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Forget Romney or Obama, the voters want Tim Tebow: poll 03 Feb 2012 3. Radcliffe admits being drunk during "Harry Potter" scenes 03 Feb 2012 4. Micron CEO dies in plane crash, industry stunned 03 Feb 2012 5. Actor Ben Gazzara dead at 81 03 Feb 2012 Discussed * 190 Job growth seen slowing after holiday boost * 93 Romney wins Florida Republican presidential primary * 90 Indiana poised to approve anti-union law Watched * Floating cities proposed as havens of future happiness Floating cities proposed as havens of future happiness Fri, Feb 3 2012 * Iran sends toy drone to Obama Iran sends toy drone to Obama Sun, Jan 29 2012 * We are already in new great depression: Paul Krugman We are already in new great depression: Paul Krugman Fri, Feb 3 2012 Bachmann launches 2012 presidential bid IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters. com%2Farticle%2F2011%2F06%2F27%2Fus-usa-campaign-bachmann-idUSTRE75P1G3 20110627&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=recommend&co lorscheme=light&height=35 * Tweet Share this Email Print Factboxes * Presidential candidate Bachmann Mon, Jun 27 2011 * Bachmann enters field of 2012 Republican contenders Mon, Jun 27 2011 Analysis & Opinion * America's economy: glass half-full? * Washington Extra - Long day Related Topics * Politics >> * Barack Obama >> * Election 2012 >> Related Video Video Republican Michele Bachmann launches presidential bid Mon, Jun 27 2011 * Tea Party favorite Bachmann joins 2012 race * Republican Michele Bachmann launches presidential bid * Bachmann announces candidacy [btn_articleslide_previous.png] [btn_articleslide_next.png] Rep. Michele Bachmann addresses a gathering of supporters to formally launch her campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination in her childhood hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, June 27, 2011. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes 1 of 7. Rep. Michele Bachmann addresses a gathering of supporters to formally launch her campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination in her childhood hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, June 27, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Jeff Haynes By Steve Holland WATERLOO, Iowa | Mon Jun 27, 2011 2:24pm EDT WATERLOO, Iowa (Reuters) - Rising Tea Party star Michele Bachmann leaped into the Republican 2012 presidential nomination race on Monday, saying the country cannot afford four more years of President Barack Obama's handling of the economy. "Make no mistake about it, Barack Obama will be a one-term president," Bachmann, a conservative member of the House of Representatives from Minnesota, said in announcing her candidacy with a blistering critique of the Democratic president. Bachmann, 55, is attempting to establish herself as the conservative alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney among a crowded field of Republican candidates. Bachmann's announcement speech, accompanied by rock music as traffic noise roared from a nearby highway, was full of rhetoric against Obama, memories of her Iowa childhood years and her rock-solid devotion to conservative principles of low taxes and low government spending. She was born in Waterloo. She was buoyed by a Des Moines Register poll on Saturday that showed her with 22 percent support, only one percentage point behind first-place Romney among Republicans in Iowa. The Midwestern state holds the first contest on the road to the Republican presidential nomination. Bachmann may have to win the Iowa caucuses to be a contender for the nomination. Her challenge will be to gain the trust of voters beyond the hard-core conservatives who form her base. While Bachmann plays well among social conservatives who dominate politics in Iowa, her support is more uncertain elsewhere. A former tax lawyer, Bachmann is the head of the Tea Party caucus in the House and is a fiscal hawk, as well as a strong critic of gay marriage and abortion. 'SHE'S GOT SOME CHARISMA' The Tea Party is a loosely organized conservative political movement that emerged after Obama took office in 2009. "She's got some charisma, she's got intelligence," said Republican strategist Charlie Black, a veteran of presidential campaigns. "I'm not saying she's going to win the nomination. I don't know. But she could be one of the two or three finalists after we get through the first four events." Jennifer Duffy of the non-partisan Cook Political Report said Bachmann had overturned the conventional wisdom that she was simply an updated version of Sarah Palin, the fiery Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008. Unlike Palin, who is to visit Iowa on Tuesday in her continued flirtation with a presidential run, Bachmann holds public office. "She's gone out and proven very early that she's her own candidate and somebody who is going to have to be reckoned with," Duffy said. Rather than taking shots at her Republican rivals, Bachmann urged voters to make a "bold choice" and pick her. She focused her energies on Obama's handling of the economy, still suffering from 9.1 percent unemployment. "We cannot afford four more years of millions of Americans who are out of work and are not making enough in wages to support a family. ... We cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama," she said to loud cheers from the crowd. Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt fired back at Bachmann, saying her support for extending tax cuts begun under Republican President George W. Bush, including cuts for the wealthy, hurt the middle class. "Congresswoman Bachmann talks about reclaiming the American Dream but her policies would erode the path to prosperity for middle-class families," he said. Her recent political rise shows the power of Tea Party fiscal conservatives who came to prominence in last year's congressional elections, partly due to voter worries about the budget deficit, estimated to be $1.4 trillion in 2011. Tea Party Republicans are pushing hard for steep spending cuts in bipartisan talks to avoid a debt default. Despite the poor economy, Obama still heads most polls against Republican rivals in the 2012 election but is seen as vulnerable by many analysts because of the economy's problems. Bachmann quoted Obama as saying in February 2009 that if he did not get the economy growing in three years "there's going to be a one-term proposition." "Well, Mr. President, your policies haven't worked, spending our way out of the recession hasn't worked, and so Mr. President we take you at your word," she said. Her strong performance at a New Hampshire debate two weeks ago has given her a boost and prompted Republicans to take a second look at Bachmann, who is a mother of five children and has provided foster care for 23 others. The crowd in Waterloo included ardent supporters and undecided voters who came to hear what she had to say. "I'm looking for someone who can deliver on what she says, someone whose words and actions line up," said Jennifer Green of West Des Moines. "She's a little bit outside the box, she's a little bit different, different, and I think that may be what we need. And it would be cool to have a woman president." (Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria in Washington) (Editing by Paul Simao) Politics Barack Obama Election 2012 IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters. com%2Farticle%2F2011%2F06%2F27%2Fus-usa-campaign-bachmann-idUSTRE75P1G3 20110627&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=recommend&co lorscheme=light&height=35 * Tweet this * Link this * Share this * Digg this * Email * Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-though tful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (28) The_Traveler wrote: "The Minnesota congresswoman, who vows to cut spending, shrink the government and repeal President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare overhaul law, ..." Nor going to happen ... Not going to happen ... Not going to happen ... Michelle, just click your heels 3 times and say, "There's no place like home." That will have as much chance of happening as your political promises .... Jun 27, 2011 9:17am EDT -- Report as abuse ActualTaxpayer wrote: Bachmann doesn't test ANYTHING about the tea party. She's a fire brand, not a future president. Her failure to become president will not reflect upon the tea party. All the moves currently going on to bring spending under control are the TRUE test of the tea party's power. Reuters once again creates a straw man argument to tarnish conservatives. Jun 27, 2011 9:26am EDT -- Report as abuse 2pesos wrote: Hummmm, five kids and 23 foster kids! I wonder how much government social benefits SHE has sucked up on in HER life! Jun 27, 2011 9:56am EDT -- Report as abuse This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication. 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