We live in an age where potential Republican candidates for the presidency can apparently be bested by high schoolers.

If you thought Sarah Palin's deer in the headlights response to Katie Couric's questioning was a new low in national politics, and the fitness of GOP candidates, wait until you hear this.

Amy Myers, a 15 year old high school sophomore from Cherry Valley, New Jersey has challenged Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann to a public debate on the constitution, U.S. history, and civics.

Myers says that Bachmann's frequent factual errors, bald misstatements and total distortions aren't just bad for civic discourse - they're bad for women and the nation.

Meyer's letter:

"Dear Representative Bachmann,

My name is Amy Myers. I am a Cherry Hill, New Jersey sophomore attending Cherry Hill High School East. As a typical high school student, I have found quite a few of your statements regarding The Constitution of the United States, the quality of public school education and general U.S. civics matters to be factually incorrect, inaccurately applied or grossly distorted. The frequency and scope of these comments prompted me to write this letter.

Though I am not in your home district, or even your home state, you are a United States Representative of some prominence who is subject to national media coverage. News outlets and websites across this country profile your causes and viewpoints on a regular basis. As one of a handful of women in Congress, you hold a distinct privilege and responsibility to better represent your gender nationally.

The statements you make help to serve an injustice to not only the position of Congresswoman, but women everywhere. Though politically expedient, incorrect comments cast a shadow on your person and by unfortunate proxy, both your supporters and detractors alike often generalize this shadow to women as a whole.

Rep. Bachmann, the frequent inability you have shown to accurately and factually present even the most basic information about the United States led me to submit the follow challenge, pitting my public education against your advanced legal education:

I, Amy Myers, do hereby challenge Representative Michele Bachmann to a Public Forum Debate and/or Fact Test on The Constitution of the United States, United States History and United States Civics.

Hopefully, we will be able to meet for such an event, as it would prove to be enlightening.

Sincerely yours,
Amy Myers."

So far no one has been able to ascertain whether Meyers is an actual student or simply an adult making a statement about the debased level of discourse that passes for politics in some conservative circles nowadays. Time will twill. Either way the larger point is all too relevant.

Bachman's gambit, if indeed it is one, seems to be to deliberately dumb down her campaign positions to appeal to the prejudices of her less than enlightened supporters, which would imply she's a con artist - or she truly is in fact ruinously stupid and every inch the ignoramus her remarks make her out to be. Time will tell here too.