"[It's] under the guise of quote, volunteerism, but it's not volunteers at all. It's paying people to do work on behalf of government. There are provisions for what I would call re-education camps for young people, where young people get trained in the philosophy the government puts forward and then they have to go work in these politically correct forums.

"As a parent, I would have a very, very difficult time seeing my children do this."

Well, the last application deadline was in February and successful candidates were notified within two months. So when Rep. Bachmann went on the air with her negative comments, she certainly would have known that Harrison had applied for Teach for America, if not that he had been accepted. It seems Bachmann has no choice but to see her child do this, as he obviously does not share her concerns.

This is just another example of Michele Bachmann’s nonsense. For more on that, watch the ABM ad below:

Ironically, this will mark the first year that Teach for America will be in Minnesota. According to WCCO, Minnesota has one of the highest achievement gaps in the country, which is why TFA will be expanding into the Twin Cities. Teach for America operates in 34 communities across the country. Although TFA would not disclose where Harrison Bachmann would be teaching, how delicious would it be if he were teaching right here in Minnesota? To learn more about Teach for America head over to their website.

Not only has Bachmann’s son joined the government’s brainwashing program, but TPMDC wonders whether she has an even greater disaster on her hands: the possibility that one of her children will now completely fill out the family’s Census form.

The staff of Alliance for a Better Minnesota is off at Netroots Nation for the next few days, learning from some of the best and brightest minds in the progressive movement about how to use technology to influence the public debate.

But we're also here to share some of the lessons and knowledge that Minnesota's progressive movement has to share.

Denise Cardinal, ABM's Executive Director, is on a panel on Saturday, August 13th at 3 p.m. on Cutting-edge Evidence-Based Practices.  From the website: 

Do GOTV text messages work? Can Internet banner ads persuade? Is it true that simple questions can double the impact of a GOTV call? Through randomized controlled experiments, we have answers. This panel will introduce attendees to the cutting-edge world of data-driven politics and evidence-based best practices. Hundreds of randomized controlled experiments were conducted during the 2008 election cycle by leading progressive organizations to determine what works and what doesn’t in voter contact. Learn the basics of how a randomized controlled experiment works and be a part of building the progressive toolkit.

 I'm also on a panel today, Thursday, at 4:30 p.m. about "the myth of digital democracy" and how progressives can make sure that their online organizing strategies are reaching the right communities.  From the website:

In his book “The Myth of Digital Democracy,” Matthew Hindman “debunks popular notions about political discourse in the digital age, revealing how the Internet has neither diminished the audience share of corporate media nor given greater voice to ordinary citizens.” This panel will use Hindman’s argument as a starting point, addressing the question of whether or not online political and social organizing is indeed reaching under-represented communities, such as young people in inner-cities and rural areas. Do online organizing sites work with and reach a diverse group of members, especially in terms of age, race, education level and economic background? Who is being left out of the conversation? Looking forward, what steps do we need to take to make sure these communities are incorporated into the discussion so they can be empowered both socially and politically?

 If you're interested in joining in on some of the conversations happening here in Pittsburgh, check out the Netroots Nation website, where they'll be "doin' it live" and streaming panels throughout the weekend.

You can also follow along on Twitter.  Denise tweets as @denisecardinal, myself as @xavierla, and the ABM Twitter stream is @alliancemn.  You might also want to follow @Populista (Populista from over at Minnesota Progressive Project) and @JasonBarnett (Jason Barnett from The UpTake) who are also here in Pittsburgh.