Rep. Bachmann's appearance on Hardball

[image]

The firestorm over comments from U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota's 6th District continues.

During an interview last Friday with Chris Mathews on the Hardball program, Bachmann called on the media to investigate the beliefs of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and members of Congress, to determine whether they hold anti-American beliefs.

A huge controversy has erupted. Bachmann has been criticized far and wide. She's been likened to 1950s red-baiter Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Colin Powell has labelled her comments "nonsense." And Bachmann's Democratic opponent has been swamped with campaign contributions from around the country.

But Bachmann herself says her remarks have been misrepresented. She told WCCO-TV there had been a "misreading of what I said."