Bachmann, Barton, and Beck

Rep. Michelle Bachmann  claims that separation of church and state is a myth, but while attacking separation, Bachmann simultaneously engages in conspiracy theories about Muslims infiltration of  American government. Bachmann and four other members of Congress sent a letter to the Department of State claiming that the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security and that Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's deputy chief of staff and wife of Anthony Weiner, is part of an Islamist conspiracy.  Her attacks on Abedin have resulted in a bipartisan backlash including from her former campaign chief, Ed Rollins, and Sen. John McCain.  McCain defended Huma Abedin, calling the accusations against her "ugly" and "sinister."

Bachmann says her claims are supported by Frank Gaffney's Center for Security Policy (CSP). Gaffney, a regular at the CUFI summits, is possibly the nation's most prominent anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist and has claimed that Grover Norquist is part of the Muslim Brotherhood's infiltration of the U.S. (Norquist's wife is Muslim.)   One of that latest exploits of Gaffney's CSP is the driving force behind Tennessee county GOP resolutions calling for the Republican governor to stop hiring or retaining Muslims, gays, and Democrats.  CSP's  target is another young Muslim woman professional, Samar Ali, recently hired as the international director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

The CSP is a right-wing nonprofit heavily funded by the Scaife foundations.  CSP produced the 2010 report "Shariah: The Threat to America," written by their "Team B II,"  which was lead by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William "Jerry" Boykin. Since his retirement from the military, Boykin travels the country speaking at end times prophecy events and calling for the application of principles of military warfare to "spiritual warfare" against those Boykin believes to be demonic.  Boykin was featured in a popular Oak Initiative video claiming there is a Marxist insurgency in America (video) and other anti-Obama conspiracy theories. He has recently been named the executive vice president of the Family Research Council.    

Also see Manufacturing the Muslim Menace, a report by Political Research Associates (PRA), which "details a systemic failure to regulate content in nationwide counter-terrorism training" and Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America by the Center for American Progress.

Bachmann was introduced at the CUFI summit on Tuesday evening by John Hagee. She called for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and for recognition of the "1980 annexation of the Golan Heights and any settlements Israel as a sovereign state chooses to annex."

The choice of Michele Bachmann as a keynote speaker was not an aberration for CUFI. CUFI's founder John Hagee markets the same type of conspiracy theories blended with end times prophecy and Hagee and