Rep. Michele Bachmann (R., Minn) just gave a well-received speech at CPAC in front of a packed house of a couple thousand activists. Unlike other speakers, Bachmann used her time on the podium as a sort of lecture — using PowerPoint slides to go through her views and cite statistics. On the deficit, she brought out graphs detailing OMB outlays. She also had a bit of fun, slipping in a slide of that George W. Bush “Miss me much?” billboard. President Obama, she said, is indulging in “fantasty economics” that didn’t work for FDR and won’t work now.
Speaking with National Review Online after her address, Bachmann said being at CPAC felt like a “homecoming.” She joked about her slides, saying “my use of almost obsolete technology reflects my age.” During her speech, she called Minnesota’s GOP governor Tim Pawlenty a “brave” leader. Was that an ealrly endorsement for 2012? “He may be a contender,” she said. “I’m not making any decision yet. I like all of the possible candidates, but [Pawlenty] just may be a contender, and I’m looking forward to supporting our party’s candidate — and whoever it is, I predict that they’ll win.”
CORRECTION: Congresswoman Bachmann called Gary Emineth, North Dakota’s GOP Chairman, a “brave leader,” not Pawlenty. Last week, Bachmann attended Emineth’s ‘Take Back Washington’ rally in Bismarck. ”While she’s certainly a fan and friend of Tim Pawlenty, she wants to make sure in this instance that Mr. Emineth gets all the attention he deserves as she intended in her remarks,” her spokesman says.
