Let’s give Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) credit. Bachmann, as an elected official, may top Sarah Palin and Christine O’Donnell as the leading Tea Party populist the “Mainstream Media” (MSM) love to loath.

In today’s Washington Post, Dana Milbank’s op-ed, “Bachmann goes rogue again”, reveals Milbank’s vile hatred of Bachmann. It typifies the mindset of the “hive” (paraphrasing Joe Sobran)—how political and media operatives, which dominate the national limelight, rally to oppose someone deemed to be "outside the mainstream" and radioactive politically. Night after night Chris Matthews, in fits of uncontrolled rage, admonishes and ridicules Bachmann on "Hardball".

As an opposition figure, she’s providing steadfast resistance to not only Obama’s policies but also milquetoast RINOs who cave to liberal pressure. So she needs to fact-check her remarks more closely, how often are liberal elected officials, or political pundits for that matter, held accountable for misstating facts or misconstruing historical events?

She’s viewed as an “extremist” and “fringe” political figure because she’s effective as an independent force. She raises vast amounts of money during campaigns, wins re-election by a substantial margin, speaks her mind, and enjoys annoying her critics along the way. The political elites and pundits despise Bachmann not because she’s clumsy with facts or is considered incompetent, she’s hated for what Bachmann represents: the interests of average, ordinary, Middle Americans—a hybrid coalition typical of Wallace voters in the 1960s, Pitchfork backers of Pat Buchanan, and Proposition 13 supporters of California’s tax revolt movement.

Milbank and Matthews were beside themselves because she offered an independent, hard-hitting assessment of Obama’s “State of the Union” speech. As if she should have consulted them first before taking this initiative.

What the talking heads detest about Bachmann is that she’s uncontrollable as a real maverick. She bucks the Republican establishment, remains steadfast in her convictions, and politically is considered to the right of the “conservative” movement. Milbank, Matthews, and others find Bachmann repulsive because she doesn’t want to play in their sandbox. She isn’t “conciliatory” and refuses to “tone down” the rhetoric—politically a real breath of fresh air!

She may not be the perfect or ideal nominee to shake up the political and media elites, but Bachmann deserves credit for her role as the Skunk at the Garden Party.