by Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
September 25, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — Rep. Michele Bachmann has attracted national media attention for her denunciation of ACORN and for suggesting that President Obama might be "anti-American," but on Friday she achieved a new level of celebrity status -- in the form of her own action figure.
The Connecticut-based toy company Herobuilders plans to release the doll today on its website.
The $39.95 Bachmann action figure will share the catalog with Rod Blagojevich, (a $149.95 limited edition figure), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (sporting a t-shirt that reads "Let them eat yellow cake"), Joe the Plumber (with his own custom-made crow bar), and a talking Joe Wilson, among others.
Emil Vicale, CEO of Herobuilders, said that choosing who gets to be an action figure can be difficult.
"There's a lot of thought that goes into that," he said. "Sometimes it's just very easy, like Joe Wilson when he called Obama a liar. I mean you have to be an action figure then. Sarah Palin, that was pretty obvious."
"I think you just have to strike my fancy, I guess."
When asked what aspects of Bachmann "struck his fancy," Vicale said, "She's hot. Did I say that out loud? Yeah, I guess I did."
Bachmann will be dressed in a business suit. Vicale said he originally thought about having her hold a gun, "but I'm thinking 'no' this time."
"We're not going to do anything over the top," he said. "I think she'll look good in a nice tailored business suit."
Dave Dziok, a spokesperson for Bachmann, said the Congresswoman hadn't heard about the action figure. "That's pretty cool," he said.
Herobuilders started in 2002, when it released a President George Bush action figure, after Vicale was inspired by President Bush's appearance at Ground Zero.
But Vicale said that Sarah Palin and Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the former Iraqi Information Minister, have been the most popular.
He declined to provide specific sales figures, other than to say that he once sold 20,000 al-Sahhaf action figures in 24 hours, when the minister gained the nickname "Baghdad Bob" for his bizarre statements during the Iraq War.
Vicale has considered and rejected several action figure candidates, including Rep. Ron Paul, whose denunciation of the Federal Reserve has attracted national attention.
"I've been asked that before," he said, speaking about Paul. "He doesn't look like an action figure at all, does he?"
Vicale said his company, despite designing sometimes outrageous figures, is a business like any other.
"We're really trying to sell product," he said. "So you really have to look at the broad base and the appeal of the person first, and then what it would look like as an action figure second, and will someone buy it. Will an adult actually want this as a collectible?"
The Bachmann action figure, manufactured in Oxford, Connecticut, will be limited to 250 figures, although Vicale said more could be produced if demand is high.
Showing posts with label Michele Bachman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michele Bachman. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Retread Threads
SOURCE: HEARD ON THE HILL
Rep. Michele Bachmann is no stranger to attracting attention when she speaks on the House floor. But on Tuesday, the outspoken Minnesota Republican raised eyebrows not for what she said, but what she wore.
Bachmann appeared in the chamber sporting a sleeveless top with bold trim along the neckline, which, in the buttoned-up world of Congress, would be noteworthy enough. But here’s the eyebrow-raising part: The top appeared to be the exact same one she wore on the House floor late the night before.
A Bachmann spokeswoman did not return HOH’s calls seeking an explanation for the wardrobe repeat. (A late night and no change of clothes, perhaps? Lost luggage?)
Bachmann might not be a huge environmentalist, but she certainly believes in recycling, at least when it comes to her outfits.
Rep. Michele Bachmann is no stranger to attracting attention when she speaks on the House floor. But on Tuesday, the outspoken Minnesota Republican raised eyebrows not for what she said, but what she wore.
Bachmann appeared in the chamber sporting a sleeveless top with bold trim along the neckline, which, in the buttoned-up world of Congress, would be noteworthy enough. But here’s the eyebrow-raising part: The top appeared to be the exact same one she wore on the House floor late the night before.
A Bachmann spokeswoman did not return HOH’s calls seeking an explanation for the wardrobe repeat. (A late night and no change of clothes, perhaps? Lost luggage?)
Bachmann might not be a huge environmentalist, but she certainly believes in recycling, at least when it comes to her outfits.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Bachmann balks at expansion for rail line
The Northstar commuter rail line would run through her district -- but it also runs into her opposition to spending by "earmarks."
By KEVIN DIAZ, Star Tribune
Last update: May 15, 2009 - 9:58 PM
WASHINGTON -- With Congress poised to unveil a $450 billion, multi-year transportation package next month, backers of the long-awaited Northstar commuter rail line see a fresh chance to extend the project from Minneapolis to St. Cloud, its original destination.
But the potential federal funding has become embroiled in a political squabble over congressional "earmark" spending, as Rep. Michele Bachmann, a Republican whose district includes much of the rail line, has declined to sign off on the Northstar request.
The dispute surfaced Friday as Minnesotans in Congress rolled out transportation funding requests worth hundreds of millions of dollars under the federal government's upcoming six-year surface transportation bill.
As chief architect of the spending bill, Minnesota Democrat Rep. Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, submitted $112.6 million in Minnesota projects, most of them in his northern district. Oberstar, however, left out the Northstar proposal, saying he will support the funding request when Bachmann does.
