Bachmann Makes It Official. She’s Running for President!

    Michele Bachmann used the first question she was asked in tonight’s presidential debate to announce that she has filed the papers to run for President and will make an official announcement shortly.

The announcement makes Michele Bachmann the only woman running for the nomination this year and the first Republican woman to ever run for the Republican presidential nomination.

Bachmann Needs to the Pull the Knife Out of Palin’s Back

   After hiring controversial veteran Republican strategist Ed Rollins, it is expected that Minnesota Congresswoman and Congressional TEA Party Caucus Chair Michele Bachmann, will at any time announce her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. If she does run, while Bachmann could very well prove to be formidable in early nominating contests like Iowa and South Carolina, her plight to become the Republican presidential nominee will be far from easy. Now, thanks to her new loose cannon political operative, Ed Rollins, that plight has just gotten much harder.

On a radio show hosted by Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, Rollins took the opportunity to trash Sarah Palin.

In addition to claiming “Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years,” Rollins stated “She [Palin] got the Vice Presidential thing handed to her, she didn’t go to work in the sense of trying to gain more substance, she gave up her governorship.”

Rollins who was up until recently an operative for Mike Huckabee, claimed that now that Mike Huckabee’s not in the race, in terms of the Republican running for President, Bachmann is “probably the best communicator” He also added “Michele Bachmann and others worked hard, she has been a leader of the Tea Party which is a very important element here, she has been an attorney, she has done important things with family values.”

And Sarah Palin hasn’t?

At 68, perhaps Rollins is losing what good judgment he has left. His claim that Palin “has not been serious” is not only an utterly ludicrous charge, it is a very politically dumb and strategically damaging statement for him to make. Millions ….. “millions”… of Americans take Sarah Palin quite seriously and they take her efforts to elect limited government, family values oriented, fiscal conservatives who have an appreciation for the U.S. Constitution, very seriously.

As for the charge that Palin can’t be taken seriously because she was, as he argues, simply handed the vice presidential

Ed Rollins

nomination in 2008 and then gave up her governorship, perhaps Rollins memory is slipping. I guess he forgets all the legitimate reasons why Palin was picked to run for Vice President. Some of those reasons include her willingness to oppose and defeat a popular sitting Governor from her own Party after rooting out corruption and standing up for justice. Another reason includes her defense and promotion of family values and her ability to govern as a Mayor and a Governor in a way that was fiscally responsible and legislatively efficient.

As for her giving up the governorship, Rollins should really avoid using the propaganda of liberals to promote one conservative and denounce another. As unbelievable as it may seem to Rollins, Palin is not your average politician. She brings to her politics a level of sincerity that is rarely seen in the D.C. beltway that Ed Rollins is familiar with. And it is that sincerity which forced Palin to decide that stepping down was the best thing for the state of Alaska because it would have allowed her very capable Lieutenant Governor to continue the business of the state, unhindered by the ridiculous number of expensive, time consuming, frivolous lawsuits that liberals were relentlessly attacking Palin with.

Ever since she was nominated for Vice President and delivered some energy to the lackluster campaign of John McCain, the left lost all self control and could not give up on trying to tear Palin apart. She embodies everything the left fears in a conservative. And so they undertook an assault on Palin that she believed was not in the best interest of the people Alaska. So instead, she allowed Sean Parnell, the Lieutenant Governor, to take the reigns of power and run with the agenda she set, but to do so unincumbered by the liberal effort to take Palin down. Palin could have easily thought of what might have been best for her personal political career. But she didn’t. Instead she put the people first. And when it was all said and done, what new responsibility did Palin undertake? She set out on a mission to help insure that in 2010, true conservatives got elected to positions as Senator, Congressmen and Governors.

Rollins may not want to see it that way. But it is obvious that he doesn’t want to see the truth. The truth makes Sarah Palin the greatest threat to Michele Bachmann’s popularity and success that there is.  So instead Rollins resorts to trash talk.

But that’s Ed Rollins. For as good as he once was….and he was good, Rollins has also shown a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth.

In 1993, after working on the upset victory of Christine Todd Whitman over New Jersey Governor Jim Florio, Rollins deposited himself right into in the middle of a scandal that involved political campaign payoffs to New Jersey ministers. He told Time Magazine

“We went into black churches and we basically said to ministers who had endorsed Florio, ‘Do you have a special project?’ And they said, ‘We’ve already endorsed Florio.’ We said, ‘That’s fine, don’t get up on the Sunday pulpit and preach. We know you’ve endorsed him, but don’t get up there and say it’s your moral obligation that you go on Tuesday to vote for Jim Florio.'”

