Bachmann tribute to Elvis marks wrong anniversary

SPARTANBURG: Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann offered a "happy birthday" message to the late singer Elvis Presley on Monday, even though August 16 is the anniversary of his death in 1977.

"Happy Birthday, Elvis!" Bachmann shouted from the stage at a campaign stop in the parking lot of The Beacon, a South Carolina drive-in restaurant famous for its fried food and sweet tea.

After her stump speech, the congresswoman from Minnesota told a group of reporters that she was happy to be in South Carolina "on the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death."

"He's still alive. He's alive in our hearts," Bachmann said.

Later, a campaign organizer who did not want to be identified said with a wink: "You celebrate Elvis because he never died."

Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi.