Bachmann Withdraws Dual Swiss Citizenship, Says She is Proud to be an American
A day after news of Rep. Michele Bachmann gaining dual Swiss citizenship, the Sixth District Congresswoman withdrew her request, saying "I want to make it perfectly clear: I am a proud American citizen."
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has sent a letter to the Swiss Consulate requesting withdrawal of her dual Swiss citizenship.
Yesterday, various media reported that Bachmann was granted dual citizenship with Switzerland.
A POLITICO story focused on the fact that Bachmann is now eligible to run for office in Switzerland, while the Huffington Post piece pointed out her opposition to President Obama’s health care reform and the fact that the small European nation has nearly universal health care.
Bachmann responded to those reports by saying it was a “non-story.”
"I automatically became a dual citizen of the United States and Switzerland in 1978 when I married my husband, Marcus. Marcus is a dual American and Swiss citizen because he is the son of Swiss immigrants. As a family, we just recently updated our documents."
Today, Bachmann decided to withdraw her request, and issued the following statement:
"Today I sent a letter to the Swiss Consulate requesting withdrawal of my dual Swiss citizenship, which was conferred upon me by operation of Swiss law when I married my husband in 1978. I took this action because I want to make it perfectly clear: I was born in America and I am a proud American citizen. I am, and always have been, 100 percent committed to our United States Constitution and the United States of America. As the daughter of an Air Force veteran, stepdaughter of an Army veteran and sister of a Navy veteran, I am proud of my allegiance to the greatest nation the world has ever known."
Stefan Presslein
3:14 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
As a Swiss-American myself I’m embarrassed by her twice as much as everyone else!
PauliNtheWood
10:55 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
Stefan,
I feel your pain, man, she is a total embarassment, all the way around!!
Rick
4:28 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
@Stefan, as a "Swiss-American" (I'd label myself as an American-Swiss btw) or as a liberal? Just wondering.
Susan
5:55 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Dual Citizenship since 1978, but acted to withdraw the Swiss citizenship the day after the press got the info out. Why did Ms Bachmann not think of this before? Was she not as proud to be an American citizen last week?
Randy Marsh
6:21 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
What I think is abundantly clear is that it is high time the American media takes a great look at the view of people in congress and find out simply whether they are pro-America or anti-America. Are they pro-Swiss or anti-Swiss? Simple as that. For a woman who has said some of the most asinine things ever uttered by a politician, I find it doubly hilarious that she chooses something this unimportant to actually back track on.
PauliNtheWood
10:54 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
I'm pro-Swiss because I love their cheese.
Edward
6:59 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Flip-flopper!
Hahahahaha. Can't stop laughing. She's really reaching to get press these days!
Alex Mundy
9:44 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
Bachmann's thought process is as full of holes as Swiss cheese.
D. Knutson
7:49 am on Sunday, May 13, 2012
The fact that Bachmann had to even address this is more proof of media bias towards conservatives and women. The only reason she issued a statement is because the media made an issue out of a non-issue.
If Kenya had arrangement like Switzerland, I wonder how much of an issue the media would make of Obama being a dual citizen?
I agree with Randy, the American media should take a hard look at the view of people in ALL areas of Government, from the President down through Congress and find out whether they are pro-America or anti-America.
The problem with that though is real obvious, they'd never report the truth about our current appeasing leadership..... Just Saying.....
Susan
8:44 am on Sunday, May 13, 2012
Yes, I do wonder what Fox News would do if your scenerio above were true about President Obama....oh wait, I guess they only report on a question of citizenship if...what was their reasoning again?
D. Knutson
2:14 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
Bachmann has had "dual citizenship", recognized by the Swiss Government since 1978, so the question remains why would the liberal biased media bring it up now, and force Bachmann to respond in defense of it. It's really much ado about nothing, and the only thing that comes out from it is one more opportunity for the liberal attack machine to take shots at conservative women.
The Huffington owned Patch said months ago they would have a weekly Bachmann Beat updates, and after a couple of months of nohing but silence, this is the best they can do? That's hilarious......
Edward
5:02 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
I'm not sure anyone knew about the "citizenship since 1978" because it wasn't official. She didn't actually make application for Swiss citizenship (and didn't announce it) until this year. It wasn't an issue before because she didn't disclose it to anyone . . . can a dual citizen be president of the US? She didn't disclose this citizenship when she was running for president . . . why not?
Susan
7:03 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
D., You can't really be serious about this being an attack on Rep. Bachmann because she is a conservative woman, or Ms Palin, for that matter. It's not being a female conservative that brings a firestorm of media, it is some of the outrageous outspoken views, and the then seemingly contradictory behavior that brings the media's attention.
Shawn Hogendorf
7:36 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
As stated last week, D. I write about Bachmann weekly, it just doesn't carry the "Bachmann Beat" title.
PauliNtheWood
10:53 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
D.K.,
Your "liberal media" charge is laughable.
If Michele's Evangie "base" had known about her dual citizenship, she never would have won the Iowa Straw poll. I think she did a very good job of hding her dual citizenship.