He later tried to backtrack by claiming his original statement was an exaggeration.

This latest gaffe, only enforces the perception that Rollins is losing it.  For someone who was hired to promote Bachmann, in just a few moments of air time, he has hurt her far more than he has helped.  One need to go no further than Michele’s Facebook page to see evidence of that.

In just a matter of hours since Rollins comments came out, hundreds of Face book “Fans” have begun to turn on the Congresswoman. For instance there was this from Allen Pishotta:

“Why have you stabbed Sarah Palin in the back after all she did for you last year? Why have you forsaken the Tea Party Movement in order to become a “stalking horse” for Mitt Romney and yes we all know that you are working for the RINO Romney campaign so it is no secret. What was the political bribe needed to become a “Judas” and sell …conservatives out? I once heavily supported you now I will never give you another dime after this. You nickname is now Michele “Backstabbing” Bachmann because that is what you did.”

And this from Doreen Graney:

“Hey, Michelle, the last time Ed Rollins was part of a winning campaign my oldest son was a newborn baby. Today is his 30th birthday. Hope you’re not paying him much. You won’t be getting any support from me, financial or otherwise.”

Sue Lynn writes:

“Lost my support….Your just another politician…Backstabbing a good friend that helped you get re-elected…So much for that Christian talk you talk about…sure don’t practice it…I will never support you in the future because of your actions to a good friend”

Jolyn Colon demands an apology and states:

“Ed Rollins has a reputation for being a bomb thrower. Did you know that when you hired him? You need to step up personally and 1.) issue an apology to Sarah and 2.) fire this idiot before he steps in it again. Anything else is not good enough.”

And Gary Jackson was particularly mad:

“Michele, Sarah Palin and her millions of supporters have ALWAYS had your back. ALWAYS! Now you go hire one of the biggest scum bags on earth to run your campaign and the first thing he does is trash Sarah Palin.

You realize you have effectively ended any chance you ever had at ever being elected, right?

Good luck winning your House se…at again without any Palinista support and $$$$

What a pathetic loser you are.”

Most offhand comments usually have a short political shelf life. So very often statements like those made by Rollins,  which inspired the type of anymosity seen in the words above, are normally healed by time. But that is not the case here. Unless Michele Bachmann makes some very substantial overtures to Palin  and isnure that not only are Rollins’ remarks are retracted, but that she in no way shares his thinking about Palin, Bachmann will be seriously hurt by this. As Republican red as Palin supporters are, they are also true blue to Palin and quite defensive of her.  After witnessing over two years of endless, unfair, attacks on her and her family, Palin’s supporters have a right to be defensive. And they especially have a right to defend her against one who is suppose to be on their side.

Ed Rollin’s remarks were incredibly stupid, in every way. Politically, he alienated Palin supporters, the very people who could have easily been backers of Bachmann if Palin does not run, and cost Bachmann that potential support .  And there was absolutely no reason for that. Just this past Sunday, when Sarah Palin was asked by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, if there was room for her and Michele Bachmann in the 2012 Republican presidential race, Palin gave Bachmann credit for having stregths of her own that she would bring to the race, and went on to say that Bachmann would be a welcome addition to the race…. “the more the merrier” said Palin.

Unlike Rollins, who claims that Palin is “not serious”, in that answer, Palin proved to be more politically savvy than Rollins, a so called political expert. Well now it is time for Michele Bachmann to show how politically savvy she is. Does she have the ability to correct the wrong done to her by her own political consultant? Short of firing him, Palin supporters may not ever believe so.

Michele Bachmann’s Ready To Announce Her Candidacy for President

White House 2012 had previously made clear that the month of May, would begin to set the Republican race for President in stone. Most potential candidates had indicated at the latest, a June deadline for their decisions. As such, any of them who were leaning towards announcing their candidacy, would more than likely have to make some preparation that would not go unnoticed by either the media, political insiders, or both. That is now the case with Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

The recent decisions by Donald Trump and most especially Mike Huckabee, seem to have taken her from giving a run some serious consideration, to being sure that she will run.

According to political reporter and analysts Chris Stirewalt, on Monday, on the heels of both Huckabees and Trumps decisions not to run for President, advisors to Congresswoman Bachmann let it be know that she is likely to jump in to the race and that she has begun searching for pollsters, consultants and all the other necessary staff components for a presidential campaign. According to Stirewalt, one D.C. based consultant close to Bachmanns camp said This is now beyond speculation. They are doing this.

