Bachmann in North Dakota: You have to grow a titanium spine

In a 60-minute appearance in Bismark on Friday, Rep. Michele Bachmann laughed and sang and wept as she told attendees they must take America back for the Republicans to protect future generations. In her speech at the NRA-, Republican- and Tea Party–sponsored Take Back Washington rally, Bachmann lashed out at Twin Cities media, including Mpls-St. Paul Magazine, and said that taxpayer funding was being funneled to “shills” to take her out of office.

Early on, she announced that Fox News’ Sean Hannity will be joining Sarah Palin at her campaign appearance for Bachmann in April. “We are going to show you how to party in Minnesota. It is not too late to take back our country. It is not too late to have hope.”

She emphasized the importance of not flinching in the face of criticism. “I am speaker Pelosi’s high-value target this next fall. I am. I am not making this up.”

And she reserved criticism for Twin Cities media outlets.

“I just read something last night that called me a political monster,” a reference to Steve Marsh’s recent interview with Bachmann in Mpls-St. Paul Magazine.

“‘Michele Bachmann the she-devil’ every day in the Twin Cities media,” she added. No Twin Cities media have actually called her a “she-devil.” The closest thing on search engines was Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s 1975 song called “She’s a Devil.”

“You have to know who you are and what you believe and you have to grow a titanium spine because I am here to tell you, it doesn’t even take two months,” she said. “Because they will get to you if you don’t know who you are because these people are experts they are paid to do that to wear you down.

“‘Cause they want to win, because what do they have? They have the biggest ATM in the world; your back pocket. And so all they need are shills to go and put their hand your back pocket. And they win!”

Here’s how Bachmann wrapped up her speech:

“I say to you my fellow Americans here in North Dakota: We stand on the shoulders of greatness and of great men and women who gave to us a pearl of great price called freedom and a land like none other in the United States.”

“And I say to you, we are enough to take it back. We are enough and we will,” she said choking back tears. “We will take our country back because it is no longer about us. It is about the generations yet unborn and its about those in Haiti and Thailand who depend on us for freedom and for going forward.”

The full hour of Bachmann’s appearance:

Part 1

Part 2