There is a story out today which should spell the end of Michelle Bachmann's campaign. Bachmann's spokesman in South Carolina accused the Gingrich campaign of buying the votes of Tea Partiers in that state. When asked directly about it, Bachmann did not back away from it, but said that she has been hearing this all across the country. Both the Gingrich campaign and the Tea Party organizations in South Carolina have already denied the charges. As the Gingrich campaign put it, the last thing they would do is challenge the integrity of the Tea Party.
It is important to understand that the payoffs that Bachmann's campaign is charging, if true, are federal crimes. It is illegal to buy votes for any federal election. So, it is no minor matter to say these things; there damn well better be proof to support the charges. When Bachmann was last near the top of the polls, she fell back to the bottom when she repeated a false claim that "vaccines caused mental retardation". She has a habit of shooting off her mouth when she ought to use discretion. If there is no proof of any payoff here (which seems to be the case), Bachmann has done it again. to the extent that she had gained any momentum back in the last few weeks, this ought to destroy it.
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