Bradlee Dean Talks About Prop 8, Media Attention and More

Bradlee Dean calls for Congress to impeach the judge who overturned Prop 8. Will Bachmann follow the command of her favorite punk preacher?

Show Me State Democrats Make Hay Out of Michele Bachmann's Skype Endorsement of Roy Blunt

St Louis Today: ST. LOUIS -- If you're looking for a side show in the carnival of modern politics, search no further than Michele Bachmann's virtual visit to Roy Blunt's campaign headquarters this weekend. The outspoken Minnesota congresswoman -- founding member of the "Tea Party Caucus" on Capitol Hill -- was scheduled to appear with Blunt on Saturday at his campaign office in Sunset Hill to help rally the troops at a pre-primary phone bank. But due to a "sudden illness," Bachmann was admitted to the hospital, and spent the weekend resting at home instead of visiting St. Louis. She did, however, appear via video conference -- Skype, actually -- to address Blunt supporters. Bachmann's illness, her office told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, was not serious, which gives us room to diagnose just who was disappointed the most by her two-dimensional visit. Democrats milked both end of Bachmann's fiery reputation, using her scheduled appearance to make a fundraising pitch for Senate hopeful Robin Carnahan -- Blunt's likely opponent in the fall -- while at the same time reveling in the dissent from Tea Party faithful, who viewed Bachmann's support of Blunt as a betrayal of their ideals. Pictures from outside show some of those faithful holding signs expressing that sentiment: "Save Michele from Blunt Trauma," and "Roy Blunt is not Tea Party Material."

OHIO COURT ISSUES NATIONWIDE ARREST WARRANT FOR IDENTITY FRAUD FOR BACHMANN $10,000 DONOR ‘BOBBY THOMPSON’

Manhunt underway for alleged con man who showered Minnesota Republicans with tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash By Karl Bremer © Copyright 2010 A nationwide arrest warrant for identity fraud has been issued by an Ohio court for a suspect formerly known as Bobby Charles Thompson, commander-on-the-lam of the shady U.S. Navy Veterans Association. One of the last likely public appearances made by “Thompson” since he disappeared months ago was at an April 7 Minneapolis fundraiser for Congresswoman Michele Bachmann that featured former half-term governor Sarah Palin. “Thompson” donated $10,000 to Bachmann’s congressional campaign on that date, which would have qualified him for a table for 10 at the fundraiser, as well as a photo shoot with the two Tea Party queens. “Our investigators have determined that this individual stole the identity of someone else and used that as the centerpiece of an apparent scam that has continued for seven years and involved tens of millions of dollars,” Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray said. “The real Bobby Thompson, whose identity was stolen, including his Social Security number and date of birth, has absolutely no connection to the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. We don't know who this individual is yet, but we do know that he is not Bobby Thompson.” “Bobby Thompson” was listed as the CFO of the Minnesota Chapter of the USNVA until 2009. The chapter raised over $1.56 million in Minnesota from 2004-2009 and folded mysteriously in May, citing pending legal problems for the organization. For reasons yet unknown, “Thompson” lavished tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions on Minnesota Republicans. Besides the $10,000 to Bachmann, he gave: $21,500 to Republican Norm Coleman’s Senate re-election campaign from 2006-2008 $7,000 to the Minnesota House Republican Campaign Committee in 2008-2009 $10,400 to the Republican Party of Minnesota from 2008-2010 $500 to former Rep. Marty Seifert’s Seifert for Governor Campaign in 2009 $500 to Republican David J. Carlson’s Citizens for David Carlson committee in House District 67B in 2008. The USNVA is under investigation in at least seven states and also by the IRS and Department of Veterans Affairs. The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board is investigating a different—and potentially fraudulent—$500 campaign contribution to former House Minority Leader Marty Seifert in 2009 that’s linked to the USNVA. According to a press release issued by Cordray’s office: The Hamilton County arrest warrant is based on evidence that this individual used a false identity in the process of renting a UPS mailbox in Cincinnati in 2003. The mailbox was used as a collection point for donations to the charity. Since 2003, Ohioans have contributed close to $1.9 million to the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. On May 28, Cordray ordered the USNVA to stop contacting Ohio residents for contributions after determining that the group's registration documents were plagued with irregularities. Those documents contain false and misleading information, including the names of association officers who also appear to be fictional. In recent weeks, the Charitable Law section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office has obtained court orders freezing the Ohio bank accounts of the USNVA as well as the organization's UPS mailboxes in Hamilton and Fairfield counties. There appears to be very little evidence that the organization spent money actually helping veterans or their families. Yet public records do show hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions to various candidates made by “Bobby Thompson” personally or through the political action committee he created and to which he was the sole contributor, NAVPAC. The Minnesota Chapter of the USNVA also operated out of a UPS mailbox, on Grand Avenue in St. Paul—one of three UPS drop boxes given to the state Attorney General’s Office in its charitable organization filings. The Chapter’s physical address was never verified in the entire six years it operated in Minnesota. The Ohio arrest warrant comes on the heels of federal and state agents swooping down on the home of alleged former associates of Thompson’s in Florida July 30 to seize documents and computer records. The Ohio arrest warrant was issued by Hamilton County Municipal Court and orders “Thompson” to appear on charges of identity fraud. A detective’s affidavit accompanying the arrest warrant alleges that “Thompson” fraudulently used the Florida identification card of a Bobby Charles Thompson now living in Washington to open a UPS post office box in Cincinnati in April 2003. It also alleges that “Thompson” fraudulently solicited charitable contributions in excess of $100,000 in Ohio from 2003-2010; fraudulently filed annual reports with the state; and falsely stated that the UPS drop box was the organization’s primary Ohio office. Although Thompson’s operations in Minnesota appear to be virtually identical to his operations in Ohio, Florida, Virginia and other states where he has been shut down and investigated, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has refused to respond to repeated inquiries about whether an investigation is underway here. If anyone saw “Bobby Thompson” at the April 7 Bachmann fundraiser, or has seen him anywhere else, they are urged to contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation at 740.845.2224 or 800.282.3784. More information on “Thompson” can be found here. Karl Bremer is a freelance writer in Stillwater, MN. He can be reached at saintcroix [at] aol.com.

Dump Bachmann Calls Michele Bachmann Out on Prop 8 Ruling

Bachmann blogs about it on Town Hall here. But if Walker says Proposition 8 doesn’t survive the rational basis test, then is he implying that the majority of California voters, those who voted for the measure, aren’t rational? Since 1998, thirty states have added language to their constitutions, defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Does Walker believe the voters in these states aren’t rational either? Frankly, I believe that progressive, activist judges, who issue their personal moral pronouncements under the guise of “constitutional law" are instead demonstrating irrational rulings. In this case, we can expect to see Judge Walker’s ruling appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. Bachmann announces this post with a tweet here. After Dump Bachmann called Michele Bachmann out to comment on this ruling, she responded with a blog post and a tweet on the topic. Judge Walker is hardly a "progressive" judge. As the libertarian leaning think tank, Cato Institute reported, Walker had been appointed by Reagan, and strongly opposed by liberal gay activist organizations. Anderson Cooper asks anti-gay activist Maggie Gallagher whether courts should be able to overturn the will of the people. He uses the example of Loving v Virginia, where bans against interracial marriage was overturned by the Supreme Court. This was very unpopular with the public at the time. Eventually Gallagher acknowleged that courts do have the right to overturn public opinion.

Bachmann Promotes Her Next Tele-Townhall Stunt on Breitbart's Website

Bachmann on Breitbart's Big Government website: Speaker Pelosi is calling the 435 House members to DC next week for the purpose of spending another $26 billion we don’t have. We were on a six week hiatus, and members had scattered to the four corners of the Earth. Speaker Pelosi and President Obama have already spent $3.6 trillion on “stimulus,” so for them, $26 billion doesn’t rise to the level of a day at the beach, so why bring us all back to DC? Could it be because their most loyal constituency and political foot soldiers, many of whom could be facing the never before seen horror of a government employee let go due to lack of state and local tax receipts, need to be reminded whose hand quite literally feeds them? Spending is the least popular item on the public’s mind right now, but it looks to me like this $26 billion has more to do with fully funding the union political action coffers and making sure the left’s political “volunteers” get the message to get out the Democrat vote. I’ve invited my colleagues in the House to join on what I think will be the largest tele-townhall Congress has ever held, this Monday evening at 7pm in Washington, DC, at the exact moment Speaker Pelosi is opening her session. We will call 1,000,000 households, tell them what the Speaker is doing, and ask the peoples’ opinion on the “Cash for Democrat re-election Program”. I am also inviting anyone to join us on the call by opting in at my website, michelebachmann.com. People can weigh in with their opinions in a live interaction with members of Congress. With your help, we will get the word out on the gutsiest move of desperation yet seen on the part of the Speaker. Think Progress had a post about the GOP reaction to this legislation quoting Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD: "Incredibly, the Republican Leader John Boehner disparagingly referred to those who teach our children, protect our homes, and keep our streets safe as ‘special interests.’ Washington Republicans are opposed to supporting our teachers, firefighters, and policemen at home in order to protect corporate tax loopholes that promote the export of American jobs.”

Judge Who Wrote Opinion Overturning Prop 8 Was a Reagan Appointee

Cato Institute: Chuck Donovan of the Heritage Foundation denounces Judge Vaughn Walker for “extreme judicial activism” and “judicial tyranny” in striking down California’s Proposition 8, which barred gay people from marrying. And of course he doesn’t fail to note that Judge Walker sits in . . . San Francisco. Robert Knight of Coral Ridge Ministries ups the ante: Judge Walker has “contempt for the rule of law” and is part of “the criminalization of not only Christianity but of the foundational values of civilization itself.” National Review allows the head of the National Organization for Marriage to mutter about the judge’s “personal bias.” Blog commenters rail against the “left-wing liberal judge.” In fact, Judge Walker was first appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, at the recommendation of Attorney General Edwin Meese III (now the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow in Public Policy and Chairman of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation). Democratic opposition led by Sen. Alan Cranston (D-CA) prevented the nomination from coming to a vote during Reagan’s term. Walker was renominated by President George H. W. Bush in February 1989. Again the Democratic Senate refused to act on the nomination. Finally Bush renominated Walker in August, and the Senate confirmed him in December. What was the hold-up? Two issues, basically. Like many accomplished men of the time, he was a member of an all-male club, the Olympic Club. Many so-called liberals said that should disqualify him for the federal bench. People for the American Way, for instance, said in a letter to Judiciary Committee chair Joe Biden, “The time has come to send a clear signal that there is no place on the federal bench for an individual who has, for years maintained membership in a discriminatory club and taken no meaningful steps to change the club’s practices.” The second issue was that as a lawyer in private practice he had represented the U.S. Olympic Committee in a suit that prevented a Bay Area group from calling its athletic competition the Gay Olympics. Because of those issues, coalitions including such groups as the NAACP, the National Organization for Women, the Human Rights Campaign, the Lambda Legal Defense Fund, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force worked to block the nomination. In other words, this “liberal San Francisco judge” was recommended by Ed Meese, appointed by Ronald Reagan, and opposed by Alan Cranston, Nancy Pelosi, Edward Kennedy, and the leading gay activist groups. It’s a good thing for for advocates of marriage equality that those forces were only able to block Walker twice. Reporters should ask Michele Bachmann why Ronald Reagan appointed "activist judges"?

STATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE BOARD INVESTIGATING $500 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION TO MARTY SEIFERT TIED TO SHADY U.S. NAVY VETS

