Bachmann Beat: Big Stakes at Tonight's Debate

Sixth-district congresswoman Michele Bachmann will be among the candidates participating in a Republican presidential debate that begins at 6:30 p.m. You can watch the event live on MSNBC or over the web via Politico.

The stakes appear to be high for Bachmann at tonight's event. The Star Tribune says her campaign is hoping to regain some of the momentum it lost over the last month. In particular, Bachmann must distinguish herself from Texas Gov. Rick Perry, with whom she'll share the stage for the first time ever. (Side note: Perry might not actually be there, after all.)

Around the web, news reports are rife with speculation that Bachmann's campaign is in trouble. The New York Times says that yesterday's big staff shakeup, with the departure of campaign chief Ed Rollins and his deputy, David Polyansky, raises questions about her campaign's overall strategy. U.S. News and World Report bluntly asks, "Is Michele Bachmann Still a Top-Tier Candidate?"

The Washington Post goes a step further, proclaiming Bachmann's "rise and fall" in the 2012 primary. Noting her declining poll numbers, it says the next few weeks are critical for Bachmann. One of the reasons is money-related:

Bachmann is likely to struggle to raise money or, at the very least, to expand beyond her small-dollar donor base into the more establishment money sources within the party. Donors generally like to invest in candidates they believe can (and will) win and right now that’s not Bachmann.

In other Bachmann news:

• Politico says the Bachmann campaign's allegedly heavy-handed approach to security was among the issues in yesterday's staff shakeup.
• Bachmann sent out a fundraising email quoting Teamster boss James P. Hoffa's controversial attack on Republicans.
• New polls from The Washington Post/ABC News and The Wall Street Journal/NBC News both show Bachmann's popularity continuing to decline.