(CNN) – Former Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann on Tuesday said it's time for the party to rally behind one presidential nominee.
"At this point, we would be better off if we could unify around a candidate, whoever that candidate may be," Bachmann said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." "I will back whoever the people choose. But I think it's important for us to unify and unify quickly."
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Bachmann, who ended her presidential bid in January after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses, described the ongoing Republican nominating process as "fruitful" but argued it was creating division within the GOP.
Her comments came the same day that Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney compete as the two frontrunners in Illinois' presidential primary, a contest with 54 delegates at stake.
"We have a lot of factions now because of the candidates that are dueling it out," she said. " At a certain point, we do need to come together and I will be happy to back whoever our nominee is. And I may do that even before the convention, but I want my voice to be a unifying voice to pull all factions of the party together."
Bachmann is now running for re-election to keep her House seat representing Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, despite new redistricting lines that have placed her home town of Stillwater in a new district.
Asked Tuesday when exactly she plans on making her endorsement, the congresswoman gave no firm date for an announcement.
"I will when it looks the most opportune time to draw our party together and expand to get crucial independents and Democrats we need to be able to win in November," she said.
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Ok Michelle. NOW is the time. SanGrich is through. Rick doesn't care about the economy and he admits he endorsed Romney heartily in 2008 but claims his record since then is not conservative. In spite of the fact that Romney hasn't held office in that time. Rick can't handle ANY success for more than a day or two before he puts his foot in his self-righteous mouth again. Bachman is right, NOW is the time to unify so why doesn't she just endorse Romney and let's get on to beating Obama? If you think Romney is weak, you have to agree that Rick is MANY times weaker!
Bachmann: GOP needs to 'unify quickly'
Michele Bachmann would make a great vice president . She knows how to unit children.
I am surprise to hear the word unify, out of baukmsn mouth. She has spent her whole time in office bashing every thing the dens came up with, ever since Obama took over. She has constantly bashed Obama care allowing health insurance companies to push up their prices just because they know, that if Obama challenges them, the repubs will shout FREE MARKET, and come to their rescue. These repubs have given big companies free reighns on raping the American people, just because they want to blame Obama and make him a, ONE TERM PRESIDENT.
The party needs to unify quickly. Wow, Michelle, did you figure that out all by yourself? Yes, it needs to unify. It needs to reduce the negativity of the internal conflict. All the sides need to kiss and make up and respect one another. Guess what's gonna freeze first? The GOP has built a culture of cruelty and dishonorable mendacity; now they boil in their own oil.
That's as funny as watching Bachmann canoeing the Colorado rapids with no paddles.Unification to one republican hypocrital candidate ,how repulsive,how rediculous,it can't be done.These republicans change their minds like salamanders changing their body color,constantly....They won't be happy till they see incumbent Obama retaking the oath of office,their work will be done,give thanks to the clown circus for their support,it shows.....
Who cares what she says or for that matter what this group of republicans have to say.OBAMA BIDEN 2012 .
If you haven't noticed, HEADS UP PEOPLE, the Republicans are making sure Former President George W. Bush isn't seen anywhere supporting Republicans because he's a reminder to Americans who got us in this mess. However, Former President Bill Clinton is all in for President Obama. Think about it and don't forget, Republicans are hoping you will.
Well, why doesn't Michele Bachmann make her choice obvious since she is "the people" too? She has certain following, maybe if the made her choice her followers will follow suit. But she is right, our (the Republican Party) needs to unite if we want to defeat the President in November. And our strongest choice to go head-to-head with Pres. Obama is obvious – Gov. Romney.
Yes, and that candidate should be Rick Santorum!
Yes, the GOP should unify behind the GOP nominee who will get trounced in the next election. That way, when President Obama wins in a landslide in November, the GOP nominee will have shoulders to cry on or people to hide behind for making an utter fool of himself.
At this point unifying the GOP is like unifying the Middle East. The GOP only agrees on one thing: They want Obama out. Well the Middle East agrees on two things: They want Israel out, and they hate the US.
So I guess peace in the Middle East is closer than a unified GOP.
Funny- she will back whoever the people pick? Where was her backing of Obama?
She wants unity- start with doing her job in congress.
►Bachmann: GOP needs to 'unify quickly'◄
Well – this time she might be right – they are looking kind of "sickly"
But just because Bachmann says "unification" will help them in the end
She's got it all wrong because NONE of the candidates will win
Obama 2012 – The Only Trusted Way Forward!!
Why isnt Bush on the frontlines making his pitch for the republican canidates.
The Republican party is fragmented beyond repair and the Democrats aren't far behind. Good thing this country is based on local and State government. Anyway, Repubs will find their guy at the polls.
The problem with the GOP is the "Tea-Party" zealotry . . . the my way or the highway tone & tenor that they revealed in the DEBT CEILING discussion.
Unify Michele? You were one of the most un-unifying canndidates ever!. Can you UNIFY around a smart, principled, collaborative candidate: someone like former candidate JON HUNTSMAN? That`s the only one close enough in intellect, class & temperment to have challenged Barack Obama . . . and your rightwing party wouldn`t have anything to do with him. You reap what you sow.
No, you have it backwards. You're not fractured because the candidates are duking it out. Your candidates are duking it out because you're a fractured, broken party. Even Republicans don't know what it means to be Republican any more. Your own fiscal whiz kid proposed a federal budget today that saves the military budget, but FAILS to balance the federal budget. Where's that leave fiscal conservatives? Your candidate who's coming in second, and your own RNC chair, said that the economy isn't as important as killing off the health care plan.
C'mon, Republicans–WHEN will you stop giving schizophrenics a bad name?
You have no way to unify this pack of no thanks people. They don't even like each other.