Live blog of Conference call with Michele Bachmann

10:15am I'm currently on a call with one of our very few dependable conservative voices in our U.S. Congress, Michele Bachmann. She's hosting a question/answer session with constituents.

According to Bachmann, despite the fact that we didn't sign Kyoto, we are the only country in the world (including Kyoto signatories) who saw our emissions go down, even though we weren't a signatory in Kyoto.

Lakes & streams are cleaner now than they have been in the last 20 years.

253-5931 (St. Cloud office #).

Service to veterans highest priorities. Supported Wounded Warrior Assistance Act.

A caller got on and complained that Republicans, including Norm Coleman, need to get on board in pursuing our own energy resources. He argued rightly, that the solution to our energy problems consists of drilling and building refineries, and to build nuclear power plants.

According to Michele,

-If ANWR was a football field, the relative area needed for drilling would be the size of a postage stamp.

-ANWR would add more than 1 million barrels of oil per day, which would be a doubling of our national production.

-With the oil find in the Dakotas, Minnesota would do well to build refineries, which would create high paying jobs and would also lessen the cost of fuels.

-Congress has been the problem, and we need to get both Republicans & democrats aboard to make it legal to obtain our own energy sources.

-We are 7% more dependent on OPEC than we were just a year ago.

Caller: What are we going to do about the elderly? Mother and father died in a nursing home, both were victims of neglect; can't get government to respond. Japan honors their elderly; why can't we do the same?

Michele: Nursing home care is more a state issue vs. a federal issue; not all nursing homes are created equal; shouldn't matter whether a person is rich or poor, every0ne deserves respect and care, especially during the most vulnerable stages of life. If you see medicare fraud, 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), also, her office staff in Waite Park are great case workers who will assist with individual cases.

10:45a

Unfortunately, I need to leave for an appointment, so this live blog is over.