Michele Bachmann Weighing 2012 Presidential Run: ABC News

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is reportedly weighing a 2012 presidential run that could make her the second strong female contender in the GOP field, according to ABC News.

ABC News reports:

A source close to the three-term congresswoman said Bachmann will travel to Iowa this month for multiple meetings to seek advice from political forces there and party elders close to the caucus process before coming to a final decision regarding a potential presidential run. Bachmann, a native of Waterloo, Iowa, also is set to deliver a keynote speech at an Iowans for Tax Relief PAC fundraiser Jan. 21 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Tickets to that event will cost $25 per person and $40 per couple, though donors can up their contributions to $250 or $1,000, ABC News reports, a testament to Bachmann's adept fundraising ability.

During her reelection run in Minnesota this past election cycle, Bachmann utilized her money-getting mastery to raise $13.2 million in her battle against Democrat Tarryl Clark. Though that House race became the most expensive in the country, Bachmann was left with nearly $2 million in residual funds by the end of the year, even as she sought to reinforce that total with additional fundraising initiatives.

While many had believed her proven prowess and desire for increased visibility as a possible sign that she was priming the pump for a challenge to Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) in 2012, the latest waves in Iowa have many, including her staff, fueling the speculation that she could be putting President Obama in her sights instead.

"Nothing is off the table," Bachmann chief of staff Andy Parrish told ABC News about the congresswoman's potential presidential aspirations.

Another Minnesotan, the state's outgoing governor, Tim Pawlenty, has also been floated as a potential presidential candidate, leaving some to wonder if there is enough room for both of them in the race.

A further potential complication could arise in the dynamic between Bachmann and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who has also made a habit of stirring rumors about a run for president. The two have combined for seismic fundraisers in the past, and Palin notably named Bachmann to her list of "mama grizzly" endorsements in the lead up to her victory.

In 2009, Bachmann claimed that she wouldn't consider a run for the nation's highest office unless God was calling her to do it.

Comments

[ttaz4dqm]

11:34 AM on 01/26/2011

Go on Amurr'ca! I dare ya!

[Jean Marie Gaskill]

03:30 PM on 01/21/2011

Please run! I think you and Sarah Palin would be the perfect ticket....please, please, please?

[Spiral Architect]

03:25 PM on 01/21/2011

Another conservative feared by the mis0gynist left...so much so that she gets a whole page of vitri0l aimed at her.

[CharlieTuba]

03:50 PM on 01/15/2011

This is the same woman who said that Jimmy Carter was President when we had the last swine flu in 1976. Carter wasn't President until 1977, Ford was President then.

[Spiral Architect]

03:26 PM on 01/21/2011

That's so trivial, but here's one that isn't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws

[fg159]

11:14 AM on 01/15/2011

Please run. I can't wait until I hear her in a debate

[OmegaZ]

08:56 PM on 01/14/2011

She really needs to. It's the only way Sarah Palin will look reasonable.

[uneeda]

11:55 AM on 01/13/2011

more insanity

[Ed and Deb Shapiro]

07:41 PM on 01/07/2011

hopefully that is all she is doing:

weighing in -

is all she is doing!

anyone agree?

Ed

anyone agree?

[jfbuf]

01:01 PM on 01/07/2011

I have decided to run for President. I have no qualification like most of the people who already are throwing their hat in the ring. The one thing I do have is that I am truly a novice and would only care about taking care of people with incomes under $100,000. I would have medicare for all and would eliminate all grants and subsidizes to large corporation and farms that don't grow anything and instead funnel that money to new entrepreneurial start ups. I would make Sarah look bad by talking about real issues. Let me know if you would vote for me by F&F me.
Thanks, Your real presidential candidate hopeful.

[my2girls]

09:11 AM on 01/07/2011

Up until this moment, I thought there was nothing scarier than a Palin Presidency.

[isb782]

04:09 AM on 01/07/2011

Oh...lord this should be fun to watch.

[Jean Marie Gaskill]

03:47 PM on 01/21/2011

LOL...my thoughts exactly!

fanned

[JDZSB]

07:26 PM on 01/06/2011

You know what continues to amaze me is how many women do not support other women in jobs in industry, or in politics. Look at how little support Palin has gotten from national women's organizations, and now the cat fights are starting with Bachmann. And, the better looking they are, the less support they get. Why is this? It cannot be just perceived lack of intelligence, that would be too easy.

[Cloball]

08:08 AM on 01/07/2011

You're wondering why women don't support these two? Really? Isn't it kinda obvious! They are pretty far out there. It has nothing to do with their looks. They're nothing but flame throwers.

[my2girls]

09:10 AM on 01/07/2011

Oh good grief.. you can't be serious.

[MarsAmbassador]

03:50 PM on 01/06/2011

"When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself."
- Peter O'Toole

[MarsAmbassador]

03:49 PM on 01/06/2011

I always suspected she was delusional, but this proves it. How do these extremists fancy themselves electable to the general public? She can't even get accepted by her own party! I hope she teams up with Palin and turns conservatives into the walking talking joke we on the left have always known them to be.

[blackraisin]

03:42 PM on 01/06/2011

That puts over 60 different people who have atleast hinted that they might seek the nomination ... now to be fair a lot of these people are attention hounds (Jimmy McMillan/ Fred Karger/ Alan Greenspon/ Jon Huntsman/ etc.) but its interesting to see the number of names floated. Some polling groups even ran Conservative actors briefly to try to draw a Reagan mindset. Chuck Norris, Clint Eastwood, and Gary Sinese were all mentioned. The convention is sure to be a circus.