Bachmann Taps Rollins to Run Campaign

CBS News ^ | June 6, 2011 | Jan Crawford

[Al B.]

As she prepares to enter the race in Iowa later this month, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has signed on high-profile political strategist Ed Rollins to run her presidential campaign, according to two sources close to Bachmann.

Rollins, who was Mike Huckabee's national campaign director in the 2008 campaign, is an experienced political operative with a well-earned reputation for his tough tactics and willingness to play hardball.

[Daisyjane69]

She must have had plenty left over. After having Palin come to MN for a big, big fundraiser for her, Bachmann RETURNED (this past January, I believe) the SarahPac campaign contribution to SP. Take that for the two cents it’s worth.

You can google it; it’s out there.

[Brookhaven]

OK, I'm confused. Bachmann has been a favorite of many on this site, but she's getting killed on this thread. What's going on?

1. Are we seeing a reaction from Palin supporters now worried that Bachmann will be a serious threat to Palin?
2. Do people think Bachmann has sold out, and is now running interference for the establishment?
3. Were there not as many Bachmann supporters as I thought?
4. Do people think Bachmann isn't what she appears to be--a tea party conservative, but is in reality just another "me first" politician?

Really, what does this mountain of criticism boil down to?

Nerds 4 Cain is in production: www.nerds4cain.com

[Poison Pill]

Michele Bachmann has signed on high-profile political strategist Ed Rollins

Oh yeah. Nothing says stability like Ed Rollins.

[ohiogrammy]

We have been getting phone calls from Bachmann for over a month asking for money. We have held off waiting to see who the field will be, but for now I am thinking Palin and Cain will be our choices.

[9YearLurker]

2 and 4 for me.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Really, what does this mountain of criticism boil down to?

In January, right after the new Congress was sworn in, members of Bachmann's staff suddenly appeared in South Carolina and Iowa and started bad mouthing Sarah Palin to anyone who would listen to them.

It didn't take long for word to get out among Sarah's supporters in SC about what was going on, and they in turn reported it to the larger network via Conservatives4Palin.

At same time, word leaked out from the DC GOP that Bachmann's staff had been coopted by the Bush/Rove people and were stoking the Congresswoman's ego and encouraging her to run against Sarah.

Bachmann swallowed the bait, jumped into bed with the Bush/Rove people, and is now running for President, never mind the fact that the whole thing is a big set-up to siphon TEA Party support away from Palin as part of the GOP's Stop Sarah campaign.

Since then, Bachmann's been very cool to Sarah and her actions to date have pretty much confirmed that this is what is going on.

So there you have it.

[CPT Clay]

Rollins is a Top Notch Campaign Manager.

I’m impressed.

[sillsfan]

2 and 4 for me.
I want the best conservatives running.
Hiring Rollins isn’t a good indicator of conservative principles from an alleged conservative candidate.

[CPT Clay]

Great post!

Only on Free Republic does anyone back up their posts.

[StAnDeliver]

"Look for Rollins to go after the other candidates as opposed to going after Obama."

This.

[Covenantor]

So one of the first things Rollins is offering her is access to money and possible old line local ground troops, the second tier GOP hierarchy.
____________________
Then they will own her because she will owe them...

see Virginia Ridgerunner's 86...apparently they already do. She can't possibly think that she can hold on to the local Tea Party support, much less at a national level. Whispers of power are a heady potion that clouds the mind.

[Al B.]

Ping to VR's post #86.

I might also add that much has been made here and elsewhere about Michele's 'friendship' with Sarah Palin. On March 24, Sean Hannity interviewed Bachmann on his radio show and the following exchange took place:

HANNITY: Michele Bachmann, always good to talk to you. Thank you for being with us. Oh, I do have one last question because you're close to Sarah Palin. Have you talked to her about this?

BACHMANN: I haven't talked to her about...you mean about the issue of Obamacare...?

HANNITY: No, running, maybe running.

BACHMANN: About running?

HANNITY: Yeah.

BACHMANN: I have not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phUkRms3ZCg (last 30 sec. of interview)

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

From the "Stop Sarah" story...

The stop-Palin talks are by no means coordinated among the various campaigns. But top advisers for most of the 2012 hopefuls told us the candidates — as well as many establishment figures — are fixated on the topic, especially on how to keep her from running or how to deny her the nomination if she does run.

Their partial solution---run Bachmann against her.

[Covenantor]

Hmmm - This is making me reconsider the last Sean Hannity interview, her extended warning to the GOP that the Tea Part people and true conservatives will walk away if it's back to the old way of doing business. IIRC there was suddenly serious tone after she dismissed that Bashir ass. Time to take another look.

This is the link to what I understand is the first part of the interview:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=3x0CAONL4bM

Is it really possible that the GOP doesn't realize that if the electorate sees no real discern able differences between the two parties that sparks will fly as the economy and dollar continue to decline.

Lately I'm hearing regular folks talking, men and women, about replenishing the box, the one after soap box and ballot box. They're smelling smoke in the distance.

[ejdrapes]

Lets see how her campaign progresses before we bash her. Of course Palin supporters will pounce on anything. I guess according to Rush Limbaugh's logic that must be because they're afraid of Bachmann. I mean isn't that what he always says, that the media bashes Palin because they're afraid of her?

Didn't Rollins run Reagan's '84 campaign?

[ejdrapes]

Since when does voting to renew the Patriot Act = RINO? Last time I checked Rush Limbaugh, Andy McCarthy and Mark Levin (among many, many others) support the patriot act. Are they Rino's too?

What exactly is Palin's view on the Patriot Act. Why doesn't she give an opinion on it?

[ejdrapes]

As if Palin supporters haven’t. What a crock!

[ejdrapes]

Exactly, let’s wait and see how her campaign progresses before ditching her. Of course if she turns into mushy moderate I’ll be the first to jump ship, but I’m going to wait and see how the campaign plays out before I do.

[Covenantor]

Speaking for myself, I never viewed Bachman as leading the ticket, but up until a few months ago, as a possible VP giving her room to grow and learn while also acting as a conservative spokesperson/whip.

Bachman certainly showed no reluctance to accept endorsements from the Tea Party and Sarah and the money produced from her appeals to Hannity and Levin listeners.

Her blocked attempt to obtain a House leadership slot after the election proved to me she didn’t have the political acumen to read that environment correctly, nor had she seemed to have learned enough to establish a working bloc of like minded Reps.

Altogether that was probably my biggest disappointment from her. I started seeing her having more ambition than ability doing no better than a fair job for her district and a generally reliable vote on key issues until the Patriot Act vote

[ejdrapes]

How can you siphon votes from someone who isn’t running?