Michele Bachmann – Minnesota’s loon jumps the shark

Sorry, I just love that title.

Five years ago Bachman might have had a quiet life as a barking mad loon (sorry, can’t stop) and talk radio favorite in very safe congressional seat, representing a mixed rural exurban district east of Saint Paul. In the YouTube era, however, a crazed interview with Chris Matthews has become a media classic.

When Bachman called for an investigation of anti-American members of Congress she elevated herself from the yipping dog in the corner to an international embarrassment for the GOP. Bachman is Sarah Palin without the brains, beauty, charm or glamour. She chose a bad moment to call attention to herself, because the GOP is getting reading for the night of the long knives. Even if Palin wins the presidency, the House will be Democrat. There’s no need for the GOP to worry about losing Bachman’s seat, they might as well get started on the purge now.

Starting with Michele Bachman.

So donations are flooding into Tinklenburg (love the name, gave $20), but the real story (emphasis mine) is how quickly the GOP has disowned her …

Bachmann finds herself in firestorm of criticism - TwinCities.com

… Three days after telling a national television audience that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama "may have anti-American views,'' the Republican from Minnesota's 6th District faced a re-energized and suddenly flush opponent and a firestorm of criticism from within and outside her party.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said it would spend $1 million on challenger El Tinklenberg's bid to unseat her.

A nonpartisan political newsletter, the Cook Political Report, changed its assessment of the race from "Likely Republican'' to "Tossup.''

Campaign contributions to Tinklenberg in the 72 hours since her comments Friday reached $810,000. Before then, it had taken him a year to bring in $1 million.

Her Democratic congressional colleagues from Minnesota condemned her wish that the media investigate Congress to determine which members are anti-American and which aren't.

In Minnesota to campaign for another congressional candidate, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Bachmann's comments reflect poorly on her. "It dishonors the position that she holds and discredits her as a person,'' Pelosi said.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., disowned her statements. "I don't think it's fair at all to suggest that Barack Obama is anti-American,'' Pawlenty said.

Even the Republican she defeated in the September primary was upset. He said he's launching a write-in effort aimed at people who don't want to vote for Bachmann but want to stick with the Republican ticket…

… Just weeks ago, Bachmann had been considered a solid favorite to be re-elected to a second term and had emerged as a popular conservative spokeswoman on national cable television talk shows.

But there also were signs Tinklenberg's campaign was growing stronger. Just last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Tinklenberg to its Red to Blue program, which helps stronger candidates able to raise money and in a position to win….

… Aubrey Immelman, the St. John's and St. Benedict's college professor who lost the Republican primary to Bachmann in September, launched a write-in candidacy in the 6th District, which runs from the St. Croix River across the northern Twin Cities suburbs to beyond St. Cloud.

"I am putting my name forward as a write-in candidate for disillusioned Republicans who can no longer support Rep. Bachmann and who wish to voice their displeasure without having to vote for the candidate of another party,'' he wrote on his campaign Web site…

I bet Bachman will still win. This is an incredibly safe seat; they went for Bush over Kerry by about 15% in 2004 – and Kerry took Minnesota handily. I still think America will elect Sarah Palin, so getting rid of Bachman is very far fetched.

Still, it’s worth sending a few bucks to Tinklenberg just to tweak Bachman a bit more. Maybe a bit of media attention will remind voters of how much Sarah Palin resembles Michelle Bachman.

Update 10/23/08: The GOP wants her gone.