Anderson Cooper featured a segment titled “Michele Bachmann Up-Close” on Monday, Sept. 6, at 10 p.m. ET on CNN AC360° … Scroll down for a summary and documentation of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s extremist rhetoric, incendiary demagoguery, and misrepresentation during her 2010 reelection to the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District and the 2011 launch of her failed presidential campaign.

Evening Buzz: GOP Edge in November?

	Â
	Â
Anderson Cooper 360°

By Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

With the midterm elections fast approaching, tonight we kick off a new series of reports that take you inside the campaigns. You’ll meet the candidates in an up-close and behind-the-scenes way that shows the emotions and events that make or break political careers.

Our first up close report takes you along on Rep. Michele Bachmann’s reelection campaign. 360’s Gary Tuchman caught up with her at the Minnesota State Fair. Bachmann has served Minnesota since 2006 as a champion of conservative values. That’s a far cry from the launch of her political career as a volunteer for Jimmy Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign.

And, consider this whopping price tag: A projected $3 billion dollars will be spent nationwide on campaign ads this year. That would set a new record. Tonight Tom Foreman will show you some of the wackiest politics ads hitting the airwaves.

We also have new CNN / Opinion Research polling that shows that people hate Democrats and Republicans equally. But, interestingly, the same polling also shows the GOP edging out Democrats come November. We’ll have the raw politics. …

———————————

9/8/2010 Update

Bachmann Campaign Gets Mixed Reception at Fair

By Gary Tuchman and Ismael Estrada

September 7, 2010

St. Paul, Minnesota (CNN) — It’s 3 p.m. on a busy weekday afternoon at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul.

Deep in the crowd of people enjoying buckets of chocolate chip cookies and fried corn dogs is two-term Rep. Michele Bachmann. The mother of five and foster parent to 23 others runs past fair-goers including parents pushing strollers to get to her next spot on conservative radio.

“We need to move quickly!” shouts one of her staff members. “We’re on in two minutes!”

As she and her staff move briskly through the crowd, people shout both encouragement and insults at Bachmann. The Republican lawmaker has become a heroine and villain to voters in her 6th District because of controversial statements about the Obama administration, gay rights and taxes.

The adoration and anger in the air are a sign that the political season is in full swing, and every politician here understands the importance of getting out and talking to voters at the fair.

Bachmann tweets about the large crowds watching and listening to her while she’s on with conservative radio host Michael Medved. Outside the booth, people cheer her charge that President Obama ran as a center-right candidate but has governed from the left. Others roll their eyes and shout at her while she’s behind the glass.

Bachmann carefully selects her interviews, agreeing only to the outlets her camp considers friendly. A Fox News camera crew who conducted a lengthy sit-down interview with Bachmann follows her. CNN’s request for a sit-down interview was denied.

This is not a surprise, says radio talk show host Jason Lewis, on whose show Bachmann has been a guest for years.

“You don’t need the gatekeepers anymore. The word is going to get out there,” he said. “This is no longer the Walter Cronkite era. It’s not like if you don’t talk to the New York Times or CBS, you will be stifled. It’s not the case anymore.”

Bachmann put the fair at center stage this year with a political ad attacking her opponent in the general election, state Sen. Tarryl Clark. The ad says Clark voted to increase taxes on beer, corn dogs and fried bacon at the state fair. …

“She has her own way of doing things, which is out of the Karl Rove playbook, and I’ve never seen her do anything else,” said Clark, who was also campaigning at the fair. “She’s a bright woman. She’s doing everything she’s doing on purpose.”

As Bachmann finishes her radio interview, one of her staffers attempts unsuccessfully to prevent CNN’s cameras from following her to her next stop at the public fair. …

Full report

————————————————————————————————

See program highlight at 5:03-5:09 into the program

——————————————————

Related reporting on this site

» Iowans ‘Chomping at the Bit’ for Bachmann (May 28, 2011)

» Bachmann Raises the Roof in Ohio (May 23, 2011)

» Everything You Always Didn’t Want to Know About Michele Bachmann (May 17, 2011)

» Michele Bachmann: Eyes on the Prez (May 16, 2011)

» Bachmann Rated ‘Influential’ (April 23, 2011)

» Colbert Report on Bachmann Gay (April 14, 2011)

» Native Bachmann Gunning in Iowa (April 12, 2011)

» Bachmann Draws Troops into Budget Crossfire (April 10, 2011)

» Michele Bachmann vs. Sarah Palin (April 6, 2011)

Palin-Bachmann photo collage
by The Minnesota Independent

» Bachmann Heads TP Spending Rally (April 5, 2011)

» Bachmann Running for President (March 24, 2011)

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann is likely to form an exploratory committee to run for president in 2012. (Photo credit: Melina Mara / Washington Post)

» Bachmann’s New Hampshire Revolutionary War (March 13, 2011)

Video

Bachmann flubs simple U.S. history fact (MSNBC “The Last Word,” March 14, 2011) — Rewrite: While speaking at an event in New Hampshire, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., incorrectly said, “You’re the state where the shot was heard around the world at Lexington and Concord.” That shot was heard in Massachusetts. (06:54)

» Tea Party Presidential Primary (March 3, 2011)

