17 Socialists in the House?

Rep. Spencer Bachus, the top Republican on the Financial Services Committee, is raising hackles with his claim that there are 17 Socialists in the House of Representatives. 

My first thought upon reading the article was: "Only 17?? Congressman, you need to revise that number. I suspect it's a whole lot more than that!"

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From Politico.com

April 09, 2009:

Rep. Spencer Bachus, the top Republican on the Financial Services Committee, told a hometown crowd in Alabama today he believes there are several socialists in the House.

Actually, he says there are exactly 17 socialists in the House of Representatives. according to the Birmingham News:

But he said he is worried that he is being steered too far by the Congress: "Some of the men and women I work with in Congress are socialists." 

Asked to clarify his comments after the breakfast speech at the Trussville Civic Center, Bachus said 17 members of the U.S. House are socialists. 

Searching the POLITICO style book and the official U.S. House listings, we don't see a category for socialists -- just a lot of Ds and Rs next to lawmaker names. And Bachus didn't name names of the socialist 17.

Original article here.