Karl Bremer, a long-standing critic of  Michele Bachmann, notes in his “Ripple in Stillwater” blog that the congresswoman’s presidential campaign has cut into her work in Washington on behalf of the 6th District.

He says she’s missed 58 percent of the House votes — 145 of 247 roll call votes — since July 1, when her presidential campaign began to heat up in earnest.

Campaigning while serving in office (and missing votes and debates) is not unique to Bachmann, but Bremer goes after her hard:

If we were to pay our goldbricking congresswoman on a pro rata basis for the time she was actually working for us in the past three months, we would dock her $174,000 annual paycheck $25,534.50.

Unfortunately, Congressional pay isn’t performance-based, and there are no penalties for not showing up. I don’t foresee Bachmann voluntarily forfeiting any of her ill-gained government salary either.