Bachmann disputes reports of debilitating migraines

Michele Bachmann on Tuesday said her headaches are under control and will not affect her ability to serve as president. The candidate's statement follows a Daily Caller piece published Monday on Bachmann's history of migraines, which they reported to be incapacitating.

Anonymous former staff told the Daily Caller that the Minnesota congresswoman on average suffers once a week from stress-induced migraines that can "incapacitate" her for days. They have left her non-functional and have led to hospital visits.

But Bachmann and her staff say the episodes aren't incapacitating, and that she's certainly fit to be president.

"Like nearly 30 million other Americans, I experience migraines that are easily controlled with medication," Bachmann said in a statement released while campaigning in Aiken, S.C.

She said she has maintained a "full schedule" despite the migraines. "Let me be abundantly clear—my ability to function effectively has never been impeded by migraines and will not affect my ability to serve as Commander in Chief."

Migraines in general affect predominantly more women than men, leading many to ask if the focus on Bachmann's headaches is sexist.

"And so, just by the nature and associations of migraines, the story serves as a reminder of the cave-man argument from way back against women holding office—that they might be undone by their hormones in moments of great stress," wrote Daily Intel's Noreen Malone.