Michele Bachmann won’t seek re-election

By Joel Roberts, Yahoo! News | The Ticket

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann said early Wednesday that she will not run for re-election in 2014.

The Minnesota conservative made the announcement in a video posted on her website.

"After a great deal of thought and deliberation, I have decided next year I will not seek a fifth congressional term," Bachmann said in the eight-and-a-half-minute video. "After serious consideration, I am confident that this is the right decision."

The 57-year-old said her decision was not influenced by concerns she would lose a re-election bid to Democrat Jim Graves (whom she narrowly defeated in 2012) nor by a recent probe into the ethics of her 2012 presidential campaign.

“My decision was not in any way influenced by any concerns about my being re-elected to Congress," Bachmann said. "I have every confidence that if I ran, I would again defeat the individual who I defeated last year, who recently announced he is once again running."


“And rest assured, this decision was not impacted in any way by the recent inquiries into the activities of my former presidential campaign or my former presidential staff," she continued. "It was clearly understood that compliance with all rules and regulations was an absolute necessity for my presidential campaign. And I have no reason to believe that that was not the case."

The tea party favorite left the door open for a return to politics: "There is no future option or opportunity, be it directly in the political arena or otherwise, that I won't be giving serious consideration if it can help save and protect our great nation."

Bachmann also used the platform to take a swipe at her detractors.

”I fully anticipate the mainstream, liberal media to put a detrimental spin on my decision," she said. "But I take being the focus of their attention of their disparagement as a true compliment of my public-service effectiveness."

"So will Michele Bachmann go to Fox News? Heritage Foundation? Or maybe lobbying?" the Brooklyn Quarterly wondered on Twitter. "After the book tour of course."

"Michele Bachmann's corrosive politics will not be missed," Greg Dworkin tweeted.

Eric Reif‏ added: "Shame on Michele Bachmann for doing a tremendous disservice to people who like to make jokes about politics."

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