August 6, 2012

Due to rain, MPAC cancelled its DC press conference 'Calling on Romney to Address Bachmann's Witch Hunt.' Details about the rescheduled press conference to follow soon.

On Monday, Aug. 6, 2012, MPAC will hold a press conference in front of the Republican National Committee’s headquarters in Washington, DC, calling on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to comment on the recent public support his campaign advisers have given to Rep. Michele Bachmann’s outrageous claims against American Muslims “infiltrating” the federal government.

This morning on the campaign trail, Romney declined to speak about Bachmann, saying: “I’m not going to tell other people what things to talk about. Those are not things that are part of my campaign.”

“Is Romney running for president of an inclusive and pluralist America or an exclusive and divided America?” said Tarin in his op-ed published on CNN.com this week (“Michele Bachmann and Muslim Witch Hunts”). “This is not a question he can afford to duck. It’s central to his campaign. We will not let this kind of smear campaign and clear McCarthyism continue. We need answers from the man who is seeking to lead our country.”

In a Politico op-ed, Newt Gingrich backed Bachmann and her allegations saying her theory is an example “of the fear our elites have about discussing and understanding radical Islamists.”

Last week, John Bolton, Romney’s foreign policy adviser, defended Bachmann on a national radio show. Bolton agreed with Bachmann’s call for an investigation into government employees for what he called their affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood and a plot to infiltrate the U.S. government. Bachmann has made accusations against Huma Abedin, Chief of Staff for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as MPAC and two other organizations.

PRESS CONFERENCE CALLING FOR ROMNEY TO COMMENT ON BACHMANN ALLEGATIONS

WHEN: Monday, August 6, 2012, at 9 a.m.

WHERE: The Headquarters of the Republican National Committee
(310 First Street, SE, Washington, DC, 20003) 

WHO: Hoda Elshishtawy, Legislative & Policy Analyst
Haris Tarin, Director of MPAC’s DC Office