"A Tale of Two Michel(l)es: Bachmann and Obama" (with video)

Anna Lekas Miller (The Nation) with video from MSNBC (06:09):

On the campaign trail in 2008, Michelle Obama spoke at a rally and told the American people that for the first time in her adult life, "I am proud of my country." The backlash was swift, as news commentators and politicians of all creeds and colors—black, white, male and female—implied that she was Barack Obama's angry, bitter wife. In other words, they could not understand Michelle Obama outside of the angry, Black woman stereotype.

Before winning the Iowa Straw poll this past weekend, however, Michele Bachmann made a similar statement. But instead of being lambasted for not appreciating her country, the media has ignored her almost identical comment.

On MSNBC's The Last Word last night, Melissa Harris-Perry offered a comparison of the two responses, and her own definition of equality: "We will be an equal society when we can all celebrate and criticize our country together."

Matt Taibbi: "Michele Bachmann's Holy War"

Matt Taibbi:

The Tea Party contender may seem like a goofball, but be warned: Her presidential campaign is no laughing matter---Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and, as you consider the career and future presidential prospects of an incredible American phenomenon named Michele Bachmann, do one more thing. Don't laugh.

It may be the hardest thing you ever do, for Michele Bachmann is almost certainly the funniest thing that has ever happened to American presidential politics. MORE...

Seattle FOX Affiliate Covers Inslee and Bachman Announcements (video)

Video, KCPQ-Political Wrap (02:33).

Howie P.S.: The local FOX affiliate covers the Inslee (and Bachman) announcements.

Matt Taibbi on "Michele Bachmann's Holy War!" (with video)

MOXNEWSd0tCOM, video (09:29).

Howie P.S.: Don Imus and Taibbi chat it up. Here's Taibbi's story on Bachmann in Rolling Stone: "Michele Bachmann's Holy War."

Katrina vanden Heuvel on The ED Show: "How Far Right Is Michele Bachmann?" (video)

Kevin Donohoe (The Nation) with video from MSNBC-The ED Show (04:13):

During Monday's Republican Presidential Debate, Representative Michelle Bachmann announced her candidacy for President and was quickly declared the night's winner—and a frontrunner for the GOP nomination—by conservative pundits and conservative members of Congress.

Yet The Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel argued on The Ed Show last night that the media has focused too much on Bachmann's self-styled image and not enough on the far-right policy positions and neo-McCarthy politics she has embraced as a member of Congress. Bachmann's rise makes it increasingly likely that Republicans will continue to move to the right and pursue their pro-corporate, anti-middle class agenda into the 2012 election.

Video: "Michele Bachmann, Take Two" (The "Saturday Night Live" version)

Chris Cillizza with video (04:15) from NBC-SNL:

This was probably inevitable.

In the wake of Michele Bachmann's tea party response to President Obama's State of the Union address, Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig offered her own take on the Minnesota Republican's speech.

Howie P.S.: Now that ED Schultz has dropped "PsychoTalk!" from his new show in primetime (Did Comcast make him do it?), I may try on occasion to fill that void.