Skip to Content
D.C. Dispatches

Bachmann's office confirms she's interested in running for president

By Derek Wallbank | 01/05/11
Rep. Michele Bachmann
MinnPost/Raoul Benavides
Rep. Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON — Rep. Michele Bachmann’s office confirmed to MinnPost this morning that she is interested in a potential presidential bid.

Bachmnan spokesman Doug Sachtleben said “nothing is off the table.”

Sachtleben said the interest is a reflection of the congresswoman’s belief that the United States “cannot afford” another four years with President Obama in the White House.

“She’s been looked to by the Tea Party movement as someone who’s a leader,” Sachtleben said. “The Tea Party movement sees her in a significant role of speaking up.”

Bachmann will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 21 to speak at an Iowans for Tax Relief PAC fundraiser. It will be her first high-profile trip to Iowa in this presidential season.

Bachmann, a native of Waterloo, has many friends in the state. She is also close to Iowa U.S. Rep. Steve King, a founding member of Bachmann’s Tea Party Caucus in Congress and whose name was included on the invitation to Bachmann’s speaking event.

Of course, fellow Minnesota Republican Tim Pawlenty is also preparing to run for president and is expected to announce his candidacy later this year.

I’ll continue to report on this story, which ABC News first reported, and will have updates later in the day.

Related Tags:

Comments (8)

Submitted by Jan Menke on January 5, 2011 - 12:11pm.

As I suggested in another post, can someone please buy Bachmann a pogo stick to keep her interested in something else besides misrepresenting the sixth district.

Submitted by Jim Halonen on January 5, 2011 - 12:16pm.

Bachmann's jumping in the pool of candidates will steer the converstion decidedly conservative, which is great. It will be more difficult for a RINO to get the nomination.

Submitted by DeeAnn Christensen on January 5, 2011 - 12:28pm.

If the pool of candidates is steered even to the right of Atilla the Hun...it IS great as it will mean the Huns will even less chance of being elected president.

Submitted by Jeremy Powers on January 5, 2011 - 12:42pm.

Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope she is the nominee. Nowhere but some trashy southern states and Minnesota's Sixth will Bachmann do anything but anger the political middle with her weird sense of government to the point that people will vote against her even if there is a natural disaster happening during Election Day.

Submitted by Dave Kopesky on January 5, 2011 - 1:03pm.

Obama could not wish for anything more than to have either Palin or Bachmann head the GOP ticket. Romney is a waffler but also not a loudmouth ideologue. My biggest fear is someone who can win the election puts her in the #2 spot. I can't imagine having such an uninformed irrational person a heartbeat away from the job. We had four years of J. Danforth Quayle but the world was a less scary place then.

Submitted by Bernice Vetsch on January 5, 2011 - 2:11pm.

"Iowans for Tax Relief" would no doubt be Grover Norquist anti-tax/pledge signing brigade in that poor state.

Submitted by Christine Richardson on January 5, 2011 - 2:12pm.

Ah........ Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha.

Submitted by Jean Schiebel on January 5, 2011 - 2:34pm.

As the great philosopher, Kieth Olberman has said over and over...
"This woman is an Idiot"