One-time ‘moderate’ Mark Kirk approaches intermediary to ask for help in getting Sarah Palin’s endorsement to ward off potential Hoffmanization in Illinois senate race.

Sigh, I knew this would get fun.

As you know, Rep. Michele Bachmann is planning her mega-Capitol Hill Tea Party tomorrow followed by Bachmann leading Tea Partiers through the halls of Congress demanding Congress not take away their health care.

A few moments ago Fox News host Andrew Napolitano told Bachmann that “a friend in the American intelligence community” suggested to him that Nancy Pelosi might mount some sort of Capitol Hill security clampdown to stop the Tea Party event. (The idea apparently is that Pelosi would instruct Capitol security to become so onerous that, in essence, no one would be able to get into the building. Note to Tea Partiers: The Capitol building is not a 2nd Amendment zone.)

Not surprisingly Bachmann rose to the bait, telling Napolitano that it would be a “big mistake” for Pelosi to use her power to sabotage the Tea Party.

Looks like things are primed for a very orderly event tomorrow.

Crist on NY-23: It was “kind of a funky situation.”

We’ve spent the day trying to get a handle on just what Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has in mind with her boffo Capitol Hill Tea Party event tomorrow, whether she’s going to get the crowd riled up and just send them in or actually lead the protestors into the offices. On a conference call a few moments ago, though, she said she’d personally lead Tea Partiers to the office of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).

“If we stop [HCR] I think it could be dead for 10 years,” she says.

Not sure I disagree on the last point.

Rep. Bachmann (R-MN) no-comments questions about resignation of Chief of Staff.

Okay, sorry for the abrupt call to attention. But we need your help with something.

We’re going to be covering Michele Bachmann’s Capitol Hill Tea Party/Town Hall event tomorrow. Not just the rally outside the building but whatever it is that’s going to happen inside afterwards, with Bachmann leading the protestors through the halls looking for members of Congress who might vote for health care reform. We’re going to have one, probably two reporters on the scene.

But it’s an awfully big network of buildings. And they can’t be everywhere. If this summer’s town halls are any indication, it’s going to be quite a scene. And we’re already picking up indications that the crowd is being primed with stories of Nancy Pelosi getting the Capitol police to crack down on the protestors. Sort of a heady mindset going in, you might say. And there will be a lot you see that we won’t.

So can you help be our eyes and ears? Whatever you see, ping us at the comments email address up at the upper right. Your anonymity, as always, is guaranteed.

We sent TPMDC’s Evan McMorris-Santoro deep into the heart of the crazy tonight to get a preview of what we can expect from tomorrow’s Tea Party / Town Hall on Capitol Hill. Evan sat in on a series of planning conference calls this evening and just filed this report.

The newly-elected Republican mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire, has gotten phone calls from Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and George Pataki: “I don’t know who is running for president but I don’t mind telling you who has called.” That and other political news in today’s TPMDC Morning Roundup.

The Republican Study Committee is encouraging members of Congress to show up at noon at the Capitol Hill Tea Party event. But they’re at pains to tell members not to call it a “protest” or a “rally.” It’s a “press event” or “press conference.”

Meanwhile the people actually organizing the event are calling it a “desperate act” and a “last stand” in the fight against death panels and socialism. In other words, Rep. Bachmann and her fellow rally organizers have attendees ginned up for some kind of anti-Health Care Reform Alamo.

On one level it’s an entertaining example of channel conflict. But it’s also a revealing, real-time illustration of the struggle within the GOP to control and define and tame anti-reform activism.

Remember, if you’re on the Hill today, if you’re a staffer, whatever, help us keep track of what’s happening. Check out this post from last night for how to keep us posted in real time on what you’re seeing as the protestors fan out through the halls looking for members of Congress who are trying to take away their health care.

New House Republican health care bill saves money by insuring almost no one.