With less than a year left in her fourth and final term in Congress, it’s a little early for an exit interview, but not too early to get the views of Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., on issues dear to a “founding mother” of the Tea Party movement and on how to beat Hillary Clinton in 2016, if the Democrat decides to run.
Bachmann remains confident and resolute despite many political setbacks. We met in her office while much of Congress was fleeing the Capitol Building ahead of a major storm that eventually dumped a foot of snow on Washington. The snow was a big deal to residents of the nation’s capital, but little more than flurries to a Minnesotan like Bachmann.
An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety.
You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.
Choose an online service.
The following services are print only and offer no digital access
-
-
Existing Subscribers
$9.62
-
Existing Subscribers
$9.44
-
Existing Subscribers
$8.99
Need an account? Create one now.
kAmq249>2?? :D >256 @7 DE6C?6C DEF77 2?5 92D E:>6 2?5 282:? DE@@5 FA 7@C 96C D@4:2= 2?5 64@?@>:4 AC:?4:A=6D[ C67FD:?8 E@ 4@>AC@>:D6 @? E96> 56DA:E6 D@>6E:>6D DEC@?8 @AA@D:E:@? 7C@> H:E9:? 96C @H? A2CEJ’D =6256CD9:A]k^Am
kAm$96 C6E2:?D 96C r9C:DE:2? 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:G6 H@C=5G:6H[ 42==:?8 :E 2 “8C:5” E9C@F89 H9:49 D96 D66D 6G6CJE9:?8] x ?@E6 E92E 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 96C 4@==628F6D 2?5 >F49 @7 E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@F?ECJ D66> E@ 92G6 2 5:776C6?E “8C:5” 2?5 4:E6 2D 6I2>A=6D E96 8C@HE9 2?5 4@DE @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 E96 72:=FC6 @7 4@?D6CG2E:G6D E@ D=@H H92E E96J C682C5 2D E96 4F=EFC2= D=:56]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D E96 C62=:EJ H6 H@C< :?[ 3FE D@ H92En” D96 D2JD] “%92E 5@6D?’E 56G:2E6 7C@> >J C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ ]]] J@F 4@?E:?F6 E@ 92G6 E@ 8@ 7@CH2C5[ 6G6? :7 J@F 5@?’E D66 E96 C6DF=ED]”k^Am
kAm(9J 5@6D D96 E9:?< =:EE=6 92D DE@AA65 E96 4F=EFC2= D=:56[ 6G6? H96? #6AF3=:42?D 4@?EC@= 2== E9C66 3C2?496D @7 8@G6C?>6?E[ 2D E96J 5:5 7@C 2 E:>6 5FC:?8 E96 v6@C86 (] qFD9 25>:?:DEC2E:@?nk^Am
kAm“xE’D 3642FD6 @7 E96:C H@C=5G:6H[” D96 C6DA@?5D[ :>A=J:?8 :E :D?’E 6?@F89 E@ 36 2 #6AF3=:42?[ @C 6G6? 4@?D6CG2E:G6] u@C 2 ECF=J 4@?D6CG2E:G6 286?52 E@ 25G2?46[ D96 36=:6G6D[ G@E6CD H:== 92G6 E@ D6?5 E@ (2D9:?8E@? >@C6 A6@A=6 H:E9 2 3:3=:42= H@C=5G:6H] %92E :D 2 5:77:4F=E E2D<[ 8:G6? E96 8C@H:?8 D64F=2C:K2E:@? @7 E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmx7 #6AF3=:42?D ?@>:?2E6 2 >2=6 AC6D:56?E:2= 42?5:52E6 :? a_`e[ 9@H D9@F=5 96 CF? 282:?DE w:==2CJ r=:?E@?[ :7 D96 :D E96 s6>@4C2E:4 ?@>:?66nk^Am
kAmq249>2?? H2D E96 @?=J 76>2=6 v~! 42?5:52E6 :? E96 C246 H96? D96 C2? 7@C AC6D:56?E :? a_`a] $96 D2JD[ “%H@ E9:?8D E92E ?665 E@ 36 5@?6i #6>:?5 A6@A=6 Wr=:?E@?X :D D66<:?8 E@ 364@>6 4@>>2?56C :? 49:67 W2?5X 9@H D96 92D @A6C2E65 :? E96 A2DE H:E9 E96D6 EJA6D @7 C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D] $96 H2D :? 492C86 5FC:?8 E96 q6?892K: 56324=6] x7 2 A6CD@? C625D E96 $6?2E6 x?E6==:86?46 Wr@>>:EE66X C6A@CE 2?5 E96 w@FD6 u@C6:8? p772:CD Wr@>>:EE66X C6A@CE C6=62D65 W=2DEX H66<[ :E :D 52>?:?8 7@C w:==2CJ r=:?E@?]”k^Am
kAmq249>2?? D2JD r=:?E@? E6DE:7:65 367@C6 r@?8C6DD E92E D96 H2D “2H2C6” @7 E96 56E6C:@C2E:?8 4@?5:E:@?D :? q6?892K: 3FE 5:5 ?@E9:?8] “$96 92D 2 C62= AC@3=6> H96? :E 4@>6D E@ q6?892K:[” D2JD q249>2??]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ D96 D2JD[ r=:?E@? :D “E96 8@5>@E96C @7 ~32>242C6[” ECJ:?8 “369:?5 4=@D65 5@@CD” E@ AFD9 E9C@F89 D@>6E9:?8 D:>:=2C H96? q:== r=:?E@? H2D AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAm|2J36 DF49 2? 2AAC@249 H:== H@C<[ 3FE H@F=5 E96 =FC6 @7 E96 “7:CDE 76>2=6 AC6D:56?E” @G6C4@>6 E96D6 4@?46C?D :? G@E6CD’ >:?5Dn q249>2?? D2JDi “t7764E:G6=J D96 H@F=5 36 ~32>2’D E9:C5 2?5 7@FCE9 E6C> :? @77:46]” %92E >:89E D42C6 6?@F89 A6@A=6 E@ G@E6 7@C E96 #6AF3=:42? ?@>:?66]k^Am
kAmq249>2?? D2JD 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 “2C6?’E C625J” 7@C 2 76>2=6 AC6D:56?E] “x E9:?< E96C6 H2D 2 42496E 23@FE 92G:?8 2? p7C:42?\p>6C:42? AC6D:56?E 3642FD6 @7 8F:=E]” W!C6DF>23=J D96 >62?D 3642FD6 @7 D=2G6CJ 2?5 E96 =6?8E9J 56?:2= @7 4:G:= C:89ED E@ 3=24<D]X “!6@A=6 5@?’E 9@=5 8F:=E 7@C 2 H@>2?[” D96 D2JD[ 255:?8 E92E H9:=6 A6@A=6 G@E6 7@C H@>6? 7@C G:CEF2==J 6G6CJ @E96C @77:46 “x 5@?’E E9:?< E96C6 :D 2 A6?E\FA 56D:C6” 7@C 2 H@>2? AC6D:56?E]k^Am
kAm$96 D2JD H9:=6 ~32>2 H2D “?6H 2?5 5:776C6?E[” w:==2CJ r=:?E@? 92D 366? 2C@F?5 2 =@?8 E:>6 2?5 :D =6DD =:<6=J E@ DE:C E96 ;F:46D 2D ~32>2 5:5]k^Am
kAmxE >2J 36 E:>6 E@ E6DE E92E E96@CJ]k^Am
Cal Thomas can be reached at tcaeditors@tribune.com.