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
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GOP presidential field. The gift that keeps on giving.
It was men in black helicopters wearing suits and dark glasses.
Slowly but surely the Frankenstein monster that is the Tea Party will slaughter the poor Republican candidates one by one. This is what happens when the splinter group that you endorse suddenly gets so strong that it can call the shots. Now the various Tea Party groups will decide who should run and who shouldn't and the candidates who have hitched their wagons to the Tea Party will have no choice but to abide by their wishes because they've alienated themselves from the rest of normal thinking Americans and even from true Republicans.
Each candidate see's the lunacy of the others and really believes he/she looks good in comparison.
All the world is crazy save thee (dear voter) and me, and even thou art a little mad!
Michelle,. wake up. Your run is over. Quit blaming people for your shortcomings. You and your ideas are the problem. If lying and backstabbing was a requirement to run for President then you might be eligible, but alas your not. See Ya
said Michele WhenInDoubtDoubleDown Bachmann.
All the news and rumors about these GOP candidates aren't worth the pixels it takes to spread them. The head of the RNC should be fired for gross incompetence and all of these candidates should go home and run for dogcatcher.
Enough already , she should go back to the 18th century where she belongs .
To be run a successful business Bachmann needs to council Straights to being Gay as she would make more money and produce more jobs this way.
Hey, Crazy-Eyes Michelle......SHAAADAAAAAP!!!!
Bachman is not a witch.
Bachman is a whacko working for which candidate?
Hmmm....
No evidence this came from Perry, no evidence HPV vaccine cause retardation, no evidence Obama's security on the India trip cost $200 million a day. Yet she repeats these things as fact because "It's something I heard". Please just go away.......
They all should go!! What a pathetic bunch. Makes you almost feel sorry for the Republicans. But then again, they deserve this pathetic group of losers, and LAIRS.
Is Michelle Bachman brain dead, she is about qualified as I am to be the President of the United. The difference between me and Michelle is that I can't be bought. I stand up for what I believe and as a Registered Nurse I'm here to tell you we have third word health care system in spite of the fact that we spend much more than any other country. The WHO ranks the health care system in the US as 27th in the World.
Teabaggers, here's a bit of news for you. Regardless of how much false information you get from these wacky candidates and repeat where ever you go, the Republican Party will never – ever, ever – not ever ban abortion. It is their cash cow – they pull it off the shelf, dust it off, and wave it in front of your face like a red cape in front of a bull any time support for them waivers. In case you fail to send enough money to them or act disinterested in their uneducated candidates, they know they can wave that cape and you'll respond like Pavlov's dogs!
They will never, ever – not ever, give up that cash cow. They will always fall short of enough votes to overcome the Democratic support for women's rights.
Its no one's business, especially Perry's, if Bachmann stays in the race or leaves it. If the Tea Party actually advised her to quit (which I seriously doubt), then shame on them Once Perry learns how to debate, then maybe he'll do better !!!
Does she make her hats out of Reynolds Wrap or the store brand?
I'm a Democrat but I think all Republican voters should really take a look at Ron Paul. I've studied all the candidates and I'm not a political expert or anything but he has really impressed me with his standings on issues and his rebuttals, and most importantly he doesn't flipflop on his beliefs, he's been around for 30 years making the same arguments and economical predictions. Plus he shows NO support for Obama, so you guys should love that. I honestly don't believe you have a second option.
She should just pack it in. She is just too stupid to know that she doesn't have a chance.
WOW and the next article's headline reads, "RNC boss rejects notion of a divided GOP". Priceless.......
The same way people told her the HPV vaccine caused mental retardation? While I'm no Perry supporter, I think she's grasping as straws. Don't worry, honey. People see that he's as stupid as you are, and have no intention of voting for EITHER of you!
Wow, I am very sure this is the first time Perry has every been accused of being stealthy
Perry will eventually put all the other candidates to shame, he has an excellent record in Texas~
No evidence Perry is behind this except it's something that 'people told her'... like HPV vaccine will cause mental retardation. I got news Michelle, time for you to go AND take ol' Ricky with you! Both of you combined couldn't muster a triple-digit IQ! Go, Michelle... please... go... away.
Are all these GOP candidates just crazy???????? I mean really crazy???? The more I read the more i am convinced.