Palin to campaign for Bachmann

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann announced today that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will visit Minnesota to campaign for her on April 7th. Palin, who was John McCain's running mate in 2008, is considered a candidate for the White House in 2012.

In a news release, Bachmann said Palin knows indepedent minded voters:

"There is absolutely no one more in tune with the hearts and minds of everyday Americans than Governor Palin, and I'm excited to welcome her back to our beautiful state this spring," Bachmann said.

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No further details on Palin's visit have been released at this time.

Bachmann is expected to face a spirited challenge in her reelection run in 2010. The DCCC has listed Minnesota's 6th as one of its Races to Watch list. That means the political arm of House Democrats will likely put resources and effort into the race. State Sen. Tarryl Clark and physician Maureen Reed are vying to win the DFL nomination to face Bachmann.

Bachmann and Palin will both appear next month at the National Tea Party Convention in Tennessee.

This will be Palin's second trip to Minnesota in the past few months. In December, Palin signed her new book, Going Rogue, at the Mall of America.

Palin's visit to Minnesota fuels speculation that Bachmann could back Palin over Gov. Pawlenty in the race for the White House. In December, she wouldn't commit to either of them.

Here's the full release from Bachmann:

U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-06) announced today that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will come to Minnesota to assist Bachmann's re-election campaign on April 7, 2010.

"There is absolutely no one more in tune with the hearts and minds of everyday Americans than Governor Palin, and I'm excited to welcome her back to our beautiful state this spring," Bachmann said.

Both Governor Palin and Congresswoman Bachmann are well-known and respected conservative leaders whose bold and unwavering stances in defending the U.S. Constitution and commonsense approaches to issues like health care, taxes and government bailouts have attracted millions to their message.

"It didn't take the American people long to see through the extreme liberal agenda of President Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress," Bachmann said. "We saw American's frustration start in the form of tea party protests in states from coast to coast. It continued with the health care town halls throughout last summer. But we saw it come into full focus yesterday in conservative Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts, taking back a Senate seat that was held by Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy for decades. The American people have spoken, and the momentum is clearly at the backs of conservatives heading into the 2010 elections."

Details about Governor Palin's visit will be released as they become available. In the coming weeks, please visit www.michelebachmann.com for more information.

Update: Tarryl Clark's spokesperson, Andrea Mokros, released this statement on Palin's visit:

It's clear that Michele Bachmann is more focused on building her national conservative celebrity credentials than doing the work that is needed by the 6th District. From her Tea Party travels to hobnobbing with the conservative celebrity set, she's more interested in her personal agenda than in doing the work so desperately needed by the residents of the 6th District - like addressing the state's highest unemployment rates and foreclosure rates right in her own district. Bringing in her friend Sarah Palin to help her pursue those big-money national donors is just one more example of where Bachmann's focus really is - and its clearly not on doing work for her constituents.

Update: Here's a statement from Reed's campaign:

It is not surprising that Michele Bachmann continues to court the extreme right of the national Republican Party, while neglecting the needs of the district. This is just another example of Bachmann trying to enhance her national star power rather than working on preventing home foreclosures, creating jobs, or offering solutions to address our healthcare crisis. Palin, like Bachmann, brings polarizing rhetoric, intent on dividing people instead of bringing them together.

Maureen Reed is not a politician and has spent years as a doctor and businesswoman working with Democrats, independents, and Republicans dialing down fear and anger to get things done. Maureen's only priority in Congress will be the interests of the 6th district- the issues of today are too important for our representatives in Congress to spend their time courting the spotlight.