Michele Bachmann

Call it satire if you’d like, but it’s false information.

Just before the start of the Labor Day holiday weekend, the reelection campaign for Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced its campaign manager, Jesse Benton, was resigning. Benton was leaving the campaign, Politico reports, "citing potential distractions over renewed attention to a scandal from the…

Barack Obama's administration will not be sending any sitting American politicians to attend funeral services for the former U.K. prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The Guardian reports:

Manchester, N.H.

Michele Bachmann’s speech announcing her departure from the presidential field emphasized the singular importance of repealing Obamacare. Referring to Howard Chandler Christy’s painting of the signing of the Constitution, which hangs in the United States Capitol, she said: 

Last night, after finishing 5th in the Iowa caucus with ten percent of the vote, Texas governor Rick Perry said he was going back home to reassess whether he would stay in the presidential race. "I've decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight's caucus, determine whether there is a…

James Novogrod of NBC tweets some developments this morning suggesting that Bachmann's out:

Des Moines

New York Times: "New Focus on Incendiary Words in Paul’s Newsletters"

Sioux City, Iowa

Matthew Continetti predicted earlier today that tonight's debate could be “Michele's Moment.” He may well prove to be right.

A new poll from Gallup today finds that a majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents find Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney "acceptable" nominees for the GOP. For Gingrich, 62 percent of those polled said the former House speaker was an acceptable Republican nominee, while 54 percent…

A new national poll of likely Republican primary voters from Rasmussen Reports shows Newt Gingrich with a 21-point lead over Mitt Romney. According to Rasmussen, this is the largest lead held by any GOP candidate this cycle. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed prefer Gingrich while only 17…

During Tuesday night’s national security debate on CNN, Newt Gingrich said he was “prepared to take the heat” for his position that immigration laws ought to be enforced “humanely” in order to avoid unnecessarily breaking up families.

Rick Perry:  "My Tax and Spending Reform Plan"

James Pindell reports: 

Public Policy Polling (PPP) has a new survey showing Barack Obama may be in real trouble in Ohio, the perennial swing state that he won by just over 260,000 votes in 2008. According to PPP, Obama's approval rating in Ohio is at 43 percent, with only 39 percent of independents approving of his job.

At the beginning of the second hour of Tuesday night's debate in Hanover, New Hampshire, moderator Charlie Rose prompted each candidate to ask another candidate a question. More than half the candidates used the opportunity to take on Romney.

Another Republican presidential debate, another forceful performance by Mitt Romney. The subject was the economy, jobs, and finance—Romney’s strong suits—and he made the most of it, having more to say on those subjects and saying it more cogently than the other seven candidates.

A calmer, more subdued Michele Bachmann took to the stage Friday night at the Values Voter Summit in Washington. Her voice was noticeably less passionate than in stump speeches past.

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann sat down last night with Steve Hayes, Bret Baier, Charles Krauthammer, and Dan Balz for a roundtable interview:

Mark McKinnon: "Chris Christie's Best Reason to Run"

The polling firm American Research Group has a new survey of Iowa Republican voters, showing Mitt Romney leading with 21 percent, Michele Bachmann receiving 15 percent of support, and Rick Perry with 14 percent. A full 15 percent of those polled are undecided. ARG polled 600 likely Republican…

In addition to its main results, which John McCormack reported earlier, the latest CNN poll asked all respondents (not screening for likely or registered voters) whether a given candidate “has the personality and leadership qualities a President should have.” In that vein, here’s how President…

Herman Cain won today's Florida Republican party straw poll with 37.1 percent of the vote. Rick Perry came in second at 15.4 percent, with Mitt Romney not far behind in third at 14 percent. Michele Bachmann, who won last month's straw poll in Ames, Iowa, came in last today with only 1.5 percent.…

Orlando, Florida “Howdy,” Rick Perry says, welcoming the crowd at the Rosen Center Hotel. It's hours before Thursday's debate, and the Texas governor is speaking to activists participating in a “Meet and Greet” pre-debate party organized by the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Perry's the last…

A CBS News/New York Times poll taken from September 10th-15th (both before and after the most recent debate) shows Rick Perry with a 7-point edge (23 to 16 percent) over Mitt Romney among registered voters who intend to vote in a Republican primary or caucus. Newt Gingrich has moved into a tie with…

Declare the pennies on your eyes: Jan Schakowsky doesn't think you deserve to keep all the money you earn.

In last night's GOP presidential debate Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann lambasted Texas governor Rick Perry for his executive order, which never went into effect, that sixth grade girls should receive a vaccine to prevent HPV, a sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer.…

At Monday night’s GOP debate in Tampa, Mitt Romney continued to defend the health care law he signed as governor of Massachusetts while insisting that Barack Obama’s signature Obamacare law ought to be repealed. Romney contrasted his “Romneycare” plan with the president’s law as best as he could.

Jon Huntsman, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum have taken the stage in Tampa, Florida for the Tea Party Express/CNN debate. Moderator Wolf Blitzer announced that all 8 GOP presidential candidates were on stage. But they aren't . . .…

Fifteen minutes into last night’s Republican presidential debate, Michele Bachmann became the first candidate to mention and attack Obamacare. She did so after five other debaters had already spoken, and in response to a question that didn’t explicitly reference the overhaul — thereby immediately…

Michele Bachmann knows that the Constitution prohibits the states from imposing health-insurance mandates.  She just doesn't know what part of the Constitution does this.  But she's open to suggestions. 

