Michele Bachmann

Who is she: Michele Bachmann is a well-known conservative member of Congress from Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, elected in 2007, and previously a state senator, since 2001. Bachmann is a national leader of social conservatives and the Tea Party movement and was a candidate for the GOP nomination for president in 2012, withdrawing from the race on January 4th following the Iowa caucuses. Along with Ron Paul and Sarah Palin, Bachmann shares strong backing among Tea Party activists, and was a co-founder of the Tea Party Caucus in Congress.

In Congress Michele Bachmann earlier opposed the Wall Street bailouts as well as advocating the break-up of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the phasing out of Social Security and Medicare. On the other hand, she supported suspending the mark-to-market accounting rules.

Bachmann is now on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence but this is a safe position for the GOP establishment as she generally supports the neocon interventionist foreign policy desired by the Anglosphere. Bachmann is very successful at fundraising and received over $13 million for her 2010 re-election race, with 96% of her contributions from individuals rather than special corporate interests.

Bachmann is certainly worth watching in the future. While not a libertarian, Bachmann is nonetheless very distrustful of Washington and people who underestimate her abilities are usually proven wrong. Anyone who can achieve her electoral success while raising five children and many foster children is to be respected even if you disagree with some of her foreign policy and social conservative positions.

Background: Michele Marie Amble was born on April 6, 1956 in Waterloo, Iowa of Norwegian Lutheran Democrat parents who moved from Iowa to Minnesota when Michele was young. After her parents were divorced Bachmann was raised by her mother in Anoka, Minnesota. Bachmann graduated from Anoka High School in 1974.

After high school Bachmann worked on a kibbutz in Israel after which she attended Winona State University. Bachmann then received a J.D. from Oral Roberts University in its last graduating class. Later Bachmann also earned a LL.M. degree in tax law from William & Mary Law School in Virginia. Although Bachmann has many liberal detractors for her strong social conservative views, the establishment media seldom mentions how bright and highly educated Bachmann is.

Michele married Marcus Bachmann in 1978. They have five children and served as foster care parents for more than 20 teenage girls. They worked on Jimmy Carter's 1976 campaign but became disenchanted with the Democrats, switched parties and voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980. Michele Bachmann became a strong pro-life advocate but still had some big government views, as she represented the IRS from 1988 to 1993 before she quit to become a full-time stay at home mom.

Bachmann was elected to the State Senate in 2000 and since 2007 has served in the US Congress. Bachmann is the first GOP woman elected to the House of Representatives from her state.

Bachmann was asked during a "Meet the Press" show if she would renounce her earlier statement saying that Obama held "anti-American views" and was running a "gangster government." Bachmann softened a little on Obama but said, "I don't take back my statements on gangster government."

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