I have been leery of Michele Bachmanns intentions to run for President in 2012. This is not based on any disapproval of the Congresswoman. To the contrary, it was based on a hope of for the longevity of her ability to be a maverick political forceon the inside of the system.

Beyond two of the first three nominating contests, I fear that the Congresswomans chances of winning enough primaries and caucuses were out of her reach. Bachmann can and probably will do quite well in the early contests of Iowa and South Carolina. These two states are uniquely ripe for her character and politics. And as is Bachmann, these two states are strongly influenced by evangelical principles and activism. In fact they are dominated by evangelical forces, especially in the case of Republican politics. But once the campaign moves beyond Iowa, and South Carolina, that influence which is a strong suit for the Congresswoman, will become more and more diluted. This is especially true in contests outside of the Southern Bible Belt.

Even New Hampshires primary, which falls in between the Iowa Caucus and the South Carolina Primary election, Bachmann is not likely to do very well. But a loss there would certainly derail her candidacy. New Hampshire id a state closely connected to Mitt Romney and he expected to be the winner there. Besides, if Bachmann could bookend a loss in New Hampshire with wins in Iowa and South Carolina, New Hampshire will be nothing more than a bump in the road.

After South Carolina, Bachmann will still have a fair shot at Florida, another state that has a highly active evangelical Republican structure. But here Bachmann will begin to struggle with a the more diverse electorates of the more heavily populated states in the nation. Ultimately, I believe that while Bachmann will start strong I do not believe that she will finish strong and in the end, not win the Republican presidential nomination. It is for that reason, that I have doubted Bachmanns willingness to run for a nomination that she is less likely to win than lose and give up her seat in the House of Representatives in the process.

Recent events though, shed some light on why Michele Bachmann might be inclined to not seek reelection in the House.

Bachmann knows that in 2012, with president Obama at the top of the ticket, Democrats are going to target her. The Congresswoman is a thorn in the lefts side and so in addition to wanting to try to take enough seats to recapture control of the House, they would love to do so by ridding themselves of Republican firebrands like her. But Bachmann has never shied away from a tough race and she has usually prevailed. This time though, in addition to being targeted by Democrats, Bachmann will be a victim of redistricting. How much her district will be redrawn is not yet established, but no matter how it is drawn, she will have to campaign for reelection among voters that are new to her and those voters will probably not be as conservative as they are in her district as it currently exists.

The combination of the knowledge that Bachmann will be damaged by redistricting and that she will be a top target by Democrats and President Obama himself, may account for Bachmanns willingness to choose a run for President over standing for reelection to Congress. Additionally; there is nothing to say that if the Congresswomans presidential campaign starts to wane early enough, she could always pull out of the race in time to file her papers for reelection to her current House seat.

So Bachmann may not have much to lose by running for President while at the same time, she could have much to gain. Her presidential candidacy will advance the issues that are important to her. It will also raise her visibility and national ID which in turn will elevate her level of influence in conservative circles.

If Bachmann does in fact run, while she may not have the best chance at winning the nomination, her candidacy will certainly have a large effect on who is or isnt the nominee. In many ways, Congresswoman Bachmann could play the same role in the 2012 nomination contest that Mike Huckabee played in the 2008 contests. She could be strong enough to attract enough votes from other candidates like Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, and/or Mitch Daniels, to allow Mitt Romney to win.

That is the effect that Mike Huckabee had in 2008. He attracted enough votes away from Mitt Romney, to make it possible for John McCain to ultimately win the nomination. And like Mike Huckabee, now that he is out of the race, Congresswoman Bachmann could easily win the Iowa Caucuses. At the very least, this could all help delay the emergence of a clear frontrunner.

Michele Bachmann; “I Am In for 2012”

Speaking this weekend at a meeting of NICHE, the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators, Congresswoman Bachmann looked and sounded like a candidate for President as she spoke of broadly articulated themes of independence and American exceptionalism thatwere based on the free power of the people, not the sweeping authority of federal bureaucracy.

She addressed the home schooling audience as one of them, a home schooling parents. The Congresswoman essentially to tied her stump speech into the theme of the event by claiming that just as the sovereignty of parents is being encroached upon by the state, so is the sovereignty of our nation. For the speech in it’s entirety, see below.

