Tea party group calls on Bachmann to drop presidential bid

Chris Moody
·Political Reporter

Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann was among the first national politicians to associate herself with the tea party and she has been an ardent supporter and spokeswoman for the movement on Capitol Hill. But now that her presidential campaign is losing steam, one major tea party-aligned group wants her off the trail.

Ned Ryune, the president of the Virginia-based American Majority, a conservative grassroots organization, argued Thursday that while Bachmann has effectively championed tea party values, her presidential campaign may be doing the movement more harm than good.

"It's time for Michele Bachmann to go," Ryune wrote in a blog post titled, "Bachmann's Flounding Can Damage Tea Party." He went on to say, "In Bachmann's case, it is clear that the campaign has become less about reform and more about her personal effort to stay relevant and sell books; a harsh commentary, but true. It's not about tea party values or championing real plans to solve real problems."

Bachmann, who founded the House Tea Party Caucus in 2010, has struggled to find support for her campaign in Congress, even among her closest allies in the chamber.

In Iowa, where her campaign is pouring the most resources, Bachmann is polling at about 7 percent, according to Real Clear politics, and just under 4 percent nationally.

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