ST. CLOUD - Appealing to business leaders and party faithful for support, Rep. Michele Bachmann retreated Tuesday from her televised claim that Barack Obama "may have anti-American views," but also asserted that "a trap was laid" that prompted her remark.

While Bachmann was on the defensive, her political problems invigorated the supporters of her DFL challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg at a packed town hall meeting in Blaine Tuesday night, as the race gained national attention and Tinklenberg reaped extra campaign dollars.

"Thank you, Michele!" one man shouted, setting off gales of laughter.

Bachmann, a Republican, defended herself during campaign stops at a lumber company, at a GOP campaign storefront and before the Rotary Club in St. Cloud. In her talk to the Rotary Club, she blamed Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC's "Hardball," for setting the stage for her controversial comments about Obama.

"Sometimes you make a decision about going on a show ... I probably should have said no to Chris Matthews."

"I had never seen his show before," she said. "I probably should have taken a look at what the show was like ... A trap was laid, but I stepped into it.

"I made a misstatement. I said a comment that I would take back."

Matthews on Friday asked Bachmann whether she believed that Obama may have anti-American views. Bachmann replied: "Absolutely, I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views."

But in her address to the Rotary in St. Cloud, Bachmann said: "I did not, nor do I, question Barack Obama's patriotism ... I did not say that Barack Obama is anti-American nor do I believe that Barack Obama is anti-American."

Democrats and some Republicans have criticized Bachmann's MSNBC comments, which included her call for the news media to conduct an "exposé" on the views of members of Congress to "find out are they pro-America or anti-America."

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell cited that remark as "nonsense" while endorsing Obama over the weekend. More than $1 million in contributions have poured into the campaign coffers of Tinklenberg, his campaign said, since Bachmann's appearance on "Hardball."

Debating the impact

While Bachmann told the Rotary luncheon crowd of 100 that she didn't question Obama's patriotism, she added: "I'm very concerned about Barack Obama's views. I don't believe that socialism is a good thing for America."

Except for some local television interviews, this was Bachmann's first formal public appearance since the Friday interview. She appeared before a business group generally supportive of GOP candidates in a city where many voters share her opposition to abortion.

In a brief question-and-answer session following Bachmann's speech, local business leaders asked her about taxes, the $700 billion rescue package for Wall Street, allegations of voter fraud and transportation concerns in the district.