Bachmann Campaign Expresses Regret After Manager Goes on Tear Over Alleged Bias at CBS

The campaign manager for Michele Bachmann called the head of CBS' political news to apologize for calling him a "fraud" and a more scatological term after the Minnesota congresswoman's team said it had proof the network tried to marginalize her during Saturday night's Republican presidential candidate debate.

The Bachmann for President campaign released an email chain on Saturday that it says indicates a "planned effort to limit" the number of questions Bachmann would receive at Saturday night's CBS/National Journal Debate.

Communications Director Alice Stewart said the campaign inadvertently received a message from CBS Political Director John Dickerson to Senior Producer Caroline Horn about getting a guest from the Bachmann camp to appear on the webshow.

"Okay let's keep it loose though since she's not going to get many questions and she's nearly off the charts in the hopes that we can get someone else," Dickerson writes to Horn and others.

Horn then copies Stewart on the reply, in which she writes: "I was just speaking with Alice Stewart, cc'd here, about the Congresswoman or a senior member if (sic) her staff joining you for the webshow. She said she would be happy to arrange. Sarah - you want to touch base with her later tonight?"

Bachmann aides say when they contacted CBS and National Journal about the Dickerson email before the debate, they were assured she would be given fair treatment.

After the debate, they expressed frustration  and anger, and shared the exchange with reporters in the spin room.

Speaking post-debate, Campaign Manager Keith Nahigian told reporters what he thought of Dickerson.

"John Dickerson should be fired. He is a piece of s---. He is a fraud and he should be fired," Nahigian said.

Nahigian later expressed regret for the phrase after saying he could not recall his choice of words in the description.

A CBS spokeswoman did not apologize for the email.

"It was a candid exchange about the reality of the circumstances -- Bachmann remains at 4 percent in the polls," the spokeswoman told Fox News.