Oberstar's move may prove largely symbolic. He launched the Northstar project in 1991 and has been its leading champion. Meanwhile, two other Minnesota Democrats -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Keith Ellison -- included the extension in their funding requests, ensuring it will get a hearing.
30-mile extension
Local officials are asking Congress to authorize a 30-mile extension from Big Lake to St. Cloud, which represents nearly a doubling of the $310 million line that is scheduled to start operating out of Minneapolis in November. The extension would add an estimated $150 million to the project, with as much as two-thirds of the cost shouldered by the federal government.
Bachmann, an outspoken critic of earmarks, submitted five other road and bridge projects for funding. A spokesman said that unlike the Northstar extension, those projects already have been formally approved by the Minnesota Transportation Department (MnDOT).
"She feels it is not right for the federal government to circumvent state and local priorities," said spokesman Dave Dziok. "It hasn't been vetted, and that's the problem she has with earmarks."
Northstar proponents, however, say the extension has won the strong support of top state officials, including Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Rail authority request
"It certainly would be helpful if we had the congresswoman from our district put in the request," said Sherburne County Commissioner Felix Schmiesing, who is overseeing the extension plan as a member of the development authority.
The rail authority made the extension request last month to Bachmann, Ellison, Oberstar and Klobuchar.
"That's always been our goal," said Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart, chairman of the authority. "What we're looking at is to connect Minneapolis to St. Cloud."
Erhart said that though he understands Bachmann's position on earmarks, he expects "we may ultimately have support from her."
Local rail officials face regulatory as well as political obstacles. MnDOT officials say the Minneapolis-to-St. Cloud plan does not meet current federal cost-effectiveness standards, even though it is the highest- population growth corridor in the Upper Midwest.
Schmiesing said state officials are waiting on new federal rules that may help them qualify.
In the meantime, they need a leg-up from Congress in getting legal authorization for the project under the new surface transportation bill, which will replace spending programs that expire Sept. 30.
But another obstacle remains: As yet, there is no consensus in Congress on how to pay for the new transportation programs.
By KEVIN DIAZ, Star Tribune
Last update: May 15, 2009 - 9:58 PM
WASHINGTON -- With Congress poised to unveil a $450 billion, multi-year transportation package next month, backers of the long-awaited Northstar commuter rail line see a fresh chance to extend the project from Minneapolis to St. Cloud, its original destination.
But the potential federal funding has become embroiled in a political squabble over congressional "earmark" spending, as Rep. Michele Bachmann, a Republican whose district includes much of the rail line, has declined to sign off on the Northstar request.
The dispute surfaced Friday as Minnesotans in Congress rolled out transportation funding requests worth hundreds of millions of dollars under the federal government's upcoming six-year surface transportation bill.
As chief architect of the spending bill, Minnesota Democrat Rep. Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, submitted $112.6 million in Minnesota projects, most of them in his northern district. Oberstar, however, left out the Northstar proposal, saying he will support the funding request when Bachmann does.
Oberstar's move may prove largely symbolic. He launched the Northstar project in 1991 and has been its leading champion. Meanwhile, two other Minnesota Democrats -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Keith Ellison -- included the extension in their funding requests, ensuring it will get a hearing.
30-mile extension
Local officials are asking Congress to authorize a 30-mile extension from Big Lake to St. Cloud, which represents nearly a doubling of the $310 million line that is scheduled to start operating out of Minneapolis in November. The extension would add an estimated $150 million to the project, with as much as two-thirds of the cost shouldered by the federal government.
Bachmann, an outspoken critic of earmarks, submitted five other road and bridge projects for funding. A spokesman said that unlike the Northstar extension, those projects already have been formally approved by the Minnesota Transportation Department (MnDOT).
"She feels it is not right for the federal government to circumvent state and local priorities," said spokesman Dave Dziok. "It hasn't been vetted, and that's the problem she has with earmarks."
Northstar proponents, however, say the extension has won the strong support of top state officials, including Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Rail authority request
"It certainly would be helpful if we had the congresswoman from our district put in the request," said Sherburne County Commissioner Felix Schmiesing, who is overseeing the extension plan as a member of the development authority.
The rail authority made the extension request last month to Bachmann, Ellison, Oberstar and Klobuchar.
"That's always been our goal," said Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart, chairman of the authority. "What we're looking at is to connect Minneapolis to St. Cloud."
Erhart said that though he understands Bachmann's position on earmarks, he expects "we may ultimately have support from her."
Local rail officials face regulatory as well as political obstacles. MnDOT officials say the Minneapolis-to-St. Cloud plan does not meet current federal cost-effectiveness standards, even though it is the highest- population growth corridor in the Upper Midwest.
Schmiesing said state officials are waiting on new federal rules that may help them qualify.
In the meantime, they need a leg-up from Congress in getting legal authorization for the project under the new surface transportation bill, which will replace spending programs that expire Sept. 30.
But another obstacle remains: As yet, there is no consensus in Congress on how to pay for the new transportation programs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)