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This weekend marks the first anniversary of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s despicable Oct. 17, 2008 “anti-America” remarks on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews that made her a national celebrity.

As I reported a year ago today, Rep. Bachmann “dishonored her office and brought shame to the Sixth District and the State of Minnesota by calling for a media investigation reminiscent of McCarthy-era witch hunts to ‘find out [which members of Congress] are pro-America or anti-America.'”

In response to Bachmann’s shameful commentary, I petitioned the Minnesota Secretary of State on Oct. 18, 2008 to run as a write-in candidate against Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District election for U.S. Representative.

Write-inPetition.jpg Write-in Petition picture by Rifleman-Al

Bachmann’s anti-American statements nearly cost her the election in a safe Republican district, not because she lost her base fundamentalist support — her pre/post-Hardball poll numbers remained steady in the mid-40s — but because it drove large numbers of undecided and politically unaffiliated voters to the Democratic Party ticket.

Bachmann’s rant also opened the fundraising floodgates for her Democratic opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg, who received roughly $2 million in political contributions after the “Hardball” incident (I received a little more than $1,000 in online donations for my write-in campaign) and boosted Tinklenberg’s poll numbers from the mid-30s to the mid-40s, as shown in the table below.

                                                                 Bachmann Tinklenberg Anderson Undecided
Public Opinion Strategies (Oct. 12-13)   44             33                   8                15
Bachmann on “Hardball” (Oct. 17)           (-0)        (+14)               (-2)           (-13)
SurveyUSA (Oct. 20-21)                             44             47                   6                 2

FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — October 18, 2008

Image: National Debt Clock
The National Debt Clock, shown on Oct. 9, 2008 in New York, has run out of digits. The “1” has been moved left to the space once occupied solely by the digital dollar sign. A non-digital, improvised dollar sign has been pasted next to the “1.” (Photo credit: Bebeto Matthews / AP file)

After the Primary Election: Day 39

One year ago today, on the 39th day after losing my 2008 primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, I reported that Pakistan was scrambling for foreign aid to ward off a possible economic meltdown while trying to contain sharply escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists. I also highlighted looming economic problems, citing a Washington Post report that the U.S. federal deficit was soaring toward the $1 trillion mark by the end of 2008, “creating the deepest well of red ink since the end of World War II.”





15 Responses to “Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant”
  1. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Bachmann Reels in CNN Says:

    […] A year ago, as the campaign season wound down, the congresswoman went on MSNBC’s “Hardball” and called on reporters to find out which members of Congress were “anti-America.” […]

  2. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Bachmann Saps Faith in America Says:

    […] Sidebar: Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant […]

  3. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Bachmann’s March of Folly Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  4. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » “Rise of the New Right” — Part 5 Says:

    […] Michele Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  5. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Response to Pro-Bachmann LTE Says:

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  6. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » The Real Trouble with Bachmann Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  7. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Bachmann Threatens Witch Hunts Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  8. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Bachmann Headlines British Press Says:

    […] Sidebar: Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  9. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Bachmann Celebrates Witch-Hunt Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  10. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Tom Horner Townhall in St. Joe Says:

    […] One year ago today, I noted the first anniversary of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s despicable Oct. 17, “anti-American” remarks on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, which first propelled her into the national spotlight, dishonoring her office and bringing shame to the State of Minnesota by calling for a media investigation reminiscent of McCarthy-era witch hunts to “find out [which members of Congress] are pro-America or anti-America.” […]

  11. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Catholics: Condemn Bachmann Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  12. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » October 18, 2011 Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant […]

  13. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Swiss Miss: Michele Bachmann’s Foreign Citizenship Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

  14. Immelman vs. Bachmann » Blog Archive » Michele Bachmann’s Record of Reckless Conspiracy Theories Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 17, 2008) […]

  15. Immelman vs. Bachmann » Blog Archive » Michele Bachmann’s ‘Unproven Allegations’ and ‘Twisted Facts’ Says:

    […] Bachmann’s ‘Anti-American’ Rant (Oct. 18, 2009) […]

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