Michele Bachmann has admitted that she was asked to quit the GOP presidential race by none other than Bob Vander Plaats, the top Iowa Christian conservative political leader and head of The Family Leader — the group that issued this political season’s first “marriage vow,” which Bachmann was the first to sign. The Family Leader’s original “Marriage Vow” included language that implied African Americans were better off under slavery. Bachmann insists she is not quitting.
“Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Wednesday confirmed that Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of Christian conservative group The Family Leader, had called her earlier to ask her to end her presidential campaign,” The Huffington Post reports:
On Tuesday, Vander Plaats announced a personal endorsement for former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Politico later reported that Vander Plaats had contacted Bachmann over the weekend to encourage her to drop out of the race and join him in backing Santorum.
“I did receive a phone call,” Bachmann said Wednesday on Fox News. “I’ve been polling above the Ricks, and so there would be absolutely no reason for me to drop out. Plus, I’m the only one that actually won anything in this state. Plus, I have so much support here, I have the former president of the Family Leader who also has come out and endorsed me, I have the head of Concerned Women of America in Iowa who’s come out to support me, and I have over a hundred Evangelical pastors that have come out in public support.”
Bachmann continued, sounding confident that she could still carry out a strong performance in Iowa and showing few signs that she would adhere to Vander Plaats’ request. The congresswoman has, after all, effectively vowed to bet it all on Iowa with hopes that she can pull out a win in the state’s Jan. 3 caucuses.
Ouch.
By the way, right after the 4:00 mark, Fox News host Steve Doocy asks Bachmann if she’s going to “go negative, because it works!”
Nice.
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