El Tinklenberg has raised $1.8 million dollars since Michele Bachman’s ill-chosen words on Hardball, saying Barack Obama is "anti-American."  That’s more in one quarter than any House candidate  has raised in any race this year.  

The GOP has bailed on Bachmann’s race, so she’s on her own and lying to try and stay in office:

"When El Tinklenberg ran the department of transportation, officials called up their cronies and offered them contracts, unbid contracts," the second ad says. "The Star Trib said he broke the law. And federal authorities called it tainted."

Bachmann’s allegations are based on a series of Star Tribune stories from January 2003 on the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The newspaper raised questions about changes made during Tinklenberg’s time as commissioner designed to speed up contracts.

MnDOT officials hired outside consultants without required approval from the Department of Administration. They also violated a requirement to have project funding in place before signing a contract. But the stories did not claim Tinklenberg broke the law.

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The Office of the Legislative Auditor also looked into the contract questions. Its 2003 report criticized MnDOT and five other state agencies, for not always following state statutes, guidelines or effective management principles.

But the report did not suggest any crimes were committed, and Tinklenberg’s name was never mentioned.

Bachmann is also taking credit for falling gas prices:

"Gas was $2.04 a gallon today and that was my goal when I started out earlier this year. My goal was to have us get to $2 … today in the district it’s $2.04 so we’re almost there," she told one voter.

The Star Tribune recently endorsed Tinklenberg, referring to Bachmann’s "list of bizarre incidents and statements that undercut her credibility as a political leader."

Next up:  Michele Bachmann parts Red Sea.