Bachmann reportedly considering presidential campaign

ABC News reports that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is heading to Iowa later this month in order to meet with local pols as she contemplates entering the field of Republicans vying for the 2012 presidential nomination. On Jan. 21, Bachmann is scheduled to headline an Iowans for Tax Relief PAC fundraiser.

ABC’s John Parkinson writes:

Although aides in Bachmann’s congressional office said she has received frequent encouragement from supporters to challenge President Obama next year, they would not confirm quite yet that she officially was throwing her hat into the ring.

However, Bachmann’s senior staff did admit the Minnesotan is not ruling out a presidential campaign. “Nothing is off the table,” Bachmann chief of staff Andy Parrish told ABC News when asked whether the Iowa trip signaled Bachmann’s intent to run for president.

“The congresswoman is excited about her first trip to Iowa this year.”

Bachmann has already proven herself to be a fundraising juggernaut, giving her an immediate advantage if she chooses to enter the field of presidential candidates. For her 2010 re-election campaign against Democrat Tarryl Clark, she brought in $13.4 million. Bachmann has around three million of that sum left over for future campaigns.

Bachmann’s name has been floated as a potential Republican candidate to challenge Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar when she is up for re-election in 2012. Based on early polls conducted by Public Policy Polling, Bachmann is the clear favorite among state Republicans for the Senate nomination, easily topping former Gov. Tim Pawlenty or former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman. But those same polls indicate that Bachmann struggles outside the comfort of her own party or congressional district, with all Minnesota voters favoring Klobuchar by a 56-39 percent margin over Bachmann.