Twin Cities Pioneer Press: Michele Bachmann's comments fuel surge in Tinklenberg campaign donations

[marmar]

Michele Bachmann's comments fuel surge in Tinklenberg campaign donations
By Megan Boldt

[e-mail]
Article Last Updated: 10/18/2008 08:34:10 PM CDT


Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann's comment on MSNBC that she was concerned Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama "may have anti-American views" is giving her opponent's campaign coffers a huge boost.

A spokesman for Democratic challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg's campaign said today about 9,000 people from across the country had donated at least $450,000 online since about 6 p.m. Friday, just after Bachman appeared on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews.

For comparison, Tinklenberg's campaign finance filings show he raised about $313,000 in donations in a period of about five weeks beginning Aug. 21.

John Wodele, campaign spokesman for Tinklenberg, said Bachmann's comments and insinuations went too far.

"There was a spark already. But she poured fuel on that spark and it just exploded," Wodele said. "It struck people as inappropriate."

Bachmann also said that Obama's past associations with Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor, and Bill Ayers, who belonged to the radical anti-war group Weather Underground in the late 1960s and early 1970s, make her suspicious.

She said liberals like Wright and Ayers are "over the top anti-American."

"Remember it was Michele Obama who said she's only recently proud of her country. These are really anti-American views," Bachmann said. "That's not the way most Americans feel about their country."

Wodele said the Tinklenberg campaign had received about 600 e-mails since Bachmann's appearance.

Michelle Marston, spokeswoman for Bachmann's re-election campaign, said she encourages people to watch the whole interview and not just listen to clips or read online reactions to it. Bachmann did not call all liberals anti-American, Marston said, but asked people to take a closer look at Obama's relationships.

"We have real, legitimate questions that need to be answered," Marston said. What does (Obama) really mean when he talks about change? What kind of policies and views will he bring to the White House if elected? That's what she was talking about." ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_10756185?nclick_check=1

[madaboutharry]

1. That is what you get when you shoot your stupid mouth

off Mrs. Bachmann. What a dope.

[aquart]

3. Anyone know what her fundraising looks like?

[Eric J in MN]

5. Michele Bachmann raised over $2 million...

...as of her August 20, 2008 report, which I guess went through July.

http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=MN06&cycle=2008

[bkkyosemite]

2. They didn't mention that she said that some in Congress were unAmerican

[Matariki]

4. Hey Marston! I watched the WHOLE interview start to finish and Bachmann is an ASS

She was like a Stepford robot with a talking point tape inserted *somewhere* - until she wandered off into her own territory...

She was offensive and disgusting - start to finish.

But please, encourage people to watch the *whole* interview. I'm *sure* that will help. :rofl:

[lunatica]

6. Keep on talking y'all. The gift that keep on giving

Really, like I keep saying, don't interrupt your enemy when they're destroying themselves.