because two years ago this month michele bachmann won the iowa straw poll.ct that her competition was one of the weakest presidential primary fields ever in american history, it sort of seemed like winning the straw poll might mean she was going to be a contender. for about a minute. the expectation that the straw poll win might propel her to win the iowa caucuses and that would propel her to do well in the primaries overall was cut short in iowa when something strange happened in her campaign right before the iowa caucuses. it was kind of a shock at the time. but it was unexplained. it was clear something weird was going on, but not exactly what. now, today, for the first time, we actually have clarity on what happened. less than a week before iowa caucuses, michele bachmann's presidential campaign was basically derailed when its co-chairman in iowa quit her campaign abruptly and endorsed ron paul instead. it was this republican state senator in iowa, a man named kent sorenson, who defected from the bachman campaign a week before the caulk caucuses and deci

congressman michele bachmann of minnesota. well, that was the launch pad there. ight now to discuss bachmann's rise and fall, abc news 2012 embed who was placed on the bachmann campaign, now a producer. nbc's own james novogrod. co-creator of the "daily show" lizz winstead. thank you for joining us, starting first with james. what happened to bachmann in why did she come off as a morning glory or a roman candle flying so high back in the last presidential cycle that she won the iowa straw poll then sort of became, i don't know what, imploded, what? what would you say happened with all these investigations? now as of last night her staff coming out with all this stuff about her. this garbage. some of it shouldn't even be quoted about. i think it's indecent to be talking about anybody you worked for this way. the total lack of any loyalty at stake here. >> a bit of a stunning reversal of fortune, chris. to go from winning the straw poll then less than six months later finishing last among the competitors in the caucuses, this is a story of someone who in some ways h

i'm michele bachmann. the united states of america. >> remember when michele bachmann ran for president? yeah, that actually happened. and now we're hearing the amazing story of what went on behind the scenes in her 2012 campaign. a new tell-all book from her former adviser reveals the incredible details, allegations of bribery, back-biting among staffers, reasons behind the ethics investigation. but really, there is one part we need to talk about. are you ready for this? it's the story of how she decided to run. her husband mark counselled her, quote, the test of whether his wife should run for president was ultimately a simple one in marcus' view. he instructed her to get off the bed and go to the full-length mirror in the bedroom. if you can look at yourself and say it, then you are ready to run and you should, he explained. she listened nodding internally. she stood in front of the mirror, said michele bachmann, looking at herself, i am the president of the united states. now i wasn't there, but i imag

you see in this congress michele bachmann and michele bachmann one of these -- wannabe's. there are fights about redistricting. >> use of the one strength the president obama, his rhetorical skill, is not sufficient. >> it has not been used at the scale necessary in this time of crisis. america is in a crossroads. this is a moment comparable to coming out of the great depression. this was a moment coming out of the financial crisis when tectonic shifts are under way in this country. hope is not a policy. policy is a wonky word. hope needs a story, a narrative. here is what is going on in this country. president obama now is speaking more forcefully about what he wants to do it and against smoking out those who are obstructing. this is really wonky. anyway, i think one of the most exciting things are the movements of our times. i closed this book out before occupy. i wrote about wisconsin. our correspondent was there for 57 days. that was about occupying the state house. occupy has become a brand. it has also become e ncampments. soon it will need to be more than a space an

that's not according to representative michele bachmann.hat's according to james hoffa who's the head of the teamsters union who's so upset because he's saying this is the end of the 40-hour work week and benefits. and that the backbone of the middle class is being broken. when you're getting that out of the head of the teamsters union, you know there's a real problem. and again, this isn't just about having something to talk about. these are real people's lives that are being impacted. america isn't growing. we are barely coasting right now. this isn't even a jobless recovery. we're going negative. if you look on the drudge report right now, gallup came out with their poll. they said unemployment now has gone up a stunning 1.2 points so that we're at about an almost a 9% unemployment rate just in the last 30 days. so we're going backwards at a huge pace. >> well, the thing that's so distressing is that some people don't want to work. i think that's a small percentage. i think most people do. but the very people that really want to work and

