Michelle Bachmann in Campaign Fundraising Overdrive
Michelle Bachmann, far right Minnesota Republican Congresswoman, appeared on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews yesterday to throw a few of the usual Hail Mary passes from the McCain campaign playbook. Constantly losing ground to Matthews’ defense, she kept grinding away at Barack Obama’s ties to Bill Ayers and others she deemed anti-American, including Mrs. Obama. Then, after Matthews maneuvered her away from the campaign playbook, she called an audible suggesting that the “news media should do a penetrating expose . . . of the views of the Members of Congress to find out if they are pro-America or anti-America.” Calling that particular fullback up the middle reminded one of those hard-nosed games of yesteryear, and of the hardest nose of them all, Senator Joseph McCarthy and his delightful Communist witch hunt, blacklists, and paranoia.
That play may not have won the game at Hardball, but it did make the highlight reel.
And it also succeeded mightily in the fundraising game by bringing in nearly $500,ooo to the House race in Mrs. Bachmann’s district. Problem is. it’s all for her opponent, Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg. His campaign released the good news less than 24 hours after Bachmann’s night game on Hardball, “Since Congresswoman Bachmann’s outrageous remarks, my campaign has raised $438,346.57, and we’re working to reach $500,000 by 5 p.m. today.”
So, the Tinklenberg campaign turns its thought to Mrs. Bachmann’s next media appearance, and prays that this particular Bachmann stays in overdrive.
