Michele Bachmann claims Swiss citizenship
Source: Politico.com
Bachmann (R-Minn.) recently became a citizen of Switzerland, making her eligible to run for office in the tiny European nation, according to a Swiss TV report Tuesday.
Arthur Honegger, a reporter for public broadcaster Schweizer Fernsehen, told POLITICO the Swiss consulate in Chicago has confirmed that the former Republican presidential candidate became a citizen March 19.
The Swiss consulate in Chicago covers the state of Minnesota, which Bachmann represents.
Marcus Bachmann, the congresswomans husband since 1978, reportedly was eligible for Swiss citizenship due to his parents nationality but only registered it with the Swiss government Feb. 15. Once the process was finalized on March 19, Michele automatically became a citizen as well, according to Honegger.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76072.html
Edited because I mis-pasted the first four paragraphs.
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)pnwmom
(109,020 posts)marble falls
(57,405 posts)RandySF
(59,533 posts)Skinner
(63,645 posts)I don't get it.
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)Lucinda
(31,170 posts)Nihil
(13,508 posts)Not just making the paper trail far more obscure but also being able
to claim a whole host of "protections" for any financial irregularities
being investigated ...
musical_soul
(775 posts)Hooray!!!
madokie
(51,076 posts)Please don't tell me she won't be here to do that anymore. Now I'm sad
OT: could it be my spell check is broken as it didn't flag batshitcrazieness,
hay rick
(7,650 posts)Batshitcrazy is now officially a word. No definition given or needed- just a picture of Michelle Bachmann.
madokie
(51,076 posts)truthisfreedom
(23,160 posts)Botany
(70,627 posts)Why would somebody running for the US Congress become a citizen of
another country?
"The Minnesota lady is bat shit crazy too." New Swiss Yodel
Canuckistanian
(42,290 posts)Bachmann in a Dirndl and pigtails?
Blue Owl
(50,536 posts)n/t
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)sarisataka
(18,857 posts)SailorBill
(3 posts)Let's form a caravan to escort her. I94 will be backed up like never before!
sarisataka
(18,857 posts)Bigredhunk
(1,351 posts)Can you imagine if a Dem did this? "So & so is too good for America"..."So and so is an elitist with a taste for swiss truffles"...
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)glinda
(14,807 posts)edcantor
(325 posts)Enrique
(27,461 posts)they showed great resourcefulness milking various benefits out of the U.S. treasury, now they're going international.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)Sheesh. I wish I were that unaware. Life would be so fun.
I'm working on an engineering project with someone who just doesn't see the light with this concept we're working on. Someone has already done it. It's over, and time to move on to something else. I had to write "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.".
deacon
(5,967 posts)justabob
(3,069 posts)How can she be a Swiss citizen and still serve in our Congress?
dflprincess
(28,089 posts)CK_John
(10,005 posts)for a far away canton with secret banking laws.
Smilo
(1,944 posts)TheMightyFavog
(13,770 posts)Maybe she'll have to renounce her US Citizenship...
DavidDvorkin
(19,500 posts)David__77
(23,566 posts)There are in fact a number of politicians that owe allegiance to multiple homelands.
mwooldri
(10,303 posts)However...
if you exercise your priviledges as that foreign citizen (e.g. run for political office, enter or leave the USA on the foreign passport) then you lose your US citizenship - and you don't even need to formally renounce it. Just demonstrating your loyalty to another country and having that country's citizenship is
That is the problem with being a dual citizen - sure you can have the two passports but to leave and then re-enter the USA you have to use your US passport. You buy your plane tickets using your US passport information... but when you get to your destination you whip out your other passport and enter the citizens line for that country.
obamanut2012
(26,165 posts)And has never had any problem with it whatsoever, and also hold a rather high US security clearance. He's been told on both sides of the pond this is fine, and he also voted in all the British elections.
I just texted my friend with US-Irish, and she does the same thing.
Daniel537
(1,560 posts)Your required to use your American passport when entering the US, but even if you don't its not an offense that could cost you your citizenship.
"Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship."
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html
mwooldri
(10,303 posts)"Most US citizens must use a US passport to enter and leave the US. "
What if a US citizen uses a non-US passport to get back INTO the USA? That's my point.
Although the State Department says use of the foreign passport does not endanger US citizenship, it doesn't state what the consequences are of not using a US passport to get into the USA - as a US citizen. I can imagine that the person would be fingerprinted... if they're not from a country where the visa waiver pilot program is in place they'd be asked for their visa... and if they are in a country under the visa waiver pilot asked why they did not enter their information into the website before going to the USA... and if they're let in they may get clearance for 90 days and treated as a visitor. If the immigration officer treats it as such. The immigration officer may also turn around and say "welcome home" and you're good... the officer may also say "you're not allowed here" and send you on the next flight back to where the other passport says you come from.
It's this intent thing in US law that makes it easier for US citizens to lose their citizenship.
obamanut2012
(26,165 posts)Although it is only recognized from certain countries, like Canada, the EU, etc. I have three friends who hold it: Irish, British, and German. They have two different passports.
About the only thing they can't do with it is hold certain government jobs (foreign service, and I think FBI and CIA).
