Michele Bachmann might have to play second-fiddle to Sarah Palin, but she still gets to go to Opryland. Bachmann's office confirmed Wednesday morning that she has accepted an invitation to speak at the First National Tea Party Convention at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville Feb. 4-6. She's been booked as one of the breakfast speakers. An unabashed conservative running for her third-term in Minnesota's Sixth District next year, Bachmann has become something of a folk hero in the Tea Party movement that coalesced in town hall meetings last summer against the Democrats' health reform plans, which they see as a massive government takeover of the health insurance business. Bachmann drew a crowd of thousands to the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 5, a demonstration of both her popular and fundraising appeal outside the normal machinery of the Republican Party. The First National Tea Party Convention could also be a sign of the Tea Party Nation's growing organizational strength. The convention brings together a host of conservative groups, including the National Taxpayers Union, American Majority, Smart Girl Politics, and SurgeUSA. Of course, the keynote speaking slot goes to Palin, who needs no introduction, but who for purposes of this blog will be identified as a former Alaska Gov. and 2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee. Palin's bad press often gets her written off as a serious 2012 presidential contender, cracking the door open just slightly for speculation about Bachmann's political ambitions down the road. In Nashville, they'll both be breathing the same air.