State agency takes action after complaint points to suspicious donation linked to fraudulent organization By Karl Bremer © Copyright 2010 A suspicious $500 campaign contribution to former Republican Minnesota House Minority Leader Marty Seifert’s gubernatorial campaign last year is being investigated by the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (CFB). The donation is linked to the U.S. Navy Veterans Association (USNVA), an organization that raised over $1.56 million in Minnesota over six years before mysteriously dissolving in May. The group is now under investigation for fraud by the IRS, Veterans Administration and several state authorities. The CFB Board agreed to initiate an investigation after a complaint drawing attention to the possibly fraudulent contribution was filed by this writer with CFB Executive Director Gary Goldsmith. As exclusively reported at Dump Bachmann, Seifert received a $500 donation from Bobby Thompson —the highest allowed by law in a non-election year. The contribution was made to his Seifert for Governor Committee on July 10, 2009. Thompson listed the USNVA as his employer and his address was the same UPS drop box used by the Minnesota Chapter of the USNVA: 1043 Grand Ave. #555, St. Paul, MN 55105. On the same date, the Seifert campaign received another $500 donation from 1043 Grand Ave. #555 in St. Paul, this one from “Maria D’Annuzio,” who also listed the USNVA as her employer. In an exhaustive examination of the USNVA Minnesota Chapter’s records filed with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, the name Maria D’Annuzio, or anything remotely similar, has never been found associated with the group as an employee, volunteer, officer or any other capacity. Nor has it ever surfaced in the year-long investigation of the organization by the St. Petersburg Times, according to one source close to the investigation. A Google search of the name comes up empty, and nothing remotely related comes up in various name spelling variations. Seifert Campaign Treasurer Diane Johnson of Cambridge promised to look into the matter, as well as a request for cancelled checks or other proof of payment for the donations, as soon as possible when notified about the possible fraudulent donation in July. However, Johnson did not respond to subsequent inquiries regarding the matter. The USNVA ran largely under the radar in Minnesota until a Dump Bachmann investigation discovered that Thompson, the group’s founder and national commander, had donated $10,000 to Rep. Michele Bachmann at an April 7 Minneapolis fundraiser featuring former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin. Thompson disappeared soon after the St. Petersburg Times began its lengthy investigation into him and his organization. He’s been missing ever since and is wanted in several states for questioning about the USNVA’s activities and finances. The Bachmann fundraiser is the last known location Thompson has been reported to have been at. Bobby Thompson has contributed heavily to other Minnesota Republicans and GOP party units. Besides his $10,000 donation to Bachmann and the $500 Seifert donation attributed to him on campaign finance reports, Thompson has donated: $21,500 to Republican Norm Coleman’s Senate re-election campaign from 2006-2008 $7,000 to the Minnesota House Republican Campaign Committee in 2008-2009 $10,400 to the Republican Party of Minnesota from 2008-2010 $500 to Republican David J. Carlson’s Citizens for David Carlson committee in House District 67B in 2008. Bowing to pressure from DumpBachmann, Bachmann and the state GOP announced last week that they were giving away the $10,000 April 7 donation from Thompson—just two days before federal agents swooped down on the home of Thompson’s suspected former associates in Florida and seized computer records and files. It’s not known whether federal or state authorities have contacted the Bachmann campaign, the Republican Party of Minnesota or Norm Coleman about the tens of thousands of dollars they received from Bobby Thompson and the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. The Bachmann campaign, Norm Coleman’s office and the Minnesota GOP did not respond to inquiries about the matter. The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board will make a public finding within 30 days of the complaint’s filing as to whether there is probable cause to believe a violation has occurred with regard to the $500 contribution from “Maria D’Annuzio” to Marty Seifert’s campaign. Minnesota statutes state that “An individual or association that attempts to circumvent this chapter by redirecting a contribution through, or making a contribution on behalf of, another individual or association is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $3,000.” Karl Bremer is a freelance writer in Stillwater, MN. He can be reached at saintcroix [at] aol.com.

Where Is Michele Bachmann the Tip of the Spear?

Proposition 8, the California Constitutional Amendment banning gay couples from participating in the institution of marriage has been overturned in federal court. From the decision: Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Where is the self-described "tip of the spear" with the "titanium spine"? Liberty Counsel is blaming the Alliance Defense Fund for the loss. The screeching and whining from the usual suspects is expected. Pam Spaulding has an amusing collection. Ruling here. Dale Carpenter opines on the decision here.

Bachmann: Leftist "Fear-Tactics" Endanger First Amendment Rights of Corporations

Bachmann's Campaign blog: The latest ploy by the left… The latest ploy by the left is a ramp up of fear-tactics to discourage CEOs and companies from legally donating to me, and other conservative candidates. Unabashedly progressive CREDO Mobile sent out a plea to Mother Jones email subscribers to join their phone network and drop AT&T because of financial contributions AT&T has made to me. (CREDO Mobile failed to mention that AT&T’s election cycle contributions have been to almost 400 House members and candidates, split evenly among Republicans and Democrats.) Last week was the same story: Target was the target (no pun intended) of boycotts by gay-rights activists because its CEO provided funding to a Minnesota-based organization which supported me and another Minnesota Republican candidate. Companies have a first amendment right to support any candidate, as reaffirmed in the recent Citizens United legal case. You see, the left hates to see a company refuse to advance a progressive agenda. Therefore, they try to tie conservative candidates with a specific company’s CEO, and CEOs, skittish of controversy, are encouraged to cease all donations. The left will continue to try the intimidation approach to keep money from going to pro-job, pro-private sector growth and free market candidates, but they will be shocked to learn their techniques won’t have any affect come November.

