Michele Bachmann
United States Representative, Minnesota
Background Elected to Congress in 2006, Michele Bachmann first drew national attention in 2008, when she expressed concern in a television interview that Barack Obama, then a candidate for president, “may have anti-American views.” Over the past two years, she has expanded her national profile with her biting condemnations of Democrats — and tax increases, big government, the health care law, and government spending — and frequent, telegenic and sound-bite-packed visits to the universe of cable news. Consistently conservative on social issues, Ms. Bachmann also founded a Tea Party caucus in Congress.
Challenges While her credibility with the Tea Party movement may be her biggest asset, it may also be a hindrance in attracting independent voters and party regulars in the Republican primary. Her attempts, for example, to seek a House leadership position after the Tea Party movement made strong gains in the 2010 midterm elections, failed when it became clear that she was attracting little support. Her decision to give a separate rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address was ill-received by establishment Republicans.
Ten more Candidates >> http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/candidates?nl=us&emc=politicsemailemb3
