It's Not Often I Defend Michele Bachmann, But... Part II

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann was 100% right about Speaker Newt Gingrich's activities as a historian lobbyist during Thursday's Republican POTUS candidate debate. Bachmann correctly attacked him for cashing  big, fat checks from Freddie Mac, an institution that lives off of taxpayer money.

Gingrich has previously said that politicians who take money from Freddie Mac should be jailed, but he made an exception for himself because he wasn't an elected official.

 But Bachmann shot back, saying you don't have to be a registered lobbyist to peddle your influence.

This wasn't the only thing Bachmann knocked Gingrich over the head with. Bachmann attacked him for his support for government sponsored enterprises and for campaigning for pro-choice Republican congressional candidates. At one point, an irritated Gingrich viciously said to Bachmann "Ms. Bachmann doesn't have her facts straight."

The Friday morning punditry are even accusing Gingrich of sexism, saying that he wouldn't talk that way to any of the male candidates. And I agree. He has gentlemanly disagreed with everyone else in the debates, but has given snark responses in past debates to Bachmann.

I think Bachmann has gotten a raw deal, both from the Republican Party establishment and from the news media as part of these phony debates.

Don't mistake this as an endorsement of Bachmann. She's FAR out there on a number of issues that I passionately disagree with her.

But at least she's a serious candidate. Gingrich, someone who has been a part of the Washington establishment for 20+ years, is on a damn book tour.