(CNN) – Former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann threw her support behind Mitt Romney on Thursday.
Standing on stage with the presumptive GOP presidential nominee at an event in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Minnesota congresswoman said she was there to "lend my voice and my endorsement to Mitt Romney as our president to take the county back."
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Bachmann invoked rhetoric she used frequently on the campaign trail and urged voters to limit President Barack Obama to one term in the White House.
"There is no question in my mind Americans will go to the polls and they’ll be saying `Mr. President you’re fired!’ and instead we will soundly stand for someone who believes in America," Bachmann said to loud cheers.
She pointed to what she called one of the biggest factors in the election –energy– and argued Romney would be the best leader to further tap into domestic resources.
"Mitt Romney’s future for America would be a legalization of American energy, a legalization of millions of high paying jobs," Bachmann said.
As she stepped aside for Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to take the stage, Romney offered a gesture of approval.
"Beautifully done," he told her.
But the congresswoman hasn't always had kind words for her former opponent. Prior to ending her presidential bid in early January– shortly after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses– Bachmann took several shots at Romney over the healthcare law he passed as Massachusetts governor.
"This is the seminal issue of Barack Obama's presidency. And this is the chief liability that Mitt Romney has going into the presidential race," Bachmann said in an interview with CNN on January 1.
She added: "He is the only governor in the history of the United States that has put into place socialized medicine in his state. And that's going to be our nominee to stand up against president Obama?"
The congresswoman, however, has repeatedly said in recent weeks it was only a matter of time before she would officially Romney.
As a candidate, Bachmann initially ran with large tea party appeal, frequently bucking what she described as the more establishment faction of the party that Romney represented.
Her endorsement comes weeks after former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum dropped out of the race, a move that essentially locked up the nomination for Romney.
Asked repeatedly why she was holding out in her support for Romney, Bachmann would not go into specifics but said she was working "behind the scenes, bringing together all factions of our party."
"As the line says in the 'Wizard of Oz,' 'All in good time, my pretty,'" Bachmann said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" last week. "It will happen."
National Review first reported the news of Bachmann's upcoming endorsement.
– CNN's Jim Acosta, Peter Hamby and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Why this is a big endorsement and who else will she endorse?
BTW, she called him a crony capitalist a while back.
I find it interesting that so many well known Republican women have an attractive physical appearance yet when you hear them speak all you see is a hateful shrew. Even their voices begin to cut through your head like a razor. Examples include; Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, and all of the regulars on Fox News. Democrats don't seem to require that "angry Barbie" look before they consider women's political viewpoints.
Time to jump off the fence and beg for the Veep job.
"she would officially romney" haha
Who is this woman and why should I care who she endorses anyway? I winder what kind of hairspray she uses? She's certainly qualified to endorse that.
Yeah, that should seal things for Mitt.
So Michelle, is this God getting back at Mitt?
How does Bachmann continue to serve this country? Can everyone PLEASE vote her out of office.
Romney looks like he will throw up. Bachmann is a FLAKE- his intereest is getting the rich richer. And Romneys poor poor wife-how did she ever get through raising her kids on $500,000 per year-what a flippin joke they are.
This will be as impactful as her previous endorsement of John McCain.
The people on the stage were clapping and cheering more than the crowd for Romney.
Didn't Bachmann say Romney couldn't beat President Obama in November? Didn't she accuse Romney as the only governor to set up a socialist health care system?
Whew! Was worried she might endorse President Obama.
Eff Romney and eff Bachman. Ron Paul is the only candidate that can fix this country, and he's the only candidate (Obama included) that has a non-interventionism policy about our military meddling in the affairs of other countries. What do you suppose it costs us to occupy countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Etc.? What benefit is there? Please take a minute of your time to read his policies and make an informed decision for yourself, rather than adopting the opinions of your favorite mainstream media newscaster. It's easy to understand if you just spend a few minutes doing your own research, but most of you won't. You couldn't be bothered. You need to watch Jersey Shore reruns.
How fitting she would quote the Wicked Witch of the West. How terribly ironic.
WHAT? A Tea Party ideologue sold out and endorsed Romney? SHOCKING.
Wake me up when you have real news.
For my vote, this hurts Romney.
"lend my voice and my endorsement to Mitt Romney as our president to take the county back."
Back to when, the Joseph McCarthy era or the 1940s when we put Americans in concentration camps without a trial?
I'd like to know why she waited until his nomination was a sure thing to endorse him. At this point an endorsement for Romney is worthless.
You know, I actually see this as a negative effect towards Romney's campaign. Of course, that's a positive thing for me.
shes a christian inbreed, who cares what she says
Only CNN would be interested in Bachmanns opinion.Most of the rest of US probably doesn't care or know who Bachmann is.
Shocking!!!! Not really....
Michelle Bachmann should endorse Sarah Palin as our next President. This would ensure Bachmann's inevitable presidency succeeding Palin's highly successful 2 term presidency.
Michelle WHO?
Ahh hell, I wonder if Michelle was in the room plotting to destroy the country, when president Obama was getting inaugurated that day. If she wasn't in there with physical present she sure was in the room in spirit.hell she was the leader of the tea bags, in Congress who took on the phylosophy of that room's treasonous ways to destroy this president, just because if one man.
Her direct quote from a short while back speaking of Romney:
"He cannot beat Obama, It's not going to happen."