Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
I think Michele Bachmann is trying to set some sort of record for public stupidity. Her latest blatantly false claim was made, unsurprisingly, to effusive praise from Sean Hannity:
BACHMANN: Twenty-eight pages. Sean, you know the one question they don't ask? They don't ask, "are you an American citizen?" They don't ask if you're here on a visa or when it expires. We have no real idea how many illegal aliens are in our country. But wouldn't you think, here they are asking every personal question about our lives, they could at least ask if we're an American citizen? They don't bother to ask for that. That's why I think people need to read this census for themselves. If you go to my website, michelebachmann, you can read it.
She was speaking of the long-form census form that is sent to 1 out of 40 households in the country. But in fact, she's wrong. That question is on the long-form, right on the front page. Naturally, Hannity praised her:
HANNITY: And Congresswoman, credit to you. I mean, you're out there and you've become a target by the Democrats because of your outspokenness and your willingness to take on the administration.
Actually, she's become a target of every thinking person -- including at least three of her Republican colleagues in the House -- because of the constant stream of false claims she spews on a daily basis.
Politics
Comments
Actually, there is no long form this time.
"2010 Census is Different
The Census Bureau has changed the way it conducts the national count.
Goodbye Long Form
In the past, most households received a short-form questionnaire, while one household in six received a long form that contained additional questions and provided more detailed socioeconomic information about the population.
The 2010 Census will be a short-form only census and will count all residents living in the United States as well as ask for name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship and housing tenure – taking just minutes to complete."
This is from
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about_2010_census/007622.html
I don't know how the actual questions read.
Posted by: dean | July 3, 2009 9:45 AM
I love Michele Bachmann. She is the pure, distilled essence of the wingnut.
Posted by: Russell | July 3, 2009 9:53 AM
Listen to Bachmann's latest attack on science. Bachmann is calling for an investigation to see if the EPA "censored" a report by economist Alan Carlin.
Posted by: Avidor | July 3, 2009 9:53 AM
In the world of Hannity Limbaugh, Savage(Weiner), and Bachmann you don't have to actually be correct (just RIGHT), you just have to oppose the current administration to be a hero.
Of course, any opposition to the PREVIOUS administration was considered treason, and the perps deserved incarceration, and deportation, if not firing squads.
Don't ya just love double standards? You Betcha!
Posted by: Blaidd Drwg | July 3, 2009 9:55 AM
And the point of asking questions that would cause people to lie or skip the process? Wait, wait, I think I see it. If all those evil democratic immigrants don't fill out the census, then money and representation will be preserved for the right thinking (read non-thinking) repugs.
Brilliant.
Except Bachmann couldn't possibly have thought of it on her own. She can barely light a 10 watt bulb.
Posted by: MikeMa | July 3, 2009 9:58 AM
It's perfectly consistent. Every citizen needs to support American governments and oppose Democratic ones. No double standard here.
/snark
Posted by: mad the swine | July 3, 2009 10:01 AM
and of course, no one would EVER lie on a census form about being an American citizen, so it would certainly be useful to ask that question.
Posted by: mathyoo | July 3, 2009 10:34 AM
Set some sort of record for public stupidity? I can't think of anyone who is within a country mile of the record that she is threatening to retire permantently.
Posted by: John Pieret | July 3, 2009 10:53 AM
I'll see Michelle's stupidity and raise it.
Why not ask right on page one:
- Have you ever murdered someone?
- Are you are really an reptiliod from the Earth's centre?
- Did you fire the bullet that killed JFK?
- Was you you who let the dogs out?
- Are you, or have you ever been, a member of
the Communist Partya terrorist group?If you answered yes to any, or all, of the above questions
GO DIRECTLY TO GITMO (DO NOT pass GO, DO NOT collect $200)
Dingo
"Cut useless carbon dioxide production: 'whack' Michele Bachmann."
Posted by: DingoJack | July 3, 2009 11:03 AM
Avidor: Just for reference, RealClimate has the counter for that up already.
Posted by: Brian D | July 3, 2009 11:41 AM
See again the problem is you guys are reading this as English when in fact it is conservatese.
Right = RIGHT = conservative
Wrong = LEFT = Liberal
So no matter what they say, it is correct because it is RIGHT. No matter what Obama or the Democrats do, it is wrong because it is LEFT.
