ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann is feeling pressure from the political calendar to rush a decision on a White House bid, and the Tea Party favorite might announce her intentions as early as May, one of her top advisers said Thursday.
Bachmann, a third-term congresswoman from Minnesota, could form a presidential exploratory committee before two televised Republican debates scheduled the first week of May, said Ed Brookover, a Bachmann adviser. “I’m not sure the debate is what’s going to make our final decision,” he said. “Is it a factor? Yes.”
Other Republicans familiar with Bachmann’s thinking said all signs point to a White House run. Bachmann, 54, who helped found the House Tea Party Caucus, was in Iowa on Wednesday courting evangelical home-school advocates.
The GOP presidential field has been slow to form compared with past election cycles as familiar names such as Sarah Palin mull over their options and other potential hopefuls like Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich work behind the scenes on their candidacies.
The Associated Press
