Bachmann, Ingraham, and Palin, let's talk about a Nanny State.

It has to do with a rather trivial matter- the willingness of the IRS to to allow new mothers to request reimbursement for breastfeeding supplies such as breast pumps. Oh God no, responded Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann- I breast fed all 5 of my kids but we can't incentive this, because that would be pushing the Nanny State forward.

ON THE OTHER HAND- A 2010 cost analysis of low breast-feeding levels published in the American Academy of Pediatrics' medical journal Pediatrics found that if 90% of U.S. families followed medical recommendations to breast-feed for six months, "The United States would save $13 billion per year and prevent an excess (of) 911 deaths, nearly all of which would be in infants."

So, the fringe elements of the Republican Party (Ingraham and Palin sort of echoed Bachmann in a half hearted way) want to make a big thing of a minor and trivial effort to reward mothers who choose to provide the best nutrition to their infants. And YET- at the same time we are hearing lots of right wing fussing and whining about the health reform package, that it does too little to push cost savings. Well, universal breastfeeding would save americans 13 bill a year. But you want want all those women who are not doing it to suddenly do it just because Michele Bachmann did it? No incentives, no training? As I stated earlier, the main reason that the right wing Michele decided this was a terrible idea was that the OTHER Michele (Obama) liked it.

Good luck with changing the world that way, guys.  I can name you at least one person, my wife, who would be strongly tempted to reject ANYTHING that Michele Bachmann did.  Good thing that my wife breast fed our two daughters long before Michele Bachmann stepped out onto the political stage.  This reminds me of the pitfalls of the "ad hominem" argument- the one that goes like this- "That can't be a good idea because it came from fill-in-the-blank."

In reality, a good idea is a good idea, even if it comes from a one trick pony.  Which Michele is a one trick pony?  Well, take your pick, you can probably guess my viewpoint.