Bachmann continues to try to endear herself to Iowans by accentuating her Iowa roots and calling herself an Iowegian, one of the many people in Iowa who are of Norwegian ancestry and have helped turn Iowa in to the breadbasket of the nation.

But it was in her closing statement that she really sounded like a the hopeful owner of a lottery ticket who knows you gotta’ be in it to win it, as she proclaimed;

“This is the indispensable nation. And so I ask you will you consider these words as you look forward to 2012. Whether you are willing to be in, and whether you are willing to lay it on the line. I believe you are. I know that I am. I am in for 2012 to make sure that that torch of liberty is not extinguished on our watch because Lincoln was right. We can’t trust the politicians. We can only trust the politicians.”

From Des Moines, Bachmann Says She Is Encouraged To Run for President

During her 5 day swing through Iowa, in a live interview with Fox News from Des Moines, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann confirmed being encouraged by the level of support she is receiving in the early caucus and primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Bachmann states that ultimately she and her husband must make a decision based upon whether or not they truly feel running for President at this time is the right thing to do. That decision is expected to come in a matter of weeks.

When asked if Bachmann could ultimately be competitive with President Obamas expected $1 billon in campaign funds, if she decides to run, the Congresswoman believes that she can. She points out that in the 2010 election cycle, she broke all fundraising records for members of Congress by raising more money than all others. She is also quick to point out that from what shes seen among the electorate, the atmosphere is right for making sure that President Obama is a one term President.

Bachmann Barnstorms Iowa for 5 Days Straight

Michele Bachmann is using the one week recess that Congress is in, for a five day campaign style tour of Iowa, the state that holds the nations first presidential caucus.

So far her tentative schedule is as follows:

Wednesday:

• Speech at the state Capitol building in Des Moines for a Christian home school educators event,
• Speech at another home school event at a Des Moines hotel.

Thursday:

• Numerous private meetings
• 5 :00pm EST, Bachmann will hold Facebook town hall
• Meet and Greet at Iowa Renewal Project’s event at the Sheraton in West Des Moines
• Hold an after-dinner reception for the Iowa Renewal Project

Friday:

• Private meetings

Saturday:

• Speaking at the Conservative Principles Conference in Des Moines
• Many other to be announced stops and impromptu gatherings will take place.

Bachmann is slated to fly out of Iowa, late Saturday.

The Congresswomans staff intends to provide a live stream of her public events on her website

Bachmann has repeatedly said that she wants to make sure that she helps to shape the national debate that goes during the time leading up to the presidential election. The statement allows for defining her intentions of 5 days of campaigning in Iowa with a broad brush, but to place this much emphasis on trying to structure the debate in one particular state, is enough to suggest that she is looking hard at trying to shape that debate as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

If Bachmann were to run, her greatest impact would likely take place in Iowa where a strong evangelical base is particularly in tune with and supportive of Bachmanns conservative social values as well as her conservative fiscal thinking and TEA Party message. However, even if she were to win the Iowa caucus, her lead will likely be short lived as the campaign moves to New Hampshire and beyond where other candidates with greater regional appeal than Bachmann will be much more competitive.

That short-lived success could help benefit one potential Republican candidate most. That would be Mitt Romney.

Romneys campaign is in the race for the long haulyet a win for him in Iowa is going to be rough. But if someone like Michele Bachmann were to split the Iowa Caucus vote between contenders like Pawlenty, Huckabee and Barbour, Romney would be dealt a chance to finish better than expected. And should Bachmann happen to win in Iowa, that too will help Romney. The Congresswoman is not likely to last much further than South Carolina and so if she were to prevent other long term candidates such as Mike Huckabee, or Haley Barbour from getting a lock on frontrunner status, it will make it much easier for Romney to do as the nomination contest moves beyond South Carolina.

Perhaps the biggest question to all this though, are the plans of Sarah Palin. Palin would be another candidate in this for long haul and if she were to decide to run, it could be the decisive factor that makes Bachmann decide not to run. Palin and Bachmann essentially appeal to the same base and both are TEA Party favorites who could significantly dilute their effects on the election if they split that vote between one another.

Bachmann’s Eventful Swing Through New Hampshire

Minnesota Congresswoman recently embarked upon a two day swing through New Hampshire. The tour was filled with campaign-like stops at everything from a local diner, to a GOP fundraiser.

In the speech provided in the video below, Congresswoman Bachmann addresses a New Hampshire Republican State Committee fundraiser in Nashua. Here she addressed everything from liberal spending on things like Cowboy poetry festivals, to haphazardly issuing Obamacare waivers to states like Maine.

