WASHINGTON — Rep. Michele Bachmann dropped her leadership bid late Wednesday, endorsing her former challenger Jeb Hensarling for the chairmanship of the House Republican Conference.
The move ended the House Tea Party Caucus founder’s week-long campaign for the No. 4 spot in the House GOP leadership and came hours after a report that Hensarling was close to securing the votes needed for the job.
“Jeb Henserling has my enthusiastic support for his candidacy to become Republican House Conference Chair,” Bachmann said in a statement. “Jeb has demonstrated his commitment to limited government, reduced spending and lower taxes and he will be a strong voice for the Tea Party’s call for these values.
“I look forward to continuing my consistent support of the Tea Party. I plan to advance the Tea Party ideals through their listening arm, the Tea Party Caucus. It is my wish to bring new faces to the caucus, including freshmen members.”
Hensarling, meanwhile, called Bachmann a “dear friend” and promised to promote a rock-solid conservative agenda in the 112th Congress that focuses on job creation and cutting spending.
“Michele Bachmann is a committed movement conservative whose effective voice played an important role in America’s decision to trust House Republicans once again,” Hensarling said.
House Republican leaders had been quick to line up behind Hensarling and sent strong signals that their decision was not only about who they wanted, but who they didn’t want. In her statement, Bachmann attempted to patch any cracks in the relationship by endorsing likely Speaker John Boehner by name:
“The new Congress will have great opportunities to lead our country into the direction our founders intended. I spoke with Mr. Boehner and other members of leadership and I am convinced they will wholeheartedly work towards the issues the American people are calling for such as fiscal responsibility, ending the bailouts and repealing Obamacare.”
This is how the old bulls roll in the GOP leadership. This calender girl only gets lip service.
Thus do we see that the “Tea Party” movement was a complete sham – just a cleverly dishonest rebranding designed to convince the rubes (their attitude toward you, not mine) that a few courageous individuals could turn the GOP away from serving only the interests of the fabulously wealthy toward actually caring about the “little people.”
Rand Paul is doing the same thing.
Hey, all you “Tea Party” members, do you realize how completely you’ve been HAD!?
It’s really got to burn Bachmann up that the there will actually be a tea partier in the GOP leadership. Just that it will be the incoming Freshman rep from South Dakota, in a position created just for her, and not Bachmann.
Could there be a whiff of Karl Rove in the background?
GOP leadership realizes that the Mouth that Roars is better suited for Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly than actual governing. Rep. Bachman will continue to be the voice of misinformation and malicious rumor, and leadership can deny responsibility.
March us on Michelle! Back to the 1890s we go, Karl Rove’s beloved Golden Age of American democracy. 120 years later the new robber barons continue to rule.