“On Monday, Bachmann officially announced her candidacy for U.S. president. She left the stage as Petty’s ‘American Girl’ blared over the loudspeaker. Uh-oh. Petty is unhappy with Bachmann’s choice of exit music, according to political consultant Matt Ortega, and is in the process of sending a cease-and-desist letter.” [Hollywood Reporter, via Political Wire]

In which we present a colloquy between Wee George Stephanopoulos and Michele Bachmann, who is Not a Flake.

Stephanopoulos: Earlier this year you said that the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence worked tirelessly to end slavery. Now with respect Congresswoman, that’s just not true. Many of them including Jefferson and Washington were actually slave holders and slavery didn’t end until the Civil War…

Bachmann: Well if you look at one of our Founding Fathers, John Quincy Adams, that’s absolutely true. He was a very young boy when he was with his father serving essentially as his father’s secretary. He tirelessly worked throughout his life to make sure that we did in fact one day eradicate slavery…

Stephanopoulos: He wasn’t one of the Founding Fathers — he was a president, he was a Secretary of State, he was a member of Congress, you’re right he did work to end slavery decades later. But so you are standing by this comment that the Founding Fathers worked tirelessly to end slavery?

Bachmann: Well, John Quincy Adams most certainly was a part of the Revolutionary War era. He was a young boy but he was actively involved.

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, John Quincy Adams was 9.

John Quincy Adams a Founding Father? Michele Bachmann Says Yes [ABC]

Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated. Next, please clear all liquids from your throat. Finally, we ask you to grip the edges of your table to provide proper support. Because, folks, we’re going on a ride:

Rep. Michele Bachmann kicked off her presidential campaign on Monday in Waterloo, Iowa, and in one interview surrounding the official event she promised to mimic the spirit of Waterloo’s own John Wayne.

The only problem, as one eagle-eyed reader notes: Waterloo’s John Wayne was not the beloved movie star, but rather John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer.

Thank you all. Please exit to the right. Souvenir photographs will be available in the lobby.

The wrong John Wayne [Washington Times]

“Michele Bachmann isn’t accepting an apology from Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace for asking her yesterday, ‘Are you a flake?’” [Politico]

“Voters in Minnesota are not terribly into home state politicians Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann running for President next year. Only 28% think Pawlenty should seek the White House to 17% who think he should run for the Senate and 45% who think he shouldn’t run for anything. There’s even less interest in a Bachmann Presidential run — 14% think she should seek that office to 23% who think she should run for the Senate, 10% who think she should run for reelection to her House seat, and 47% who just want her to go away.” [Public Policy Polling, via Political Wire]

[MinnPost]

Okay, fine, let’s click the link…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to eliminate the “white potato” — defined as any variety but the sweet potato — from federally subsidized school breakfasts and to limit them sharply at lunch…

The proposed change is part of a push to make school meals healthier, with more nutrient-rich vegetables and fewer French fries. Under the USDA proposal, school cafeterias would have to limit starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas and lima beans to a total of one cup per week for lunch.

In case you’re wondering, there’s a “Minnesota Area II Potato Growers Research and Promotion Council”, so it makes sense for Bachmann to join the Spud Fight. And somebody from her state leads the National Potato Council.

But her angle? The Feds regulate school lunches because the Feds subsidize school lunches. So her argument must be that the subsidies are unconstitutional, and that kids would be better off with a starvation diet.

And farmers would be better off without that guaranteed market. Say, what other unconstitutional subsidies do they benefit from?

But let’s give her credit. She spelled “potatoes” right.