Also at this stop was a few moments of disruption by protesters who suddenly began chanting, “Michele Bachmann, we insist. End the AIDS treatment waiting list.” The reference was to the policy by cash trapped states to stop or reduce funding of the AIDS drugs distribution program. In some cases state’s are creating waiting lists for AIDS patients to go on before they can get assistance for the very expensive drugs they need.

At a separate event in Nashua, Bachmann began to talk about the principles which found our nation and referenced Lexington and Concord and the historic battle that occurred their, to have taken place New Hampshire. The events actually took place in neighboring Massachusetts. On Saturdaqy Bachmann acknowledged the gaffe in a twitter statement that read;

“So I misplaced the battles Concord and Lexington by saying they were in New Hampshire. It was my mistake, Massachusetts is where they happened. New Hampshire is where they are still proud of it!”

Of all that took place and was said during Bachmann’s, this gaffe is what will be getting the headlines and most of the attention among the left. But as a reminder to them I present the following video of a man once who Senator Barack Obama. While running for President he infamously elevated the number of states in the Union. And apparently all those extra states voted for him too. Oh wait…. that was ACORN.

For a more detailed history of President Obama’s incredible oratory skills and knowledge, see the video below;

Bachmann Enters New Hampshire and Moves Closer to Presidential Run

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has today begun a two day swing through the first in the nation primary state of New Hampshire. The trip is her first foray into the Live Free or Die State since speculation about her becoming a presidential campaign began in earnest this past January.

Bachmanns New Hampshire trip is one that is rich in its courting of the states conservative and TEA Party base vote. On her agenda are events that include the attendance of a New Hampshire Republican State Committee fundraising event in Nashua, the giving of a keynote speech at a fundraiser for the Granite State Patriots Liberty PAC , a reception of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, a meet and greet whistle-stop style campaign event at a popular New Hampshire diner and a private fundraiser hosted by the Director of Development and Business Relations for the New Hampshire Republican Party.

Joining Bachmann on this trip will be her husband and three of her 5 biological and 23 foster cared children.

According CNNs Peter Hamby, aides close to Bachmann claim that the Congresswoman is leaning towards a run for the Republican presidential nomination but in previous statements, the Congresswoman has been less committal and only stated that she is not ready to make a decision one or the other yet but is not closing any doors. Bachmann makes the point of that whether she runs or not, she intends to make sure that she helps shape the presidential debate and insure that the important issues are addressed.

Bachmann Headed to South Carolina. But Not To Run for President

Politics is one of those areas where you never say never. In a field where convicted felons can get elected and dead ones can get reelected, anything can happen. In 2006, no one really believed that a young State Senator from Illinois would become President of the United States within two years. And who would have ever imagined that a Saturday Night Live comedian would be able to steal an election to become a United States Senator? So when it comes to the 2012 presidential election , I will not say that Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann doesnt have a snowballs chance in Hawaii, a state she just visited on Wednesday to address conservatives in, but I will say that she is not likely to be the Republican nominee for President. Yet Bachmann has embarked upon a tour of America that forces us to ask, if she is not running for President, what is she doing?.

A few weeks ago she gave an address before a conservative tax group in Iowa. This weekend she heads to Montana where she will be the keynote speaker at the Lewis and Clark County Republican Lincoln-Reagan dinner. Now comes word that on the 19th of this month, she will be heading to South Carolina, an early primary state, and one that is seen as a pivotal prelude to the delegate rich Southern primaries that follow it.

Bachmann claims that she merely wants to be a part of the discussion that takes place in 2012. She says that she wants to make sure that all the right issues are addressed in the right way. But for Bachmann to do that, she need not travel thousands of miles to address relatively small crowds of people every week. As a Congresswoman, she has a megaphone big enough for her message to get out. We all know this. That is why after many repeated questions about a run for President, Michele remained coy but admitted that the option is there and that she does not feel rushed to make a decision.

So what is Michele really doing?

Congresswoman Bachmann is trying to play it smart. Thats what shes doing.

No one really knows what the Republican presidential field will look like in 6 months. Aside from Romney, Pawlenty, Santorum and a few other names like Gary Johnson, Herman Cain and Fred Karger, we really cant be sure which way Republican allegiances will fall, because there is no certainty that other names like Gingrich, Daniels, Huntsman, Barbour, Huckabee, DeMint, Perry, Paul, or Palin, are going to be running. Depending upon the combination of candidates that finally do comprise the G.O.P. field, the possibility exists for a new name to enter the field, one that can consolidate the anti-establishment TEA Party movement and bridge it with the conservative base of the Republican Party.

