Bachmann gives out ‘Bachmann 12′ jerseys at CPAC

Further fueling the speculation that U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) may be making a bid for the White House in 2012, she handed out jerseys with “Bachmann” on the front and “12? on the back at a reception Thursday evening. As promised, Bachmann also gave away vouchers for free drinks as she collected information from attendees at CPAC, an annual gathering of conservatives which has drawn over 11,000 attendees this week.

While Bachmann’s spokesman Sergio Gor said the “12? was a reference to the 12 Apostles and meant to convey “Obama out in 2012,” the information gathering that Bachmann conducted in order for attendees to receive their shirts and free drinks suggests the number could also mean a run for president — or, at the very least, perhaps it was part of her campaign to win the CPAC presidential straw poll.

Minnesota Public Radio reporters Mark Zdechlik and Brett Neely attended the reception: “Bachmann staff members asked them to line up and were handing out forms for each to fill out. From a glance at a distance, the forms included information about where the attendees go to school and their email addresses…. While many of the Bachmann fans in line are too young to become major political donors, by gathering their email addresses, Bachmann’s organization could be creating a mailing list it can use to recruit volunteers for future campaigns.”