What is the deal? The cover of "Newsweek" carried a photo of Michelle Bachmann, eyes bugged out and quizzical expression on her face. She looked like somone just had goosed her. She frequentlyhas the same look. SHe also has a thing about looking off-camera. People make fun of politicians who use teleprompters, but get real---without that particular machine, Roald Reagan would have been lost. Of course, Nancy's astrologer always was in the wings.

   Bachmann's facial expression is a humorous digression. Her politics are not. She advances a theory about the views of the Framers of the Constitution on the issue of slavery. She acquired this view from the man to whom she refers as her mentor, a professor at the law school from which she graduated, Oral Roberts University School of Law. The law school no longer exists in its "Oral" form. Pat Robertson bought it out and it now is Regency University's school of law. Back to Bachmann's views on slavery: she advances a theory that the Framers were largely abolitionists and wanted to end slavery. There is a problem with that theory---historical support. One of the two big splits at the 1787 Constitutional Convention was over slavery, granted. But few of the delegates were abolitionists. Hamilton and Franklin were strongly abolotitionist. But some of the other delegates---Washington, the Pinckneys amongst them---were slaveholders.

   Maybe Michelle Bachmann always is getting goosed. Those constant, little pokes cause her to blank out, and she comes up with little intellectual gems.