Video: Newt’s Excuse, Bachmann’s Blunder

» Bachmann Opposes Tax Cut for Moms (Feb. 17, 2011)

Video: Bachmann blasts First Lady for promoting breastfeeding

Rep. Bachmann slams First Lady (MSNBC “The Last Word,” Feb. 16, 2011) — As the mother of five you would think Michele Bachmann would support a tax cut for breast-feeding moms. Well, not if that tax cut is also supported by an Obama. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell explains in the Rewrite. (03:07)

» Bachmann’s ‘Parallel Universe’ (Feb. 10, 2011)

» Bachmann: Freeze Veterans’ Health Care, Slash Disability Compensation (Jan. 29, 2011)

Rep. Michele Bachmann and her husband Marcus ride atop a military vehicle with “U.S. Army” emblazoned on it, Stillwater Lumberjack Days Parade, July 25, 2010. (Photo credit: Ken Avidor / Dump Bachmann)

» ‘Balloonhead’ Bachmann (Jan. 27, 2011)

» Michele Bachmann: ‘Obamacare’ . . . the ‘Crown Jewel of Socialism’
(Jan. 19, 2011)

 Video

» Bachmann Fails Truth Test (Nov. 20, 2010)

Small businesses that have “$250,000 in gross sales for the business. They’re the ones that are looking at massive tax increases.”
— Michele Bachmann on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 in an interview on “Good Morning America.”

» GOP ‘Resentful’ of Bachmann (Nov. 9, 2010)

Rep. Michele Bachmann / Rep John Boehner

» Catholics: Condemn Bachmann (Nov. 1, 2010)

Pope Benedict XVI (not the anti-Christ)

» MN-06 Has 3 Conservative Choices (Oct. 26, 2010)

» Bachmann’s Blooming Paranoia (Oct. 23, 2010)

» Porkulus Bachmann (Oct. 19, 2010)

» Bachmann Celebrates Witch-Hunt (Oct. 17, 2010)

Michele Bachmann (Star Tribune)

» Bachmann Caught in Lie (Again) (Sept. 15, 2010)

Bltwy

» Michele Bachmann Up-Close (Sept. 6, 2010)

» Bachmann: Queen of the Fringe (Aug. 25, 2010)

Michele Bachmann at a rally in Washington against Barack Obama’s healthcare reform. (Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

» MN-06 Primary Election Results (Aug. 11, 2010)

US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6
	MICHELE BACHMANN	17,229	100.00

» MN-06 Congressional Election Polls (July 30, 2010)

                                                  Bachmann Clark Anderson Immelman Undec’d
Public Policy Polling (Dec. 17-20)   55      37           —                —                 8
KSTP/SurveyUSA (Jul. 9-11)           48      39           6                  2                 5

» Tea Party Turns on Bachmann (July 29, 2010)

» Bachmann Threatens Witch Hunts (July 24, 2010)

» The Real Trouble with Bachmann (July 21, 2010)

Michele Bachmann is the modern face of an emerging brand of American protofascism being spawned by the “perfect storm” of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the election of America’s first African-American president.

» Response to Pro-Bachmann Letter to the Editor (July 16, 2010)

» Immelman vs. Bachmann: Year 3 (July 15, 2010)

» Bachmann’s ‘One World’ Paranoia (June 30, 2010)

» Oil Spill: Bachmann Bats for BP (June 18, 2010)

» Bachmann Between the Lines (June 11, 2010)

Rep. Michele Bachmann at a “tea party” rally on tax day.
(Photo credit: Bill O’Leary / The Washington Post)

» Bachmann’s St. Cloud Tea Party (June 5, 2010)

Rep. Michele Bachmann addresses a Tea Party rally at Lake George, St. Cloud, Minn., Friday, June 4, 2010.

» Big-Government Bachmann (June 4, 2010)

» Nominating Petition Appeal (May 27, 2010)

» Immelman vs. Bachmann Petition (May 23, 2010)

Image: Ken Avidor – Dump Bachmann / TheUptake

» Immelman Nominating Petition (May 22, 2010)

Click on the image above for a downloadable (PDF) printable petition to help nominate Aubrey Immelman to run as an independent candidate against Rep. Michele Bachmann for the office of U.S. Representative in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District.

» Congressional Quarterly Rates Bachmann’s Seat Safe (May 17, 2010)

» Fighting to Protect Our Children (April 14, 2010)

» Immelman vs. Bachmann, Round 2 (April 7, 2010)

Today, I announce a second challenge to incumbent Rep. Michele Bachmann for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in Minnesotas 6th Congressional District, on a platform of national security, law and order, fiscal responsibility, and uncompromising opposition to political extremism.

Please click on the menu bar above for contact information, to volunteer, or to contribute to the campaign to defeat Bachmann.

——————————————————————————————

Related compilations on this site

Comprehensive summary and documentation of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s extremist rhetoric, incendiary demagoguery, and misrepresentation since her 2008 reelection to the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District.

Michele Bachmann’s Political Résumé

Michele Bachmann’s March of Folly (2009-2010)

Michele Bachmann Up-Close (2010-2011)

Rep. Michele Bachmann’s Campaign for President (2011)

Rep. Michele Bachmann’s Reelection Campaign for Congress (2012)