By Bob Von Sternberg, Star Tribune
Two Republican Party superstars -- Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin -- will be stumping in Minnesota in April.
The former Alaska governor will make a campaign appearance with the Sixth District congresswoman who's running for a third term, Bachmann announced Tuesday.
Announcing Palin's scheduled appearance, Bachmann is quoted as saying: "There is absolutely no one more in tune with the hearts and minds of everyday Americans than Governor Palin, and I'm excited to welcome her back to our beautiful state this spring."
Palin was last in Minnesota in December for a signing of her best-selling autobiography at the Mall of America. That followed her star turn as vice-presidential nominee at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
Both women are fiercely conservative and intensely polarizing political figures.
When talk show host Sean Hannity dubbed Bachmann "the second most hated Republican woman" behind only Palin last summer, Bachmann seized on the remark, e-mailing supporters: "Don't let them Palinize me!"
The April campaign event won't be the only joint appearance by Bachmann and Palin in the coming weeks. They're scheduled to headline the First National Tea Party Convention in Nashville next month.
In a statement on her Facebook page, Palin said she will campaign this spring "FOR the people and AGAINST politics as usual."
She added: "I look forward to helping Governors like Rick Perry in Texas, Representatives like Michele Bachmann in Minnesota, and heroes and statesmen like Senator John McCain. We will support these candidates and others so that they can continue to fight for our American values."
In some conservative and Republican circles there has been persistent buzz about a Palin-Bachmann presidential ticket in 2012. A Google search for "Palin Bachmann 2012" produces more than 2 million hits.
A CBS News poll found this week that a large majority of Americans say they do not want Palin to run for president. Specifically, 71 percent said they don't want her to run, while 21 percent say they do.
Lame McCain to get boosterism from Palinism. nothing sinks my enthusiasm more than that kind of dynamic.
Is Google going to compete with Facebook Buzz?