Daniel537
(1,560 posts)My mother, for example, has both Cuban and American citizenship. There's no law prohibiting recognition of dual citizenship from any single country.
marmar
(77,106 posts)glinda
(14,807 posts)K8-EEE
(15,667 posts)Doesn't that make her a SLAVE to the tyranny of having health insurance, ZOMG DID SHE GIVE UP HER FREE-DUMB TO BE UNINSURED? Cuz compulsory health insurance is super s-s-scary according to her.....just sayin!
Roland99
(53,342 posts)as if.
ha!
Lydia Leftcoast
(48,217 posts)which is odd, because her district takes in some of the northern suburbs.
But if the story is true, I'd love to see the righties' reaction when their goddess becomes a citizen of a country in Europe.
Again, if the story is true and she moves to Switzerland, she may move right back, because the Swiss are too educated and sensible to fall for her demented Barbie doll shtick.
suffragette
(12,232 posts)Staffers for Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann are confirming a Swiss television news report that Bachmann is now a citizen of Switzerland. Bachmann's congressional spokeswoman Becky Rogness said Bachmann now enjoys dual citizenship with the US and Switzerland.
"Congresswoman Bachmann's husband is of Swiss descent so she has been eligible for dual-citizenship since they got married in 1978," said Rogness. "However, recently some of their children wanted to exercise their eligibility for dual-citizenship so they went through the process as a family."
Bachmann represents Minnesota's 6th Congressional District and is seeking re-election to a 4th term following a failed GOP presidential campaign. Bachmann's critics have accused her of neglecting her Minnesota constituents in favor of promoting broader ambitions.
They also have a link to the video of the Swiss TV interview.
Still, my immediate reaction on seeing the OP was to think of "Ripley's Believe It or Not."
Lydia Leftcoast
(48,217 posts)Maybe they've seen many of Mom's political associates up close and personal and it scares even them.
nanabugg
(2,198 posts)qb
(5,924 posts)Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)Yeah, I know they didn't do anything to us and I really like their cheese. But, she has been dragging the good name of Minnesota through the mud long enough. Besides she is really an Iowan as anyone in Minnesota they will tell you.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)No, I'm sure they would be welcoming...at first, at least. But after a few months of her antics they'd be hoping she moved back to the US.
pampango
(24,692 posts)The Swiss People's Party is a national conservative and right-wing populist political party which focuses on issues such as euroscepticism and opposition to immigration.
In its foreign policy the SVP opposes increased involvement of Switzerland in intergovernmental and especially supranational organisations, including the UN, EEA, EU, Schengen and Dublin treaties, and closer ties with NATO.
The SVP supports supply-side economics. Thus it is a proponent of lower taxes and is against deficit spending.
In terms of the environment, transportation and energy policy the SVP opposes governmental measures for environmental protection.
In social welfare policy the SVP rejects expansion of the welfare state, and stands for a conservative society. It opposes the public financing of maternity leave and nursery schools. The SVP is sceptical toward governmental support of an equalisation of both genders...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_People's_Party
Those all sound like positions that Bachmann has already publicly supported, so the Swiss far-right should welcome her with open arms.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Or will she be the first-ever candidate for office who needs to give speeches through an interpreter?
harun
(11,348 posts)Javaman
(62,534 posts)more so, she was persuing this while running for prez?
oh I wonder how her fundie few mouth breathing supporters square with this?
she is such a sideshow.
LibertyLover
(4,788 posts)was one Francis Schaeffer. He and his wife founded the L'Abri community in Switzerland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Schaeffer
Bachman has mentioned several times that reading his books were instrumental in bringing her to a pro-life position. Maybe she just wants to be like her idol?
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,695 posts)Harry Lime: Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly.
The Third Man - Orson Welles' Great Cuckoo Clock Speech against Democracy, Peace and Brotherly Love
santamargarita
(3,170 posts)I feel sorry for Switzerland!
Domingo Tavella
(41 posts)If this report is true, Michelle Bachmann must have a direct familial line to Swiss immigrants. It would be a funny spectacle indeed to see this very loud and apish woman trying to learn to live in a civilized nation like Switzerland, where she would have no clue about how to behave (not to mention trying to learn German - priceless.) The closest thing to Bachmann in Switzerland that I can imagine is Limbaugh going to the Opera in Paris.
CTyankee
(63,914 posts)ya know...you don't see people his size walking around Paris.
fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)I mean, WTF... what is her motive?
sofa king
(10,857 posts)Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)harun
(11,348 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)There are a handful of private insurance companies which offer coverage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Switzerland
Swiss are required to purchase basic health insurance, which covers a range of treatments detailed in the Federal Act. It is therefore the same throughout the country and avoids double standards in healthcare. Insurers are required to offer this basic insurance to everyone, regardless of age or medical condition. They are not allowed to make a profit off this basic insurance, but can on supplemental plans.
...
The insured pays the insurance premium for the basic plan up to 8% of their personal income. If a premium is higher than this, then the government gives the insured a cash subsidy to pay for any additional premium
LeftishBrit
(41,212 posts)Well, Switzerland is famous for its cuckoo clocks; maybe now they will manufacture clocks where every hour a Michelle Bachmann doll jumps out and cries 'Cuckoo! Cuckoo!'
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Yodel-li-li-hey-hoo!
meow2u3
(24,774 posts)All full of holes, appearing larger than it really is.