to teabagging? 🤔 ...I think we have a story here...let's go with it.

I love teabagging and being teabagged. It just upsets me that a bunch of uptight neocons finially caught on to how fun it is.

Is that in the 57th state of the Union?[frypan]

People forgave Ron Burgandy.


The 57th state thing was stupid. It would have been better if he right before saying it claimed to be from the 57th state and understood it well.