In an interview with Politico, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) touted her qualifications in her underdog bid for House GOP Conference Chair. As she pitched it, she helped to mobilize so many Tea Party activists for the Republican Party, with such events as her large-scale Tea Party event at the Capitol a year ago. And as such, she played a key role in delivering the House to the Republicans.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: The Year of Michele Bachmann]
“I have been able to bring a voice and motivate people to, in effect, put that gavel in John Boehner’s hands, so that Republicans can lead going forward.”
I was instrumental in bringing tens of thousands of people to the U.S. Capitol to rally against Obamacare and to attend our press conference. I’ve been able to highly motivate people — from disaffected Democrats to independents to Republicans to nonpolitical people. My voice has been one that has rallied people to come to the cause. There was a real question, even 18 months ago, about whether the tea party would become a third party. I worked really hard to pull them to our party because we have to have a two-party system. I have been able to bring a voice and motivate people to, in effect, put that gavel in John Boehner’s hands, so that Republicans can lead going forward.
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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