Michele Bachmann Lies About a Founding Father, Obama, etc.

Trying to catch Michele Bachmann (R-MN) in a lie is about as hard as finding candy in a candy store.

Check out what she said in Congress the other day (courtesy of Chris Rodda):

… George Washington, our first President, demonstrated that he was not offended by the image of the risen Christ. In fact, our Nation’s first President let his views be known quite clearly on his inauguration by a prayer which George Washington himself gave at his inauguration. He said, and I quote, Mr. Speaker:

‘Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally, that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’

Mr. Speaker, our first President, George Washington, insisted on his inauguration day as the first President of this great country, that unless the citizens of our country imitate the example of Jesus Christ, that we would not be a happy Nation. What a clear contrast between our first President and our current President.

Of course, Washington never said such a thing.

Snopes sheds some light on this:

The letter from which the “prayer” passage was taken was written not by George Washington, but by his aide de camp, David Cobb… finally, the wording has been altered to make the passage appear to be a prayer addressed to Almighty God, when in fact was a direct statement from Washington to a governor.

Compare the original and modified versions:

ORIGINAL:

Now I make it my earnest prayer that God would have you and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection, that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow citizens and the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the field, and finally, that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. I have the honor to be, with much esteem and respect, Sir, your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant. George Washington.

MODIFIED:

Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United states at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Does Bachmann have a staff? Do they do any research before she makes a speech?

That wasn’t the only misstatement, though. She also said this:

“I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if President Abraham Lincoln, one of President Obama’s heroes, would have said overseas that he believed America was a nation of secularists…”

He never said that, either. This is what Obama said:

I’ve said before that one of the great strengths of the United States is — although as I mentioned we have a very large Christian population — we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation, or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.

Bachmann said several other things that have no basis in reality — Rodda has a lengthier analysis of these lies.

Which ones of you elected her?