Headlines and news stories and television commentary continue to roll in about Michele Bachmann's call for an investigation into anti-Americanism in the U.S. Senate and Congress. She made the remarks Friday on during an interview on Chris Matthews Hardball program.
The result was an explosion of grass roots fund raising from all around the country. By the end of the weekend Bachmann's Democratic opponent Elwyn Tinklenberg has raised more than $800,000 in small contributions from Americans outraged by Bachmann's modern day McCarthyism. The national Democratic Committee took notice and began to pour money into the race.
--The Minneapolis Star Tribune ran a story on the email that is has received since Bachmann made her remarks. Like other local papers, the Star Tribune is pretending that the outrage and unprecedented funding is due to Bachmann criticizing Obama. No newspaper has run a headline informing Minnesota readers that Bachmann called for an investigation of anti-Americanism in Congress in the same issue.
--Bachmann's damage control strategy today was to deny that she ever made the remarks. The St. Cloud Times reports her statements at a local Rotary Club meeting:
Bachmann would like to 'take back' statements that launched maelstrom
By Lawrence Schumacher, lschumacher@stcloudtimes.com • October 21, 2008
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann told St. Cloud Rotary Club members Tuesday that she would like to “take back” a statement she made Friday saying she was “very concerned” that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may have anti-American views.
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But she blamed MSNBC talk show host Chris Matthews for goading her into using words that have echoed around the country since her interview with him Friday afternoon...
She also denied calling for a media investigation into which members of Congress are “pro-America or anti-America.”
“I did not say that Barack Obama was anti-American, nor do I believe Barack Obama is anti-American. He loves his country, just as everyone in this room does,” she told the crowd. “Nor did I call for an investigation of members of Congress for their pro-American or anti-American views. That is not what I said.”
--In the St. Cloud Times, one of the largest papers in Bachmann's congressional district, reporter Pamela Brogan quotes a Cook Report observer who claims that Bachmann's remarks hurt the GOP:
“In a year when House Republicans can’t afford for any more of their own members to bring problems upon themselves, Bachmann’s misstep moves this district from the likely Republican column to tossup territory,” wrote David Wasserman today. Wasserman covers the House of Representatives for the independent political report.
Until this weekend Bachmann had an enormous funding advantage over her opponent. In letter to Democrats, James Carville noted:
September fundraising reports show Bachmann has an impressive $1.3 million in the bank to defend her indefensible words. The DCCC has already announced plans for a $1 million ad buy in this race. Today, I am asking you to help us raise $500,000 more to help support our Democratic challenger, Elwyn Tinklenberg...
Yesterday Tinklenberg told Dump Bachmann that he planned to use the money donated to
buy television ads in the Sixth District and reinforce his campaign's ground organization. Tinklenberg's website is: http://www.tinklenberg08.com/ |
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