October 21, 2008

Bachmann (R-Crazy) May Lose Seat Due to Self-Inflicted Wound

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The nation was introduced to Michele Bachmann’s special kind of crazy last week, a fact that (surprise!) is bad for Bachmann’s electoral prospects. According to CQ Politics, her McCarthy-esque appearance on Hardball (video below) has put her in jeopardy of losing her seat, a previously unthinkable outcome in her deep red district. It helps that, because of Bachmann’s screed, her opponent El Tinklenberg has nearly doubled his fundraising for the entire race. Here’s CQ:

Tinklenberg, a former state Transportation secretary, had collected more than $810,000 between Friday night and Monday afternoon, after raising $1 million for the entire election cycle through the end of September.

“It’s hard to give a completely accurate number because the money keeps rolling in,” said Tinklenberg spokeswoman Kate Monson.

“We’re in the middle of a political earthquake here,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said on Hardball Monday evening.

CQ Politics is moving its rating of the contest from Republican Favored to Leans Republican, a more competitive category.

The DCCC plans on going on the air in the district this week, with the goal of spending $1 million in TV advertising that it hopes will unseat Bachmann. “She effectively put the race into play by herself,” says one Republican consultant. Video of her appearance is below.

MATTHEWS: So you believe that Barack Obama may have anti- American views.

BACHMANN: Absolutely. I’m very concerned that he may have anti-American views. That’s what the American people are concerned about. That’s why they want to know what his answers are.

[…]

MATTHEWS: Well, he’s a United States senator from Illinois. He’s one of the people you suspect as being anti-American. How many people in the Congress of the United States do you think are anti- American? You’ve already suspected Barack Obama. Is he alone, or are there others? How many do you suspect of your colleagues as being anti-American?

BACHMANN: What I would say — what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that.

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WE'LL BE BLUNT

It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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