It's really that simple.
Posted by: dogmeatIB | July 3, 2009 12:07 PM
That's not true. She does just fine, although concern over her being able to keep doing it is one reason she's so adamant about increasing gasoline production. That, and matches.
Posted by: D. C. Sessions | July 3, 2009 12:11 PM
I think this is the form and nowhere on it can I find any citizenship question:
http://www.census.gov/schools/pdf/2010form_info.pdf
And this is the American Community Survey form and it doesn't ask about citizenship either.
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/SQuest09.pdf
So, have I got the wrong form or does EB or is Rep Bachmann both right and correct at the same time?
Posted by: T. Hunt | July 3, 2009 1:53 PM
T. Hunt,
It was mentioned earlier in the thread that the 2010 census doesn't have a long form which asked that question, the 2000 census did, it's on page 4:
http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/pdf/d-61b.pdf
Also on page 8 of your SQuest09.pdf link, it does ask about citizenship.
So Bachmann is still living in that neverland.
Posted by: dogmeatIB | July 3, 2009 2:14 PM
@T Hunt:
American Community Survey page 8, question 8.
Posted by: Robin Levett | July 3, 2009 2:17 PM
Article I Section 2 requires the census: "Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons."
I don't see anything in there about only counting US citizens. Does someone know if "their respective numbers" has been interpreted to include only US citizens? If not, asking people about citizenship could cause them to fear filling out the census form. Since the census should be accurate, it could be improper and possibly unconstitutional to skew the results by asking about citizenship.
Bachmann seems to be right insofar as the question of citizenship is not asked...but the "every personal question about our lives" she is talking about seems to be confined to race, gender, and number of family members.
Posted by: she may be right, but she's still crazy | July 3, 2009 2:30 PM
The 2009 ACS form is here.
It asks about citizenship on p.8.
Posted by: Bill Poser | July 3, 2009 4:39 PM
"And the point of asking questions that would cause people to lie or skip the process?"
Years ago I was doing temp work between jobs. The temp agency had an exclusive contract with a major drug company, so I had to fill out the drug company's separate screening application. The first question on the form was "Do you abuse drugs?" I bet that really kept the druggies away.
Posted by: wrpd | July 3, 2009 5:59 PM
Weird - you've just described the "security" section of the nonimmigrant visa application form almost perfectly.
Posted by: Tristan | July 3, 2009 9:47 PM
Having filled out U.S. Visa and Permanent Residence application forms in the past, I can confirm that they ask some very silly questions indeed. I think it was the visa form that asked, "Do you intend to attempt to overthrow the government of the United States by force?" (that may not be the exact wording, but "by force" was definitely there). I suppose that means that if you plan on overthrowing the U.S. government non-violently then you will be admitted without question.
I do not remember the wording of the questions on the Permanent Residence application form so well, but I do recall that there were questions that amounted to "Are you a prostitute?" and "Are you insane?"
Posted by: Nigel | July 3, 2009 10:09 PM
Nigel - Did they ask "are you a liar?" And if so, did they believe you? - ;) DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | July 3, 2009 10:27 PM
Silly questions on immigration/visa forms are par for the course. I lived in Japan for a couple of years, and I distinctly recall one of the questions on the application for a working visa was "Have you ever been declared incompetent?"
My first reaction was "Depends on which of my former bosses you ask", but I checked the "No" box anyway.
Posted by: Don K | July 3, 2009 11:10 PM
Bachmann is fulfilling her role for the Rethuglicans amply and well: to make Sarah Palin look competent by comparison.
Posted by: featheredfrog | July 4, 2009 6:48 AM
It takes considerable self control when I write my Idiot of the Week series not to just declare her the default winner for all time.
Posted by: vjack | July 4, 2009 10:14 AM
the British army used to have one asking if you were a terrorist. that i needed a specific NI security check (being half Irish) indicated that they didnt trust it to catch out the terrorist types.
i read an article once stating the logic behind many of these questions is it makes it easier to take action against someone, eg revoking the visa, if it turns out they did lie when applying.
make some sense particularly with job applications, i suspect getting the visa revoked would be the least of your worries if you did turn out to be planning on overthrowing the government by force though.
Posted by: kevinj | July 4, 2009 5:20 PM