Catapulting The Propganda

If at first you get caught lying, then just get Michele Bachmann to do it again.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) penned an op-ed today that cites an influential MIT study on cap-and-trade legislation, despite the author of the study complaining that Republicans have misrepresented the findings.

Bachmann wrote: "According to an analysis by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the average American household could expect its yearly energy bill to increase by $3,128 per year" if cap-and-trade were implemented. The study had been cited by Republicans before, including Minority Leader John Boehner.

The author of the study, MIT's John Reilly, told the St. Petersburg TImes that the $3,128 figure was not in his original study, adding that Republicans had arrived at that number themselves. Reilly estimated the actual cost to taxpayers to be around $30.

"It's just wrong," Reilly said of the GOP number. "It's wrong in so many ways it's hard to begin."

Gosh, I'm sensing a pattern here. But repeated public lying is standard GOP tactics, so I can't say I'm surprised.