Rep. Bachmann looks forward to 'limitless' future, but not in the House
Updated Wednesday 5/29 at 10:30 a.m. ET
(CNN) - U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, a conservative firebrand whose bid for president last year ended after the Iowa caucuses, will not seek re-election to her Minnesota congressional seat in 2014.
Making her announcement in a video posted to her campaign website early Wednesday, Bachmann stressed she had no plans to fade from public view.
"Looking forward, after the completion of my term, my future is full, it is limitless, and my passions for America will remain," she announced.
Bachmann, who's in her fourth term representing Minnesota's 6th District, promised that there "is no future option or opportunity" that she "won't be giving serious consideration if it can help save and protect our great nation for future generations."
Bachmann staved off a tougher-than-expected challenge for her seat last November against Democrat Jim Graves, winning re-election by just under 5,000 votes. Graves has announced he will seek the seat again in 2014.
In her video announcement, Bachmann said her decision was not influenced by any concerns about winning reelection.
"I've always, in the past, defeated candidates who were capable, qualified, and well-funded. And I have every confidence that if I ran, I would again defeat the individual who I defeated last year, who recently announced that he is once again running," Bachmann said.
Nor was her decision based on any concerns over an ongoing congressional ethics inquiry into the improper transfer of campaign funds, Bachmann said in her video. She is also facing a Federal Election Commission complaint about her former presidential campaign.
"This decision was not impacted in any way by the recent inquiries into the activities of my former presidential campaign or my former presidential staff," she said. "It was clearly understood that compliance with all rules and regulations was an absolute necessity for my presidential campaign. And I have no reason to believe that that was not the case."
Bachmann's run for president in 2012 reached its peak in August 2011, when she beat out a slate of other candidates to win the Ames Straw Poll in the early voting state of Iowa, where she was born. Her campaign lost steam in the fall to other conservative candidates like Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, and she eventually placed sixth in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. She ended her presidential bid the next day.
In the eight-minute long video, Bachmann, an early supporter of the Tea Party movement, touted her work on a variety of conservative issues, promising to "to work vehemently and robustly to fight back against what most in the other party want to do to transform our country into becoming, which would be a nation that our founders would hardly even recognize today."
Bachmann was one of the leading supporters of the emerging tea party movement in 2010, founding the "tea party caucus" in the House of Representatives and delivering her own "tea party response" to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. Most recently she organized a tea party rally on Capitol Hill protesting the Internal Revenue Service's admitted targeting of conservative groups applying for tax exempt status.
In her video, she said she wouldn't let up on the causes she championed as a U.S. representative.
"I promise you I have and I will continue to fight to protect innocent human life, traditional marriage, family values, religious liberty, and academic excellence," Bachmann said.
In a polite statement, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden wrote Bachmann "has been a tireless advocate and dedicated Representative for the people of Minnesota’s Sixth District."
"Michele was the first Republican woman elected to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives, and she has worked hard each day to ensure that her constituents’ voices are heard in the halls of Congress," he continued.
Democrats were less laudatory - the House Majority PAC, which works to elect Democrats to Congress, wrote Bachmann's decision was "good news for the people of Minnesota and our nation."
"Bachmann voluntarily removing herself from Congress is a victory we can all celebrate today," the group's executive director Alixandria Lapp wrote.
CNN's Kevin Liptak and Martina Stewart contributed to this report.
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Mind boggling how this woman ever got elected in the first place. I thought the voters of Minnesota had more sense than to elect this dingbat. Anyway, good riddance, but I'm sure the mouth that roared will continue to command media attention long after she's out of office.
Wow, is there not one nice thing to be said about her? I guess that I'll have to go. She um, she uh... she... wore some nice pants-suites?
She actually does look like demon spawn in this photo. What is that eye color? I've seen Halloween costumes with less scary eyes. Sure she isn't a witch, she is some kind of succubus.
First rat jumping off the sinking ship known as the Tea Party. Good Riddance. Hope your husband finds the balls to come out of the closet some day. As for you....words fail.
She really has the Sith lord look going in this photo. She must have a new gig with the emperor.
There is a God! Ding Dong the bat crazy lady has been reckoned with! Praise God, Allah, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, John the Baptist, Mother Teresa and Everything good!
Goodbye to the crazy wicked witch that just makes up stuff. Did she get knocked in the head at some point in her life?
God Bless America!
Wouldn't it be nice if this signaled the start of a run for the exits by all of the extremists in Congress? No, I'm holding my breath ... but ... wouldn't it be nice?
Another Palin.
Actualy Palin2 to replace Palin on Fox MisNews for the Easily Duped
The list of former journalists and politicians who traded reputation for cash by working there is getting longer every day.
Smart move. She stood a good chance of being defeated. Instead, she can go on the speaker tour, and like with Sarah Palin, there are many wealthy right wing nuts willing to pay a ton of money to hear her speak.
well, this is one good thing she's done for the country.
Her "limitless" future is limited only by her own intelligence. Oops.
Her eys reflects the cruelty before she pounce on the week. Her smile and the teath reflects Dracula, ready to suck the blood of the oppressed.
Bachmann can't run again because the mental pills she requires will make her spout even dumber things than she already has. Bachmann and Palin run very close for first place in blatant stupidity and ignorance. If they are PROUD to be redneck born agains what can we infer about the rest of the redneck born agains ???????
Oh, no. There goes the comic relief. Oh well, there's more cray in the same party to replace her.
Thank God !!! Bachmann is not running again.She should stay away from public for good.
One less nut-job on the right to listen to.
What really happened? The powers that be in the GOP told Bachmann to get the hell away from us. We have enough problems in the GOP.
What really happened? The powers that be in the GOP told Bachmann to get the hell out! Our party has enough problems.
Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out. She is destined to become as irrelevant as Sarah Palin.
I have to give Michelle credit, this is probably one of the best decisions she's made in the last several years of her career.
She is a nut with nutty ideas who appeals to nut-cases.
And there is my surprised look. She is fully aware of her mis-steps and her eroronious statements about Obama. She has made many comments only to find out that she was 100% wrong and yet, still insisted to hide away from the cameras when she was confronted.
I can still se her running away from Dana Bash when she was confronted after saying that Obama paid someone to walk his dog.
She tried in vain to turn it into patriotic statement about the deathes of Americans at the Bengazi Embassy.
She is a freak and the Newsweek cover photo captured it perfectly
Awesome News! and GOOD RIDDANCE!!! What a DING-BAT!!!