Michele Bachmann Presses Hard For Republican Leadership Post
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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continued to aggressively make her case for a GOP Conference Chair leadership position on Monday, kicking off the week by releasing a strongly-worded letter that she had written to her Republican colleagues to explain the distinction that she'd bring to the post.
"Will the new Republican majority reflect our values as they assume their position of leadership?" she questions in her letter. "I bring strong principled conservative values, a proven level of experience, effectiveness with our friends in the local and national media, and an energetic national constituency that reflects the results of Tuesday night. It is important that our Conference demonstrate to the people who sent us here that their concerns will be tirelessly advanced at the table of leadership."
Bachmann elaborated on this theme during an interview with the Daily Caller in which she declared that her candidacy was legitimized by what she described as the recently established electoral strength of the Tea Party, a group that she feels she represents.
"One thing I want to do as GOP Conference chair is, number one, unify the conference with the new Tea Party enthusiasm as well as with our existing conference, work to really gel our members together," Bachmann told The Daily Caller. "Second, I want to work more on effective communication. That's really what conference is about, to effectively communicate the fact that we as conference get it."
The Tea Party darling also boasted about her fundraising prowess, a well documented trait that not only propelled her to victory over Democratic challenger Tarryl Clark in what became the House's most expensive race, but that has also allowed her to achieve a money-getting milestone by raising the most cash out of any House candidate, including John Boehner.
Still, the Minnesota legislator also told the Daily Caller that not being named the Conference Chair would not be the end of the world.
"Well, I'm a big girl and I think others members of Congress are big girls," Bachmann said. "I'll make my case and I fully trust the vote of the people I serve with. I'll continue to give 100 percent of my effort to the people I serve out of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District so they continue to have a voice and bring leadership into the conference."
And while she's promised her service to her district regardless of the outcome of the leadership play, Bachmann has also made it clear that she wants to carry on with plans to direct Congress in a different way, by putting its members, and Supreme Court Justices as well, through Constitutional education courses.
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The Huffington Post Nick Wing First Posted: 11/08/10 02:56 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 07:10 PM ET