Bachmann's Bumming

Rep. Bachmann has done what has been pretty standard from Minnesota Republicans this cycle. Taken a perfectly safe seat and thrown it in play. Like Erik Paulson in the 3rd, and Sen. Coleman before him, Bachmann's hoof 'n mouth problems have created a national buzz, filling her opponent, El Tinklenberg's, coffers to overflowing. A once slam dunk GOP seat, is now trending the opposite direction. Keeping in mind El also has the Indy endorsement, so no third party candidate to siphon votes, really makes Michele look in trouble.

This morning, even WaPo's The Fix is in and the game with an interesting comparison:

'Anti-' Maimed?

The ghost of Mike Pappas may be coming back to haunt Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).

In 1998, Pappas, then a freshman Republican congressman from New Jersey, was cruising to reelection when he took to the House floor to read an homage to independent counsel Kenneth Starr set to the tune of the children's classic "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Um, not smart. The song caused a national fervor and led directly to Pappas's defeat at the hands of five-time "Jeopardy" champion Rush Holt.

Bachmann could be headed down that same ignominious path after comments she made on MSNBC last week in which she expressed concern that Barack Obama holds "anti-American" views.

The remark, which quickly drew national attention, has re-invigorated Democratic candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg (awesome name!), who has raised more than $600,000 since Bachmann's appearance Friday on "Hardball."

National Democrats, buoyed by an internal poll last week that showed Bachmann leading Tinklenberg by a narrow margin of 42 percent to 38 percent, are pouncing and are set to begin $1 million worth of television advertising in the district tomorrow.

Bachmann, elected in 2006, should have had little trouble holding this suburban Twin Cities district, which President George W. Bush carried in 2004 with 57 percent. But she has been a lightning rod for controversy throughout her first two years in office and is now in the fight of her political life.

Could "anti-American" be the new "Twinkle, Twinkle Kenneth Starr"?

Today, Speaker of the House Pelosi is in MN campaigning and you can be sure that the Speaker will comment on the Bachmann kerfuffle, keeping this little issue running for another news cycle.

Ad to that the Censure Petition that is gaining steam, and I'm guessing Rep. Bachmann's twinkle is flickering just a bit more than she wants it to.

Flash