Right now, few if any names are exciting large segments of the TEA Party and conservatives are not gravitating towards any one name yet. Depending on who finally enters the race, Bachmann could actually be that bridge between conservatives and TEA Party activists. Aside from Sarah Palin, few potential candidates other than Herman Cain, fire up that significant segment of the electorate. And Herman Cain really only has a regional base among those voters in the South. Jim DeMint is another very possible bridge between the Republican base and TEA movement members, but the chances of him running, while existent, are not very high. However; in the likelihood that Palin and/or DeMInt do not run who else is there to fill this TEA Party void? Michele Bachmann.

At the same time, we can not underestimate the ability of a well run campaign from some of the likely names running, to hit the right chords and attract both conservatives and the anti-establishment TEA groups. Mitt Romney may actually be able to pitch his Achilles heal, Romney-Care, as an example of states rights and differentiate his plan from Obamacare by demonstrating that the big difference was the right of the state to enact such a program, while at the same time being something that he always knew was inappropriate for a President and the federal government to impose on all the states. And on top of that, Romney does have a pleasing record of private sector experience and conservative credentials that will be attractive to many in the G.O.P..

Then there is Newt Gingrich. Underestimating him will also be a mistake. Newt is a true ideas man and the combination of ideas and a keen ability to articulate the heart and soul of conservatism and American exceptionalism, may astonish a broader spectrum of the electorate than some expect.

Other candidates who have the ability to tap into the overriding sentiments of the electorate are Mitch Daniels, Haley Barbour and maybe even Tim Pawlenty.

The truth is, the evolving Republican field has the potential to be very crowded and filled with some of the most exceptional leaders the Party has had to offer in generations. In fact it could be so crowded that the conservatives, moderates, and TEA Party activists could be extremely divided and make this one of the closest nomination contests in modern history.

That is where Michele Bachmann comes in.

Bachmann is not going to run for President. She is however going to try to make sure that she selects the next Republican presidential nominee for President.

Regardless of who does or doesnt run, if Bachmann were to run, she would not be able to run for reelection to Congress in 2012 and her congressional seat is her real bully pulpit. However, by simultaneously hitting key primary and caucus states as she tours the country and fires up the forces, Bachmann kills two birds with one stone. She continues to fuel speculation about a presidential bid, a rumor that elevates her stature and solidifies her support from the TEA Party that she has come to represent, and the conservatives that are looking for a hero. This in turn will not only do what Bachmann said and be a part of the discussion, it will also allow her to become a kingmaker.

The Bachmann tour is designed to allow Micheles endorsement to be critical to the likes of a Mitt Romney, Haley Barbour, Mitch Daniels or even a Newt Gingrich. If the G.O.P. presidential field is indeed crowded and if the vote is as divided as it currently looks like could be, Bachmanns fired up conservative and TEA Party forces could make the difference. Especially for someone like Mitt Romney.

To understand some of the motivation behind this, one must realize that Bachmann has found it necessary to make some bold tactical moves that can insure she has a seat at the Washington leadership table. After Republicans took control of the House, Bachmann had hoped to become the House Republican Conference Chair, the fourth highest post in the House. She was ultimately denied this position. Apparently, much of the House Republican leadership was uncomfortable with giving Bachmann the position because many deemed her to be too controversial and believed she participated in too much grandstanding. Imagine that, a politician grandstanding.

While Bachmann put on a happy face and offered her enthusiastic support for the man the leadership did want in the position, Jeb Hensarling of Texas, she was not pleased. Now she is trying to insure that she has a degree of power and influence that even Hensarling wont have..the ability to play kingmaker and determine who the next President may be. Of course in order for to this to work, a few things are required. One; Sarah Palin cant run and two, the field needs to be a crowded one that offers no clear favorite early on.

So despite all the rumors about a Michele Bachmann presidential candidacy in 2012, and regardless of how coy her answers may be when asked if she is running, Bachmann is not running for President but she is running to make sure that she has the ability to pick who the President will be. That said, I must reiterate my early statement……… never say never. In the end, who knows who will be running and exactly where the Republican convention delegates will fall? The Republican presidential nominating contest could be so close that the nominee is determined by Hawaii, where Michele just wrapped up her latest speaking engagement.