A new Rasmussen survey shows President Barack Obama is statistically tied with Rick Perry in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. Perry leads Obama in the survey of 1000 likely voters 44 percent to 41 percent, a first for Perry in the Rasmussen polls, but the 3-point margin of error means the president and…

Jon Ward at the Huffington Post talks to advisers close to Mitt Romney about the campaign's thinking of its chief rival, Rick Perry. Beyond subtle criticisms, like referring to Perry as a "career politician," the Romney campaign apparently thinks the Texas governor's worst enemy could be himself:

Per a new Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll, Christian Heinze at the Hill points out that Mitt Romney is remaining strong in Florida:

When discussing the Republican nomination battle, it is critically important to understand the invisible primary that happens between now and the Iowa caucuses in early January and how it will affect the nomination.

Rasmussen has just released a new poll of the GOP presidential candidates, and after less than a week in the race, Texas governor Rick Perry leads Mitt Romney by 11 points:

A reader, inspired, he says, “by the sudden outburst of poesy at THE WEEKLY STANDARD,” sends in this reflection on last night’s debate:

Thursday's Republican presidential debate in Ames, Iowa featured at least a few testy exchanges. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum sparred over the Iranian threat. Newt Gingrich slapped Fox News moderator Chris Wallace for asking about departures of his campaign staff. And Tim Pawlenty jabbed at Mitt…

Associated Press: "Norway suspect borrowed from Unabomber's manifesto"

AP: "GOP pushes huge deficit-cutting bill through House"

Ben Smith: "Report: NRSC, Obama donor arrested as Pakistan agent"

Andrew Biggs and Matthew Jensen: Cutting spending, not raising taxes, is the path to prosperity.

Winning the sweepstakes for the most hysterical piece of political journalism in recently is no mean feat, but I think Joshua Green at The Atlantic might have done it:

Via Hot Air: Public Policy Polling reports that Michele Bachmann is far more popular in the key state of New Hampshire than she was just three months ago:

Following on Matt Continetti’s cover story this week, “Queen of the Tea Party,” a host of writers seem to have awakened to the charms, and the potential, of Michele Bachmann. The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza insightfully describes her “unique appeal” in an account of a town hall meeting in Rock…

"Strauss-Kahn Case Seen as in Jeopardy"

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann criticized President Obama's plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan yesterday in an interview with NPR's Mara Liasson.

One gets the sense that some in the media are doing their best to help Michele Bachmann win the Republican nomination by attacking her over ridiculous kerfuffles. The latest example involves her claim that the Founding Fathers "worked tirelessly" to end slavery. On Good Morning America, host George…

"Thirteen Clear Factual Errors" in that Time magazine cover story on the Constitution.

Ron Carey, one of many former chiefs of staff to Michele Bachmann, writes in a Des Moines Register op-ed that Bachmann is not ready to be president: 

Give Bachmann a break on this John Wayne nonsense, em kay?

Michele Bachmann has been playing up her Iowa roots as she campaigns for the presidency, but today she made a small gaffe involving Iowa history and geography. "Well what I want them to know is just like, John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa. That's the kind of spirit that I have, too," Bachmann told…

This morning, in Waterloo, Iowa, Minnesota congressman Michele Bachmann formally announced that she's running for president. Here are excerpts from her speech (via Politico):

"Chris Wallace Asks Michele Bachmann: 'Are You A Flake?'" (Wallace later apologized.)

PPP's latest poll of Florida Republicans shows Michele Bachmann surging to second place: 

In a speech tonight, President Obama is expected to announce the staggered withdrawal, over the course of the next year, of the surge troops in Afghanistan. Don't expect Minnesota congresswoman and 2012 presidential candidate Michele Bachmann to praise his decision. Here's what Bachmann had to say…

Rasmussen conducts the first national poll of likely Republican primary voters following Monday's GOP debate: 

The seven candidates on stage performed creditably last night, with two pretty clearly helping themselves—Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann. But since the stage at St. Anselm didn't feature all of the eventual candidates, one can also ask, which potential candidates who aren't yet in the race were…

Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann used her first answer in tonight's GOP debate to announce that she filed paperwork today to run for president of United States. Bachmann's sharing the stage with Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum.

As the Republican presidential race begins to take shape, a few sharp elbows have been thrown: Pawlenty vs. Romney and Bachmann vs. Palin, for example. And it seemed that during a recent interview with the liberal blog Talking Points Memo that Herman Cain took a shot at Michele Bachmann. "Well,…

The Faith and Freedom Conference, organized by former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed, met in Washington this weekend and previewed several Republican presidential primary candidates—including Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, who are both committed to seeking the GOP nomination, as well as…

At the Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C. on Friday morning, Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann delivered a stemwinder. She warned that marriage is "under siege" like no time before. She called for a renewed defense of the right to life and the defunding of "corrupt…

The 2011 TIME 100, Time magazine’s list of the 100 “most influential people in the world,” includes three — and only three — potential Republican presidential candidates. Which three? Paul Ryan, Chris Christie, and Michele Bachmann.  Could Time, for all its weaknesses, have a better sense than the…

Mitch Daniels is likely, I’m told, to announce his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination in the next couple of weeks. Michele Bachmann will, I think, enter the race in June. And it now looks as if Mike Huckabee is also going to run.

"Rubio defends plan for ousting Qaddafi"

CNN reports:

Having recently praised Michele Bachmann, and remaining a fan in general, I think it appropriate to register disappointment at her embrace of a silly position. On several conservative websites, you'll find a web ad featuring her and promoting a petition: "Tell Congress, 'Don't Raise the Debt…

Who knew?