As she promised, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota announced Thursday that she is backing former rival Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination.
Bachmann, a favorite of the tea party movement, ranked briefly last summer as the chief conservative rival to the former Massachusetts governor when she won the Iowa Republican straw poll. She later was eclipsed by a procession of other candidates -- Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, businessman Herman Cain, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
Despite the Minnesota congresswoman's win in the straw poll, she faded badly in Iowa. She ended her presidential campaign in January after placing sixth in the Iowa caucus, taking less than 5 percent in the Hawkeye State.
Despite questioning his conservatism during her bid and attacking his health-care law in Massachusetts as the model for President Barack Obamas federal health-care law, Bachmann announced on Thursday that she is backing Romney. She also ripped into Obamas record, insisting that Romney ranks as a much better alternative for conservatives.
Bachmann appeared at a campaign rally with Romney in Virginia on Thursday afternoon.
"This November, Americans will be at the polls with a serious choice- they can vote for more of Barack Obama's transformation of America, with more joblessness, higher energy prices, fewer opportunities for our children, more government controls, bailouts, and failed economic policies, or they can vote for a new vision of prosperity and liberty," Bachmann said Thursday. I'm honored to announce that today, I am endorsing Governor Mitt Romney for president of the United States, a man who will preserve the American dream of prosperity and liberty.
"This is the last chance we have to keep America from going forward, over the cliff, as Gov. Romney said, and restore the values of prosperity and freedom, Bachmann added. This is the opportunity for conservatives, independents, and disaffected Democrats to join me and Gov. Romney in denying Obama a second term. On Nov. 6, the only option is Mitt Romney for president."
Led by David Harris, the president and CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council, Democrats quickly fired back at Bachmann.
Bachmann told ABC News previously, Romney was not extreme enough when it comes to repealing Obamacare -- despite Romney's declaration that he will 'repeal Obamacare' and 'stop it in its tracks on day one,' and his pledge to end health care benefits for tens of millions of Americans, Harris noted. "Bachmann has emerged over the past few years as a leader among the extremist tea party wing of the Republican Party, and today's event is further evidence of her growing clout in the GOP, not to mention on the Romney campaign. Her endorsement of Romney's candidacy -- and her apparent change of heart regarding his conservative credentials -- signifies that Romney continues to become more and more 'severely conservative.
At the rally with Romney, Bachmann took aim at Obama for restricting energy exploration -- an issue Romney is pushing in Virginia as Republicans look to take back the Old Dominion, which backed Obama in the 2008 elections. Bob McDonnell, the governor of Virginia whose name has generated buzz as a possible running mate for Romney, also spoke at the event as the Romney team hit Obama on energy.
At a time when nearly 23 million Americans are struggling for work, President Obama has sacrificed thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue by targeting Virginias offshore drilling efforts, said Amanda Henneberg, a spokeswoman for Romney. This is just the latest example of a president who is more interested in playing politics than creating jobs and getting the economy moving again.
With Gingrich's announcement Wednesday that he pulled out of the race, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is the only candidate standing in the way of Romney for the Republican nomination. Like Bachmann, Gingrich ripped into Obama as he bowed out Wednesday, encouraging conservatives to back Romney. But he did not officially endorse his former rival.
This marks Bachmanns second major endorsement in recent days. The Minnesota congresswoman backed U.S. Rep. Connie Mack of Florida who is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859
