Roars of approval for 'Bachmann-Palin Overdrive'

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GOP rock stars Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann shared the stage at the Minneapolis Convention Center Wednesday afternoon as a crowd of 11,000 roared its approval. The Star Tribune's Bob Von Sternberg reports that Gov. Palin was there to help Congresswoman Bachmann in her campaign for another two-year term in the U.S. House representing Minnesota's Sixth District:

"Let's do the rest of the nation a favor and keep her in Congress," Palin said.

"Let me ask you, Minnesota, do you love your freedom?" Palin boomed to a rapturous response.

She got an equally loud response when she asked, "are there any Tea Party Americans here today?" She called the Tea Party movement "a beautiful grassroots movement sweeping across the country ... The Tea Party is growing and steaming" having enlisted "people who are deeply concerned about the path our country is on."

Referring to campaign appearances during the 2008 campaign, including her debut at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Palin said, "I love being here because you all sound like me -- or I sound like you."

Referring to one of President Obama's biggest gaffes on the campaign trail, Palin said she imagined that "some of you are probably proud to cling to your guns and religion."

Palin and Bachmann hit the stage about 2:45 p.m to an explosive roar of approval and stood before a massive American flag, facing a sea of waving blue Bachmann campaign signs.

GOP officials said they handed out more than 11,000 free tickets and ticket holders began streaming into the hall two hours before the 2 p.m. event began.

Noting the turnout, Bachmann shouted, "take that liberals!" Speaking of the upcoming midterm election, "there is hope, there is change -- real change coming to this country this November."

As one of our readers commented, they should have named this rally "Bachmann-Palin Overdrive." Someone at the WSJ must have been reading his mind.

Here's the video of Gov. Palin's speech:



Video h/t: The Right Scoop, which has vids of all three major rally speeches here.

Update: More coverage from Politico, AP, MinnPost, MPR, CBS News, CNN and Washington Post.

Politics in Minnesota has some photos of Gov. Palin and Rep. Bachmann here.

- JP