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Oct 16, 2008 3:00 pm US/Central
Bachmann, Tinklenberg Spar In 6th Dist. Debate
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) ―
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Tinklenberg raised more campaign cash than Bachmann in the latest fundraising period. (File)
CBS
Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann -- who has never been shy when it comes to praising President George W. Bush -- used a debate on Thursday to distance herself from the unpopular president.
Bachmann even tried to link her Democratic challenger, former state transportation chief Elwyn Tinklenberg, to the GOP president.
"He is more line with President Bush's policies than I am," said Bachmann, ticking off issues where she has disagreed with Bush, including the $700 billion financial services bailout. Bachmann voted against the bill twice. Tinklenberg has said he would have voted for it.
"I've been willing to be a strong reformer in Washington, D.C., and take on my own party, including the bailout," Bachmann said.
Asked about her statements after the forum at the St. Cloud Public Library, Bachmann denied that she was distancing herself from Bush. She said she has "taken on the president" before and since being elected to Congress two years ago.
It was the second debate in Minnesota's 6th District, the most Republican in the state. But the race has heated up recently, with Tinklenberg outraising Bachmann in the latest fundraising period and the national parties buying television ad time. Bachmann still has nearly four times as much money in the bank as her challenger.
She has been building a national profile as she seeks a second term, appearing frequently on talk shows including "Larry King Live" to promote Republican positions on energy and other topics. Earlier in her term, Bachmann was best known for grabbing Bush's shoulder after his 2007 State of the Union address and holding on until he kissed her.
That moment is now featured in an attack ad.
Tinklenberg on Thursday was also eager to link Bachmann to Bush and his low approval ratings at the debate sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce. About 100 people attended.
"It's amazing to me when the public gives the Bush administration an 87 percent disapproval rating -- 87 percent say the country is dramatically going in the wrong direction, how tenaciously, how passionately Representative Bachmann continues to embrace this president and his policies and the failed strategies of the past," he said.
Bachmann said her positions have been "quite different" from Bush's."
"If the presidency would somehow go to Barack Obama, I would welcome him to the 6th District as well," she said after the debate. "As a matter of fact, I would put my hand on his shoulder and give him a kiss if he wanted to."
The 6th District wraps around the northern half of the Twin Cities and stretches west past St. Cloud. It has an unpredictable streak despite its conservative voting record -- the district put former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura over the top in the governor's race a decade ago.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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