Rep. Michelle Bachmann was cakewalking to re-election in her Republican-leaning Minnesota district until she told Chris Matthews the media should investigate anti-Americanism in Congress. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee calls that a “$1 million mistake.”

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza explains:

Those comments, made to Chris Matthews on “Hardball” last Friday, alleging that Barack Obama held “anti-American” views immediately lit up the blogosphere, energized the campaign of former Blaine Mayor Elwyn Tinklenberg (great name!) and turned Bachmann’s race from an afterthought into one of the most high profile House races in the country.

Tinklenberg has raised more than $800,000 in the aftermath of Bachmann’s comments and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee communications director Jen Crider has called this a “$1 million mistake” on the part of the Republican incumbent.

The DCCC, sensing opportunity, began airing an ad hitting Bachmann on her opposition to government regulation of the financial industry — the leading edge of a seven-figure television buy that runs through election day.

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In case you missed it, the controversy begins near seven minutes in:

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