Why Does Michele Bachmann Hate the Heroes of 9/11?

The NY Daily News: Sickened 9/11 responders vented their fury Sunday against lawmakers who failed to pass the Zadroga health care bill - and vowed to stage a massive protest rally in Washington when Congress returns from a six-week vacation. "We will not go away," said now-retired NYPD squad commander Gary White at a Ground Zero gathering of dozens of rescue and recovery workers and their families. "We will stand here and fight for this bill," said White, who has severe respiratory ailments and suffered two strokes after working at the World Trade Center site and the Staten Island landfill, where victims' remains were sifted from the rubble. The House of Representatives failed Thursday night to pass the $7.4 billion measure to cover health care costs for workers sickened at the site of the terror attacks and compensate victims. Democrats could have passed it in a simple majority vote, but opted for a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority so no amendments could be attached. "Human life has taken a back seat," said John Feal, a demolition supervisor whose left foot had to be partially amputated after a steel beam fell on him during cleanup work. Bachmann voted against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.. Here is Bachmann invoking 9/11 in a speech a few years ago:

Vote for Michele Bachmann (For Most Poisonous Republican)

Down with Tyranny: Two progressive political action committees, Blue America and Americans For America, have teamed up to do a series of video ads highlighting the worst the GOP has to offer. Last week we unveiled our first in the series, highlighting Sarah Palin, Rand Paul and John Boehner (above). Yecchhh, huh? Many say there are even worse-- or, at least, just as bad. Would you like to vote on who we should include in the next video in our series? This week we're considering five more-- and there'll be others between now and November, of course. First up, though are five especially unsavory Republicans, 4 House incumbents-- Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and Steve King (R-IA)-- plus one challenger for an open seat, Karl Rove protégé and disgraced ex-U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin. Here's how you vote: just make a donation on the page dedicated to the culprit of your choice. If you click on the picture below, you go directly to their page. Because we're progressives and not conservatives, a one dollar donation equals the same single vote as a one hundred dollar donation. Now, one of the great aspects of this is that each one of these exceptionally bad Republicans has an exceptionally good Democrat running for the seat. Believe me, that isn't easy to find. I mean, Republican John Boozman in Arkansas, for example, is just terrible but his Democratic opponent, Blanche Lincoln, is just as bad. We won't be offering any Hobbesian choices like that. In Arkansas, to stick with that state as the example, the woman running against Griffin is state Senate Majority Leader and proven progressive Joyce Elliott. So, we're happy to announce that all of the money raised through this little contest will be used to help voters understand that there's a difference between the Republican and the Democrat running for the seat that gets the most votes. Who do you think is the worst of the worst?

Bachmann Voted Against Legislation That Will Help Prevent Rape of Native American Women

Little Green Footballs: The House passed a bill that would make it easier for tribal courts with limited sovereignty and jurisdiction to prosecute non-native rapists who rape Native American women on tribal lands. There's a huge jurisdictional mess when it comes to crimes involving natives and non-natives due to confusion between tribal, federal, and state court authority. It basically results in non-native rapists going free because it is difficult to ascertain what kind of court they should stand for trial in. This bill helps to clear some of that up, and make it so rapists can be dragged into court much easier and made to stand for their crimes when the act is committed on tribal land by a non-member. This is something pretty much anyone can get behind right? Not 92 Republicans.... including Michele Bachmann.

Will Bachmann Debate Tarryl Clark?

The Uptake asks Tarryl Clark at Farmfest:

Why Does Michele Bachmann Hate the Farmers?

According to Valley News Live Bachmann will be a no-show at Farmfest: Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline won't attend, but two of their election rivals will. Democrats Tarryl Clark and Shelley Madore are participating.

