Bachmann accuses Perry camp of 'stealth' political attack
(CNN) - Michele Bachmann accused Rick Perry's presidential campaign Friday of a "stealth" political attack - a charge the Texas governor's campaign flat out denied.
"If Gov. Perry has something to say to me, he can come out to the debates and say it," Bachmann said in an interview with CNN. "But this is egg on the face unfortunately for the Perry campaign."
At issue: tea party sponsor American Majority's urging for Bachmann to drop out of the presidential race. On Thursday, the group's executive director Matt Robbins told CNN that Bachmann's White House bid "is not a serious presidential campaign." His comments coincided with a blog statement from American Majority president Ned Ryun, who outlined reasons why "it's time for Michele Bachmann to go."
Among other claims, Ryun wrote that Bachmann's emphasis on social issues was damaging the tea party movement.
In an interview with CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer," Bachmann fired back, targeting the Texas governor.
"Well, of course, we found out that this is really a misstep on the part of the Perry campaign because these are Perry supporters that came out," Bachmann told CNN. "This was a clumsy move."
Bachmann continued: "This was meant to be a stealth move to make it look like this was tea party."
"It certainly isn't a blow to my campaign because I've had nonstop support coming out of the woodwork from tea partiers all across the country ever since this came out," she said.
When asked whether Bachmann had evidence that the Perry campaign was involved in American Majority's statements, Bachmann replied, "No."
"This is something that people have told us," Bachmann said.
Both American Majority and Perry's campaign deny they were working together.
"We learned about this from news reports today. We were not aware or involved in the group's action," Perry campaign communications director Ray Sullivan said in a statement to CNN.
The group's president called Bachmann's assertion "bizarre."
"I have no connection with the Perry campaign," Ryun told CNN, although he did publicly express support for Perry's tax plan revealed earlier this week.
Ryun also said it's "wildly illegal" for his nonprofit group to endorse a candidate.
"American Majority does not endorse. I'm not working for or with any campaign," Ryun said.
"It goes back to let's focus on the substance of what this whole debate was about to begin with. Where are your substantive ideas to actually advance the ideas of the tea party movement?" he added.
–Follow Shannon Travis on Twitter: @ShanTravisCNN
Watch The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer weekdays at 4pm to 6pm ET and Saturdays at 6pm ET. For the latest from The Situation Room click here.
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horsehitcher: "It is time for the U S to take care of its own and let the rest of the world fend for itself. Keep secularism and religion out of politics, really stop the earmarks and put the country first."
This is exactly what President Obama has been trying to do and has met with obstruction by the Republicans at every turn.
Do the right thing, folks, and vote Democratic in 2012!
and my 2012 boot list keeps getting bigger
She hears voices, telling her stuff. Hear this Bachmann!!... you're frikkin nuts,.. Why can't you believe that!!!
how can to completely stupid out of touch humans get this much attention from the press, surely there aren't that many like minded people in this country are there?????
anti-choice anti-government religious freaks, all of them.
but...but...I was on the cover of Newsweek! I won the Iowa Straw Poll! I beat Ron Paul by 152 votes! Someone just told me I'm a serious presidential candidate!
Unsubstantiated hearsay from anonymous sources? Sounds like the story war criminal Bush sold us on the WMD's. Sane people are actually considering Bachmann as a real candidate? Blasphemy!
BachMANN you've been voted off the island. No tears, quit your crying, bring your torch and wait until the final show to cast your vote.
No evidence, just going by what she's "been told" again. Think she would've learned her lesson about that path by now. Just a no-term wannabe that is a huge hypocrite; Michele: leading from behind as always. (Sigh) no $2 gas for us, but we're better off without a BachMANN presidency.
