Uproar Over Bachmann's Comments "No Longer Partisan," Says Challenger

Responding to the huge number of small donations pouring into her opponent's coffers, Republican Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann told the Politico on Monday that "almost to a one, these are people who never would have considered voting for me if they lived in Minnesota. In fact, most of them have probably never voted for a Republican."

Not so, says her opponent, El Tinklenberg.

"Republicans who have never voted Democratic in their lives are sending me money because those kind of comments [made by Bachmann] are intolerable to them," Tinklenberg told the Huffington Post, adding that many of the donations have come with notes attesting to this fact. "That makes me feel good -- that they're rejecting this across the board. It's no longer a partisan thing, and it shows they're understanding finally we are all Americans, and we all need to come together to move forward and the issues we're facing. ... And it's certainly been reflected in the fundraising."

In the first 72 hours after Bachmann's Friday appearance on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews -- during which she appeared to suggest that members of Congress should be investigated for "anti-American" sentiment -- Tinklenberg's campaign has received over $800,000 in donations. Adding to the bonanza, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has decided to make a priority out of the race, adding more dollars.

On Monday, Bachmann took to the pages of the Politico to defend her original remarks, decrying the distortions of a liberal "spin machine" that she blames for fanning the flames of the story. (Colin Powell, however, has also blasted her remarks, saying: "we have got to stop this kind of nonsense.")

And what had once looked like a relatively safe seat for the GOP may now be in trouble. Though polling has been sporadic in the sixth district, the DCCC released a poll last week (before Bachmann's comments) that showed Tinklenberg within the margin of error. On Sunday, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune featured a story with the headline "Suddenly, Bachmann race looks different."

Now, Tinklenberg says the momentum has swung even more in his favor. "In regard to her comments, they have been pretty universally and broadly discredited, as they should be. I think everyone has weighed in and understands them for what they are in terms of their divisive nature. ... Colin Powell is not taken to hyperbole. And he read it and he listened to it and he saw it the same way. This questioning of patriotism -- of whether we're anti-American or pro-America -- people heard it for what it was. And she is only backing away now because she has seen what the public's reaction to this has been."

Comments

[arspar183]

i sent mr T some bucks all the way from cali. wish he'd change that name of his though....­.
TINKLENBERG??????? .........

[libratine]

OMG LMAOROTF!!!!!!

That is too funny and too true!!!!!

[MGarr]

Good for the Goose, Good for the Gander

I donated to the campaign of Bachmann's opponent. Now have donated to the campaign of Larry Kissel, Democratic opponent of Robin Hayes, who says "Liberals hate real Americans.­.."
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6081437

DONATE TO CAMPAIGN OF LARRY KISSEL
http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16138

[LCSWquilter]

Thanks for the link. I'm making my donation now.

[KUjHwk]

I just sent $50 to Tinklenberg, from Missouri..­..right after I sent $100 to Obama.

[jeanwny]

Who cares what she says, she is unbalanced, look at her record. apparently there was enough boneheads to elect her.

[old lady]

Everybody in the McC campaign spends a lot of time explaining what their statements meant... as if we, the great unwashed masses of America are too stupid to understand the English words they use in their original statements.

Would they see us as smarter if we had all been home schooled?

[superfurrysuz]

Excellent point! You have me laughing! You should send that in to Olberman.

[greejambri]

Look closely into this woman's eyes. To me they speak out "lunatic fringe" and "soulless.­" This woman MUST go!!!

[old lady]

What is all this look in the eyes baloney? Its bad enough listening to them. Anybody with just a modicum of intelligence and analytic thought patterns can differentiate between truth and lies. You don't need a road map... just a willingness to believe that sometimes the emperor is buck naked

[blythe9131]

I donated to El after I heard her words myself. I was apalled. What is this anti-American crap? We are all Americans and love our country. Send this "windbag" packing and let her be a tax attorney again.

[WhatsLeft]

This "us vs. them" is the result of fear of losing power. The Republicans and the "christian" right have wanted to rule the US forever and thought they could get away with the tactics used in the last two elections. They thought wrong.

[NuOrigin]

Bachmann is like a broken record; say something that was as clear-as-day from your mouth, and then blame the media, as if your interview was edited.

[thinkworklivelove]

America needs to reject this type of new McCarthyism displayed by the Republican Leadership.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

[Pacific231]

Michelle Bachmann-McCarthy's screed are words that any ignorant bigot would be proud to call their own. She is an embarassment to Minnesota. We can provide El Tinklenberg a windfall of cash to help fight her, but at the end of the day, Minnesota voters in this district need to decide whether they want a right winger spewing unstable McCarthyist rhetoric or a civilized, even-keeled Democrat in office. As the saying goes "You are what you eat" -- well even more true, "You are who you vote for."

[bronceye]

She forgot the proper words-defeatocrats, cut and runners, unpatriotic troop haters. Those are acceptable repube points. Ask bush.

[CitizenInformed]

I've been disgusted with Bachmann since the RNC. "SHE" is anti-American, and I hope Minnesota kicks her out of Congress.

[LisaCTVT]

I was under the impression that divisive people were un-American, Congresswoman Bachman!
("one nation under God/Yahweh/Allah INDIVISIBLE with liberty and justice FOR ALL!) Where on Earth did you come from??????­??????????­??????????­????

[mcpalin]

Once again, Bachmann puts her foot in her mouth, and once again, shows she doesn't know what she is talking about, and has a tin ear for the mood of the country, to boot. I was raised Republican, I was a registered Republican for a few years, I voted for two Republican presidential candidates, both of whom won, and both of whom I later regretted voting for, in fact, I most likely voted Republican straight down the line for those two elections. So I've voted for plenty of Republicans, even if it wasn't recently.

THIS kind of behavior, and the attitude behind it, not to mention the right to choice issue and Bush Sr.'s failure to support Shiite insurgents who rebelled against the Hussein regime after the Bush 41 administration encouraged them to do so (and they ended up being massacred as a result) is one of the MANY, MANY reasons why I stopped being a Republican, and have been very happy with that decision, never regretted it for a moment. But I should be grateful to her, and Dubya, and even John McCain, because they are all collectively driving moderate and sensible people out of the Republican party with their attitudes and their conduct. So thank you!