Rep. Michele Bachmann's Claims Open Bitter Divide Among Fellow Republicans

GOP leaders are sharply criticizing Representative Michele Bachmann for seeking an investigation into a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Bachmann, a Republican from Minnesota and onetime presidential hopeful, and four GOP colleagues want federal security agencies to investigate possible infiltration by the Muslim Brotherhood into the U.S. government. They say the organization has the mission of "destryoing Western civilization from within," and say that three family members of long-time Clinton aide, Huma Abedin, have connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Bachmann's former campaign manager and long-time Republican operative Ed Rollins says the the charge against Abedin is "downright vicious, and reaches the late Senator Joe McCarthy level." Republicans like Senator John McCain and House Speaker John Boehner have jumped in to defend Abedin against the charges.

Abedin is an American-born, practicing Muslim of Indian and Pakistani descent.