Don't Know Much About History...So the Tea Party Line Will Do

January 14, 2011 11:26 am ET — Matt Finkelstein, WRVO Oswego Public Radio

Freshman Rep. Buerkle: Obama Is 'The Worst President' In History

Earlier this week, in an interview with New York's WRVO, freshman Rep. Anne Marie Buerkle (R-NY) doubled down on her campaign statement that President Obama is the worst president in history:

HOST: For the worst, I think you said Barack Obama. So I wanted to ask you — were you just being a little cheeky there or do you really think he's the worst president?

BUERKLE: Well, and I think it's so important in politics, this isn't personal. This isn't an indictment against President Obama and his personality or who he is as a person, but if I look at his policies and what's gone on in the last two years, I think that they've done a lot of damage to our country, and I think that's what the November election was about — the country saying we've strayed too far from our principles and our core principles, let's go back to it. I think his agenda and the agenda of the leadership at that time, I think they brought us in that direction. So for that reason I would say yes. I wasn't being cheeky.

from: Capitol Tonight, November 2010

Buerkle: Obama Worst President In History 
While we were reviewing the tape of last week’s debate between Republican congressional hopeful Ann Marie Buerkle and her target, Democratic Rep. Dan Maffei, we came across this moment that stopped us cold.

Asked by Bill Carey, of YNN Syracuse, to name the country’s worst president, Buerkle replied:

“With all due respect I would say the one who’s doing the most harm to our country is our current president. (Carey: Barack Obama?). Barack Obama.”

....

Back in August [2010], another GOP congressional candidate supported by the Tea Party, Ben Quayle, son of former VP Dan Quayle, made headlines when he said in a campaign ad: “Barack Obama is the worst president in history. And my generation will inherit a weakened country.”