Washington (CNN) – Rep. Michele Bachmann is looking to a campaign veteran to run her likely bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
CNN has confirmed that the congresswoman from Minnesota has signed GOP strategist Ed Rollins to run her campaign, if as expected, she announces her candidacy later this month.
"If she runs, I'll help her," Rollins tells CNN, adding that it's "one more round for the old war horse."
Rollins was campaign manager for President Ronald Reagan's 1984 re-election landslide over former Vice President Walter Mondale. Rollins, a guest on numerous CNN programs over the years, is also more recently known for running former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Huckabee went from being a longshot candidate to winning the Iowa caucuses before ultimately losing to eventual nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
"We'll try and duplicate what Huckabee did in Iowa. It's a good act to follow," says Rollins.
Bachmann has all but declared her candidacy. She recently told reporters and supporters in Iowa that "when we make that all-important announcement – which will happen in the month of June – that announcement. I am pleased to tell you tonight, will be made in Iowa. And I will also tell you that announcement will be made in the city where I was born, in Waterloo."
Bachmann is also taking part in next Monday's CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire.
Word of Rollins role in a Bachmann campaign was first reported by CBS.
– CNN's Executive Director, Contributors and Audience, Lucy Spiegel contributed to this report
– Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
– On Monday, June 13, CNN will host the first New Hampshire Republican Presidential Debate, live from Manchester, NH at 8 p.m. ET. Follow all the issues and campaign news leading up to the debate on CNNPolitics.com and @cnnpolitics on Twitter.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
ed rollins is evidently feeling the beginnings of dementia. michelle bachmann stands as much chance of being elected president as does sarah palin, ie none.
That's really smart rollin. Giving up a real job to help somebody who hasn't got a chance in hell!
Wow and I used to have a modicum of respect for Ed Rollins. He must have some serious gambling debts to be taking that political/career suicide mission.
Wow! talk about prostituting yourself.
Michele Bachmann has as much chance of winning that Saran Palin does and that Is NONE. Most American People don't want anything to do with the TEA PARTY or any body they back. We seen what happen In Wisconsin ,Ohio ,Mich and Florida and we don't want that to happen all over the Place.
I have to say, I'm very disappointed in Ed Rollins. Could he possibly stoop any lower? Oh, yeah, forgot about Palin there for a second. I expected better of you, Ed.
Ed Rollins is no Bernard Hopkins...he'll get KO'd. If he were of any consequence, then why didn't any of the real candidates ask him to join their camp?
The tired and obsolete steering the crazy and obsolete. What could go wrong?
The debate between her and Palin should be a stitch rife with comic relief. Bachman: "Abraham Lincoln said the torch has been passed to a new generation" (NOT) and Palin: "Paul Revere was warning the British and protecting our gun rights" (NOT). Morons. Can we force our elected officials to take AT LEAST the citizenship test and if they don't pass it, they can't run? Really, we're still recovering from the last "C" student we had in office, we don't need to drop down the "D" students do we?
Manic Michelle hires a campaign leader that has not had a winning candidate in 27 years?
You go girl!
Bachmann/Palin 2012!
Ed Rollins is a good choice for Bachmann because she'll need him to put a spin on everything she says thats wrong, he's a master at that and I give him props. With that said, I have no intention of voting Republican under any circumstances regardless of whose running what and for whom.
I never liked him on CNN when he gave his opinions and would turn the channel when he was on......I knew he didn't have much of brain.....now he has proven it to support a loser.....she has the same chance as Palin at winning.......
I thought for a moment that Rollins was created by intelligent design, but based on this latest selection of candidate I'm wrong.
OMG. I'm a staunch Democrat but I had developed much respect for Ed Rollins as a smart and reasonable person.
I don't know how he is going to say nice things about Michele Bachmann – things he is SUPPOSE to believe - and do so with a straightface. I guess every Republican has their price. It's really a shame.
Ed's still got that fire in the belly. Everybody seems to have theat now. There's some real bad food going around thats making everybody on the right feel invincible. And just like eating bad food – they don't know when to quit!
Thats too bad I really like Ed Rollins, he was even keeled on most issues and his comments were respectful. I will not be able to listen to him while he is working for one of the biggest loons in the country, and will have to hit the mute when he speaks about Bachmann. Shiver me timbers she is crazier then a cat on a hot tin roof.
Bachmann has a desire to subsurvient American women. She has her soap box, but would keep the rest of us in the realm of women belong in the home and kitchen, all the while bragging about the kids she raised. Really, how did that cookie baking go Michele?
Oh Ed, how far from grace have we fallen.
I really expected better of him than this! Any respect I had for him jsut went down the drain. He must really be desperate to stay in the political arena if he's stooping to the level of Michele Bachmann!
Bachmann and Palin are the two biggest setbacks to equal rights for women since keep-'em-in-the-kitchen mentality.
the car that Rollins is steering is speeding towards a mountain ledge and the brakes don't work. She will get canned (quit) early and blame him, just like the other wannabe "victim" always does. It's always someone else's fault
Whoever wins the republican nomination will be the next President of the United States. The price the country is paying for electing the most unqualified person to ever run for president will ensure that the republican candidate will win the next election.
The people in Minnesota really got a bum deal voting for Bachmann, who does nothing for their interests.
I can only assume that Mr. Rollins will soon be a member of the FoxNews team after this decision.
Please enough of the wing-nut extremism. The GOP has been officially hi-jacked by uneducated fruitloops.