I agree with one of the posters that Jon Huntsmann is the most credible of all these crazies. The rest, except for perhaps Ron Paul, are an embarrassment to the Repub party. That is why the heads of the campaign are still looking for the right candidate. They tried Chris Christie, but he was a bit too smart knowing that Obama would win in 2012. Christie will try for 2016, and I hope that Hillary Clinton does too. PLEASE don't let Mittens and hypocrite Newt Gingrich run again in 2016. Newt would if he had a book coming out at that time! These people and their books-for-$ – they have sold their soul to the devil.
Michelle Bachmann, you and your wannabe presidential contenders have over-saturated America with your own dogma, including lies and conclusions that may not hold water. The U.S. needs a president more like Abraham Lincoln or Theodore Roosevelt or FDR. None of the GOP slate measures up to the intelligence of these men.
Have you noticed any GOP candidate that doesn't have a book either in the works, or on sale somewhere? I mean... really? Is this what the race has come down to... Promoting book sales??
The sad part is that both Bachmann and Perry think they have a chance of actually winning a general election for President in the first place. Both of them open their mouths and make themselves look like escaped mental patients. They don't need to attack each other, they both do enough damage to themselves on their own.
Crazy Bachmann missed an entire month recently of voting in the Congress. I say she should not have gotten paid for that month! And all those kids that they fostered: some of them were only with them for a day or two, and that was many years ago! So where does she get off pretending that this was something recent, and that they were all with them for years? I say she's trying her hardest to out-Palin Palin! Class of clowns, this is the first time in history that there are so many crazies in a Presidential campaign. Mr. Obama? cakewalk....
Oh, come on, my fellow bloggers. She needs to do something to bring her numbers higher than the Margin of Error. Of course, every time she opens her mouth lately, the gap between her and MOE keeps getting bigger.
It tastes so good when you eat your own.
Bachmann is no doubt the dumbest candidate we've ever seen from either party. She is a liar first and foremost-she wouldn't recognize the truth if it landed on her empty head. She cares only about herself, not our great country. How she was ever elected to Congress I do not know but she needs to be voted out next time around. It doesn't matter if she's ugly and gay as some say-she's a bad person and bad for our country.
We know it's true. We read it on the Internet that Perry was involved!
At least she is finally narrowing down her supporters. They are the critters that hide in the woodwork and only come out when they are disturbed. I'm just surprised that she is dumb enough to admit it.
Wait a minute-No I'm Not.
Another sign of desperation from the MB "campaign". It'll be fun watching her "campaign" continue to swirl around the bowl before it finally disappears. MB so creepy.
There is a term for this kind of attack, it is called swift boating. Welcome to republican politics Michelle.
Can she even spell stealth ?
This Bachman is an embarassment. What makes it worse is that there are many that want her to be president. She is shallow in vision. She is short in tolerance. She has few ideas. She presents only griping and sniping about how is malaigned without taking responsibility for her goofs. She represents values that diminishes us around the world. She is typical of those that have it all.
Paranoid Bachmann. Anything that has the slightest hint of intelligence has to be the work of the devil, which in this case is Rick Perry. And dopy Perry's campaign decides that a response to this hysteria was necessary. Dumd, dumb, dumb.
While I am no fan of Michele Bachmann, I do have to point out that CNN purposely ALWAYS uses that one particular picture of her because it makes her look insane. Just an example of CNN's bias against ALL Republicans.
I am still amazed at how many people still listens to this MADDDDDDDDDD woman....she is an idiot she is worse that Palin for god's sake wake why would you waste your precious time listening to this MAD HATTER....be serious, these are trying times with the economy, the way it is now we need someone who knows and understands the facts...clearly she does not.
Just drop out
Both Bachmann and Perry really don't need the tea party or anyone else to tell them to drop out. Their undesirable, unacceptable and extremely poor performance on the campaign trail dictate that they both drop our of the race.
Bachmann is very ignorant and ill-informed about important issues, continues to put her foot in her mouth. Perry is not only ignorant and ill-informed, but has not yet developed basic skills of speaking and communication.
The longer they stay in the race, the more they harm themselves and expose their ignorance, stupidity and 'not ready for prime time' status.
Both should actually drop out immediately!