NRCC raising money off Bachmann

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is rallying around Rep. Michele Bachmann and using her controversial comments about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to rally supporters. 

The committee on Thursday sent a fundraising e-mail critical of the media’s treatment of the Minnesota Republican, who suggested on MSNBC’s “Hardball” last week that Sen. Obama (D-Ill.) holds “anti-American” views.

{mosads}The e-mail comes as even fellow Minnesota GOPers, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sen. Norm Coleman, have repudiated Bachmann’s assertion. Bachmann has since said that she misspoke.

In the letter, NRCC Executive Director Pete Kirkham notes controversial comments made by House Democrats and suggests they were given different treatment than Bachmann.

“But here we are today, less than two weeks from the election, and the mainstream media are attacking conservative Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who appeared on 'Hardball' with Chris Matthews last week, and twisting her words for suggesting that Barack Obama is too liberal to be president of the United States,” Kirkham says.

The e-mail then solicits contributions for both the NRCC and Bachmann’s reelection bid, which has become a whole lot tougher since the comments.

The campaign of Democratic opponent Elwyn Tinklenberg said Friday that it has raised nearly $1.5 million in the last week, as the race has become a cause célèbre for Democrats nationally. That figure is larger than the amount it had raised the whole cycle before the comments.

A SurveyUSA poll released late Thursday showed the former state transportation commissioner with a 47-44 lead over Bachmann, within the margin of error.

The e-mail comes as the NRCC has opted not to purchase advertising time it had reserved for Bachmann’s race.

The NRCC sent a memo Thursday making the case that it was not abandoning candidates like Bachmann when it does not purchase ad time that it has reserved.

“There are more paths to victory for Republican candidates than we have money to fund,” spokeswoman Karen Hanretty said in the e-mail. “Some candidates, like Congresswoman Bachmann, are sitting on more than $1 million cash on hand in districts that President Bush won in 2004 by double digits.”

A spokesman for the NRCC said Friday that the committee stands by Bachmann.

“We think Michelle Bachmann is a great conservative, and we want to see her come back to Washington and keep fighting for lower taxes, smaller government, family values and personal freedoms,” spokesman Brendan Buck said.