Michele Bachmann hints at another run. Is she back already?
Is Michele Bachmann back already?
No, this question does not mean she鈥檚 undoing her retirement. If you remember, last week Representative Bachmann (R) of Minnesota announced that she would not run for reelection to her House seat. This was kind of a surprise and led to lots of pundit speculation that she was stepping down because she feared losing next time around, or due to federal investigations into her campaign finances.
But don鈥檛 cry for her, Anoka County! In her first extended interview since the announcement, Bachmann pointed out the obvious: Her current term does not expire until January 2015. So all those stories headlined 鈥淏achmann Bows Out鈥� and so forth were premature.
鈥淸I have] another year and a half to do a lot of work in Congress,鈥� on Sean Hannity鈥檚 Fox News show.
So the chairman of the House Tea Party Caucus will still be on the job, talking about the IRS scandal, repealing ObamaCare, and what she termed the 鈥渟erial lawlessness鈥� of the Obama administration.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going away. I鈥檓 not leaving Washington,鈥� said Bachmann.
She did say she was looking for a 鈥渄ifferent perch鈥� from which to carry on her various crusades after her term ended. Nothing like launching a job search on national TV, is there? Especially if you鈥檙e talking on a national TV network that itself might be a future employer.
But that does not mean she鈥檒l never seek office again, apparently. She said in the interview that she might engage in another campaign. Mr. Hannity waited until the end to ask her the big question: Does that mean she鈥檚 gearing up for 2016 and a presidential run?
鈥淚鈥檓 not taking anything off the table but ... that鈥檚 not the No. 1 item I鈥檓 looking at right now,鈥� said Bachmann. 鈥淚鈥檓 in the game for the long haul.鈥�
So, buck up, James Carville. Last week the raging Cajun Democratic consultant that Bachmann was leaving the national stage, calling it a 鈥渟ad day.鈥� Her inflammatory and sometimes inaccurate comments have in the past made her a favorite foil for left-leaning pundits.
And sorry about that, Karl Rove. The longtime Republican political operative has been dismissive of Bachmann in the past for the same reasons that Mr. Carville embraced her. Earlier this week, Mr. Rove told ABC News host George Stephanopoulos that her impending retirement would make it easier for Republicans to hold her Minnesota seat, and complained that she 鈥渄id nothing鈥� in her positions as Tea Party Caucus chairman.
鈥淣ow the position has opened, someone next year will accept the chairmanship of it. And they may do something with it,鈥� Rove said.
