Last Word's Lawrence O'Donnell explains for wingnut Michele Bachmann how someone goes about receiving a tax deduction for a medical device since she obviously doesn't have a clue after attacking the First Lady for promoting
February 16, 2011

Last Word's Lawrence O'Donnell explains for wingnut Michele Bachmann how someone goes about receiving a tax deduction for a medical device since she obviously doesn't have a clue after attacking the First Lady for promoting breastfeeding.

Bachmann opposes tax deduction for breast pumps:

Says Michele Obama's campaign to promote breastfeeding is part of a 'hard left agenda'

Rep. Michele Bachmann lashed out at First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday over her promotion of breastfeeding, particularly among black women, to curb obesity. On Laura Ingraham’s radio show, Bachmann said that Obama’s campaign — and an IRS change that makes breast pumps tax deductible — constituted a “nanny state” and that it was part of her “hard left agenda.”

Michelle Obama said last week, “We’re working to promote breastfeeding, especially in the black community, where 40 per cent of our babies never get breastfed at all, even in the first weeks of life, and we know that babies that are breastfed are less likely to be obese as children.”

The first lady wants to encourage employers to be more open to women who are breastfeeding. The IRS also announced on Tuesday that breast pumps are now considered as a tax-deductible expense for Flex Spending Accounts along with other over-the-counter medical items such as pain relievers, bandages and contact lens supplies.

But, on Ingraham’s show, Bachmann was having none of it.

“I think this is very consistent with where the hard left is coming from. For them government is the answer to every problem. Clearly they are wrong because more spending won’t do it,” she said.

Bachmann continued, “I’ve given birth to five babies and I breastfed every single one of these babies. To think that government has to go out and buy my breast pump for my babies. You wanna talk about the nanny state? I think we just got the new definition of a nanny.”

Ingraham asked if she thought that Michelle Obama’s push for breastfeeding was an indication of a run for U.S. Senate.

“I think she is really committed to the hard left agenda, more than anything else. Can you imagine if Laura Bush was doing this? The media would be after her.”

And thanks to Bachmann they are after the first lady.

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