Bachmann: Get Missiles Ready for Iran

But remaining GOPers are 'acceptable,' she says

(NEWSER) - Hey, America: You had your chance to pick the perfect presidential candidate and you blew it—according to Michele Bachmann. Asked who she thought the most conservative candidate still in the GOP race was, Bachmann tooted her own horn, CNN reports. "I was. I was the perfect candidate," she declared. "America had their chance with the perfect candidate. But any of our candidates are going to be acceptable to the American people." More»

Announces she is suspending her campaign

(NEWSER) - Last night at the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines, Michele Bachmann vowed to stay in the race despite her sixth-place finish in Iowa. This morning she appeared in the same place , but sang a different tune: The sole female candidate for president is suspending her campaign. "I have decided to stand aside. I believe that if we are going to repeal ObamaCare ... we must do so united, and rally around the person our country selects to be that standard-bearer." More»

...and schedules news conference in their place

(NEWSER) - The hot scuttlebutt of the morning: Is Michele Bachmann dropping out of the race, even though she earlier vowed to stay in? "There are many more chapters to be written on our path to the nomination," she told supporters last night, but today's chapter apparently won't include any appearances in South Carolina. She canceled her scheduled slate of events there, and has called an 11am EST news conference in Des Moines, reports USA Today . Stay tuned. More»

That's what 'best campaigner in family' was doing yesterday

(NEWSER) - Marcus Bachmann is "the best campaigner" in the family, wife Michele said in a speech thanking supporters after the Iowa caucuses, but he wasn't exactly campaigning while the rest of the team was out stirring up support on Main Street in Des Moines. No, "he was out buying doggie sunglasses for our dog, Boomer," Michele Bachmann revealed for no apparent reason. New York notes Marcus Bachmann's classic reaction to the revelation, which you can watch in the video at left. But more such moments may or may not be coming your way: Michele Bachmann said she would stay in the race despite a less-than-impressive finish in the caucuses, but this morning canceled a trip to South Carolina and scheduled a press conference for 11 EST. More»

Anti-Romney voters might have found their candidate

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney snatched an 8-vote victory in Iowa , but a lot of analysts say "man of the hour" Rick Santorum looks like the real winner. He can now portray himself as the clear alternative to Romney, and to win the nomination he "won’t have to outrun the bear, as the old joke goes, he’ll just have to outrun Mitt," a GOP strategist tells Politico . Other takeaways from last night:

• But Santorum shouldn't gloat just yet, writes James Hohmann for Politico, because this pesky thing called reality is also in the room. "He doesn’t have the money or infrastructure to keep up with Romney in New Hampshire, and he hasn’t been in South Carolina since Nov. 12." Sure, he'll grab a ton of headlines this week, but he needs to "dramatically expand his campaign apparatus virtually overnight."