Michele Bachmann kicks off 2008 Campaign in St. Cloud

And in grand style.

Fresh in from a Christmas trip to Iraq, and an earlier trip to Israel, MN 6th District U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann kicked off her 2008 campaign today at a home in St. Cloud. Looking even better than she did a year ago, Bachmann was her usual firebrand self, yet even more confident in her convictions than she was a year ago.

Bachmann related that after the 2006 elections, the House Republicans had a "Come to Jesus" moment and realized that their poor showing in the 2006 elections were directly related to the fact that many in the Republican Party had forgotten how to be Republican, and that House Republicans stood firm in the face of a democrat majority that voted 40 times to declare defeat in Iraq, and who tried to put forth the largest tax increase in the history of the United States.

Bachmann related how when Republicans were in the majority, an average of 600 votes were cast during a normal legislative year. Last year, according to Bachmann, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 bills were put up for a vote in the House. Of those 1200, only around 140 passed; and of those 140 bills, nearly half of those were for re-naming post offices.

In other words, the U.S. House Democrat leadership got nothing done of substance. Bachmann described most of the 1200 bills brought to the floor as "vanity bills," bills designed to look good to constituents, but were short on substance and weren't even meant to pass.

This despite an inordinate amount of time spent in Washington at the behest of the House democrat leadership. In her talk, Bachmann lamented the fact that she was required to spend so much time in Washington, as she didn't get nearly as much of a chance to visit with her constituents as her predecessor, Mark Kennedy, who was in office during a Republican majority.

In her speech, Bachmann described herself as having an iron spine, and that she has not and would not bend from her principles of small government, sanctity of life, strong national defense, and low taxes.

Bachmann also related how she is one of 16 legislators in the U.S. House and Senate (Senator Norm Coleman being the other Minnesota legislator on the list) being targeted for extinction by George Soros and Moveon.org. She related how the democrats had outspent her campaign by $3,000,000 in 2006, yet she emerged victorious because she stayed true to the conservative message.

Bachmann closed her talk as she related her experiences in Israel and Iraq, having spent Christmas with our troops in Baghdad. She related how humbled she felt at their sacrifices, and the pride that she felt with regard to all that they accomplished since the surge began.

Also present at the gala were Minnesota Representatives Steve Gottwalt and Dan Severson, as well as bloggers extraordinaire King Banaian (and his lovely wife) and Gary Gross; along with St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, and soon-to-be returning KNSI talk show host Dan "The Ox" Ochsner.

Everyone there was fired up and ready to run through walls to ensure a successful 2008 election.

Folks, there is no greater conservative voice in the United States House of Representatives than Michele Bachmann. Although I was a bit skiddish in the beginning, since I have come to know her I have every confidence in her conservative, principled leadership, and the residents of Minnesota 6th are more than fortunate to benefit from her unwavering dedication to conservative ideals.