Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has a message for her supporters in a new fundraising letter: Don't let the media do to her what they did to Sarah Palin -- "Don't let them Palinize me!"
"With Governor Palin taking a well-deserved step out of the spotlight, it appears that I may be absorbing even more of the liberals' scorn," says Bachmann. "And, I'd really appreciate your support so that I can defend myself against their attacks.
She later adds: "But just as they did with Sarah Palin, the more I talk about the issues, the more they attack with below-the-belt personal hits. In fact, yesterday, a Minnesota paper gave a full column to a hit piece on one of my kids!" This would appear to be a reference to the joking stories about her son joining Teach For America, after she'd called AmeriCorps a "re-education camp" and that she would be very concerned about her own children ever joining.
The letter cites Urban Dictionary, an open-source site that contains a mix of definitions from across the political spectrum. The word "Palinize" has mostly negative definitions, but a few pro-Palin ones about being twisted and distorted by the liberal media -- and those are the definitions that Bachmann cites. However, the letter did pick out one definition that might actually be anti-Palin (and filled with dramatic irony, given the selective citation): "To exaggerate the truth or lie by omission."
Check out the full e-mail after the jump.
Don't let them Palinize me!
Dear Friend:
Last month, I appeared on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News Channel. I was talking about the Democrats' latest scheme to pick the taxpayer's pocket to pay for a $1.5-billion slush fund for ACORN.
Before getting into the meat of this terrible new anti-taxpayer proposal, Sean Hannity said that he considers me "the second most hated Republican woman," second only to Governor Sarah Palin.
With Governor Palin taking a well-deserved step out of the spotlight, it appears that I may be absorbing even more of the liberals' scorn.
And, I'd really appreciate your support so that I can defend myself against their attacks.
I'm out there every day speaking the truth about their attempts to guide this nation into socialism:
• Their government-run health care proposal that will put government bureaucrats in between you and your doctor and end up rationing care -- and the most vulnerable will suffer first and most.
• Their cap-and-trade national energy tax that will drive up energy costs for every American and send our jobs overseas.
• Their spending spree that has pushed the national budget deficit over the $1 trillion mark for the first time in our history. We're already closing in on $2 trillion and there's no end in sight to their spending.
• Their dozens of White House czars with power over your lives and futures and absolutely no accountability to Congress or the people.
• And, speaking of unaccountable -- when are they going to open up the Fed's books to the public?
• Their political patronage to groups like ACORN -- doling out billions of your tax dollars and partnering with them to collect your private information for the Census.
But just as they did with Sarah Palin, the more I talk about the issues, the more they attack with below-the-belt personal hits. In fact, yesterday, a Minnesota paper gave a full column to a hit piece on one of my kids!
Can you help me to defend against these attacks?
I'll tell you the truth: Their sticks and stones will not stop me from going out and speaking the truth about their bad policies! And, your support really helps!
God bless and thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann
From the Urban Dictionary:
Palinize:
To smear or mock someone using falsehoods, baseless accusations or unsubstantiated character assassinations for the purpose of blocking them from achieving a goal.
To exaggerate the truth or lie by omission.
To attack a person for his or her conservative values by focusing an inordinate amount of attention on a single example of that person falling short (or being perceived as falling short) of the values they espouse.