DOH! ‘INTELLIGENT DESIGNER’ MISSPELLS BACHMANN’S NAME, PAC WHEN REGISTERING WITH FEC

Barry Arrington, a well-known “intelligent design” advocate and the treasurer for Michele Bachmann’s new money-vacuuming PAC, demonstrated his own intelligent design when he misspelled his candidate’s name and her new PAC in its Federal Election Commission “Statement of Organization” filing July 28. Arrington, a Centennial, Colorado lawyer and former state legislator, registered “MichellePAC” with the FEC, listing only “PO Box 25” as an address and www.michellepac.net as a website. The sponsoring committee was listed as “Bachmann for Congress.” By July 30, Arrington figured out how to spell his boss’s name and PAC and also found an address. He filed a new Statement of Organization for the cleverly acronymed “Many Individual Conservatives Helping Elect leaders Everywhere (MICHELEPAC)” at www.michelepac.org. The PAC’s sponsor is now listed as “Mrs. Michele Bachmann” at PO Box 25950, Woodbury, MN 55125. Arrington also is a candidate for the Colorado Board of Education this year. According to the Colorado Statesman, a self-described nonpartisan political newspaper: Arrington is the founder of the Jefferson Academy, a K-12 public charter school in the Jefferson County school system that is located in Broomfield. The school focuses on core knowledge and academic rigor. Arrington said his three children attended Jefferson Academy, although all eventually graduated from Wheat Ridge High School. Arrington is a native of Texas. He holds a business degree from the University of Texas-Arlington and a law degree from the University of Texas law school. He was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1987 and has been a CPA and an attorney, with his practice focused on business, non-profit law, contract law, school law, real estate and constitutional law, especially regarding the First Amendment. Arrington served in the Colorado House for one term, from 1997 to 1998, and was secretary/treasurer for the Independence Institute and a former member of its board of trustees. He also is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Family Council and the Colorado Coalition for Children and Families. Arrington represented six of the families whose children were killed at Columbine High School. Arrington is also known in intelligent design circles; he is a contributing writer and has been the Web master at Uncommon Descent, a blog that serves the intelligent design community. However, Arrington told The Colorado Statesman that intelligent design, which has been the subject of controversy in some school systems around the country, is not on his agenda and is a separate issue. Arrington told The Statesman he is running for the state board of education because the board is an extraordinarily important body that influences educational decisions for a wide range of issues. “It’s important to have people on the board who believe in parents’ rights, educational choice and education reform,” Arrington said. You might recall that Michele Bachmann resigned from the board of a Stillwater charter school after she and others were found trying to wedge their theocratic vision into its curriculum. The domain names for both michellepac.org and michelepac.org are registered to Andrew Coelho: Andrew G. Coelho is Vice President of SABER Communications, Inc. a campaign, political consulting, grass-roots organizing and direct response company located in Falmouth, Virginia. © Copyright DumpBachmann

Video: Bachmann's Skyped Sickbed Endorsement of Roy Blunt

... also angry Tea Partiers protesting Bachmann's "sell-out". Local news report. Video via the Fired Up! Missouri blog:   UPDATE: DB reader Anna comments and gives us an interesting link: This was inevitable. Bachmann's polarizing and extremist tactics, and now her inconsistency, are dividing her own party. Anna links to this post on the Pink Flamingo blog, which covers the growing rift between the GOP and the Tea Party movement and growing opposition among tea partiers to Bachmann as the Tea Party spokeswoman. More analysis of Bachmann's weekend fiasco at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch political blog: Why did Blunt, who knows he is not the Tea Party candidate of choice, invite Bachmann -- the Tea Party standard bearer in Washington -- to help him? The answer, it seems, is to juice up his base in advance of Tuesday's vote, and run up the score on party rival Chuck Purgason, who, while under-funded, is the emotional favorite of many in the Tea Party movement. By several measures, the event didn't turn out as planned. Purgason found yet another way to muscle himself into the conversation before Tuesday's vote. Democrats enjoyed the division from the sidelines, and the Carnahan campaign found a way to capitalize on Bachmann's visit, too. All this for a Skype speech. At least Bachmann appears to be feeling better.