On last night’s episode of MSNBC’s Hardball, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota charged Barack Obama and other members of Congress with sharing “anti-American” views. Defending the McCain campaign’s automated phone calls attacking Obama’s judgment and character, Bachmann called for a news media “exposé” of the views of members of Congress.

Bachmann thinks that anyone who disagrees with her personal political agenda is unpatriotic. But she is the one who has a lot to learn about what it means to love America and what it takes to make this country great, as Katrina vanden Heuvel eloquently explained to Chris Matthews in response to Bachmann’s ignorant ravings.

Let’s give her lots of time to read up on her country’s history and help turn her out of office in November. The race is hotly contested with her opponent Elwyn Tinklenberg, gaining ground. He served as a United Methodist Minister in Blaine, Minnesota from 1977 to 1986, was on the city council for four years and was Mayor of Blaine from 1987 to 1996. Tinklenberg also served as Governor Jesse Ventura’s Commissioner of Transportation from 1999 to 2002. Charged with managing the day-to-day operations of the department’s 5,500 employees and $2 billion annual budget, he worked directly with the legislature to secure funding for the state’s first light rail, the development of a regional commuter plan, and a doubling of the state transportation budget.

Currently, Tinklenberg is president of The Tinklenberg Group, a consulting firm that specializes in transportation issues. I’d never heard of him before yesterday but from what I can tell he’s a decent man and, in this race, given the imperative of ousting Bachmann, he’s well worth supporting. Click here to donate to, volunteer for and help spread the word about Tinklenberg’s campaign.

There’s also a new petition to members of Congress asking that they take a stand and tell Michele Bachmann that her accusations have no place coming from one of our country’s elected representatives and are, in fact, anti-American. Join your name to the campaign to tell Congress to censure Rep. Bachmann