Michele Bachmann. Oh, man, how it hurts to be put a spot of defending her.

To wit, her comment — obviously tongue-in-cheek as much as it was ill-advised and shoot-from-the-crazy-hip — linking the East Coast’s recent earthquake and Hurricane Irene to God’s displeasure.

She WAS joking, people. Very badly, as in should’ve-been-booed-off-the-stage badly. But when I first saw her comments on the news, my immediate thought:  Michelle, you really need to avoid extemporaneous humor.

My second thought? Good Lord; does Sarah Palin have a separated-at-birth sister, or what?

But come on, folks. We can give this gaffe to Bachmann without taking literally her clumsy, no disastrous segue from allusions to divine wrath to the national debt, unemployment and everything else she and others find dismal about the Obama administration.

But please, enough with the just another one of those crazy, bigoted “born again” Christians condemnations that have become hyperbolic mantra of some on the Left. Remember, those who live in glass houses, etc. (Need I say it? Nancy Pelosi.  Maxine Waters. Truth, ethics and politicans just don’t seem to co-exist in the same universe, regardless their party.)

My skeptic friends, a lot of us “born agains” have even voted for Democrats, don’t hate immigrants or gays, wish we’d never invaded Iraq and would get out of Afghanistan, favor quality health care for all, and wish our heartfelt dismay over abortion was met with equal measures of support for young mothers and adoption.

That said, when it comes to jokes, Michelle Bachmann — many will argue — tells her best ones, albeit unintentionally, just being herself.

I confess, when History (my major in college) is the victim of anyone holding himself or herself out as worthy of leading the world’s most powerful nation, I wince. Bachmann seems to make butchering historical fact into a veritable vaudeville act.

She gushed recently about New Hampshire being the powder keg for the Revolutionary War, i.e. where the shot(s) heard ’round the world were fired off at Lexington and Concord, etc. Well, close — it was Massachusetts.

Then there was the bit about our founding fathers ending slavery . . . when in fact, the signers of the Declaration of Independence made it a point to avoid the issue, since several of them came from slave states and owned slaves themselves.

Only 89 years and a few generations off, no big deal. Who needs history, anyway? I mean, if we’re doomed to repeat it . . . better to do so without knowing we are, right?

Still, Michele Bachmann is my sister in Christ. . . an obnoxious, maddening sister, but still my sister in shared faith. So, I should pray for her.

Hear that, Michele? Praying for you . . . and for a nice new vocation, anywhere but the White House.