. >> michele bachmann is on the way. specifically the eye of michele bachmann will be hitting florida in a few hours. >> can you imagine if that was the case? well, that is your morning dish of scrambled politics. >>> so if monsoon rains weren't enough, phoenix was just slammed with massive dust on monday. a dust storm with gusts up to 68 miles per hour created the wall of dust hundreds of feet high and miles wide followed by heavy rains and lightening. the storm left thousands in the area without power. that's the latest on biz from nbc meteorologist bill. bill, with the dust storms, the rains that follow, does that wash everything away or do people need to line up with a car wash. >> a lot of storms don't have a lot of rain so not usually. >> probably makes it a muddy mess, right? >> yeah. if you're lucky it rains and washes it away. as far as the big story yesterday, it's the heat. here we are the end of august. we have high school sports underway. people on the fields. we have kids in classrooms. some of them don't h

michele bachmann, she's the first one out of the box as a declared candidate. you saw the attacks on her. she was painted as a christian zealot. remember the "time" magazine cover on her? she looked like the devil if the devil were female, that would be michele bachmann. all the stories about her husband's ministry back in minnesota and tieing her to it as if something was wrong because somebody might believe that a homosexual might become a non-homosexual, that that was an earth shattering development that required national attention? well, she was done with in short order. herman cain comes along. he could have been covered as a sensation, a tea party sensation, as was michele bachmann. instead, what did we learn about herman cain? we learned allegations of a marital infidelity. interesting. in journalism, there is a rule that is sack cro sank. if you don't have two sources, you don't have a story. if you don't have two sources, don't report a story. think about this. there was, i believe i think it was, 78 national network stories on herman cain's alleged in

just ask rick santorum and michele bachmann.mpaign was flailing until she'll won that straw pole. it can breathe new life into a struggling campaign. now, it's up to them to do with that what they will and make a go of it, but iowa is still important politically and p.r. wise. >> and all the speculation on hillary clinton who came in third in 2008, she has not visited any of these early states. what's going on here? >> a, she doesn't have to because she's a huge, huge front-runner. she hasn't even signalled she's going to do it. but i think it's very interesting. you look at that display of all of those republican leaders and you don't see one of them, as best i can tell, who inspires a lot of confidence they can become president. iowa -- >> what! >> it looked like huey, duey and louie to me. >> what! >> senator cruz just got there. you got donald trump -- >> and scott walker and folks who are doing pretty popular things. >> what i will say about this particular moment is i think it's time for us to start shuffling the deck. i t

outgoing congresswoman michele bachmann from the great state of minnesota. she is making the case that repealing obamacare is the christian thing to do. >> let's repeal this failure before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior citizens. let's not do that. let's love people as people of faith, i am a born again believer in jesus christ. and i believe that as part of my duty as a believer in christ and what he has done for me. that we should do for the least of those who are in our midst. that's my personal belief and my personal conviction. >> she says that obamacare is going to kill people bachmannball has used her faith to advance her celebrity more than anybody else in congress. the fact is that bachmann is now using religion to try to steal health care from 30 million americans. it is downright despicable. it is disingenuous and she is a liar. obamacare will not kill anyone as a christian, michele bachmann should be ashame of herself. meanwhile the christian movement against obamacare, it is growing. because that's all they're talking abo

the flower will begin to collapse in on itself embarking on a tra jeck other very similar to michele bachmann's congressional career. (cheers and applause) and there you go. leave it to cable news to take the smell of rotting flesh and somehowin my guest tonight curious man, please welcome neil thompson. neil, we were talking a little backstage, how is it possible that this is the first and only biography written about such a weird american man. >> such a weird american man. a brilliant weird american man. i think it just sort of is forgotten guy, this overlook lifd. i'm not sure how it happened but i'm glad i stumbled upon it. >> let's put it in context this was one of the most popular men in america over decades. >> yup, yup. >> hugely influential during his day, hugely wealthy, famous, popular. he was sort of the pt barnum character crossed with hugh hefner, traveled the world. >> that is a hell of a cross. >> i know. >> pt barnum crossed with hugh hefner that is an ungodly. >> okay. >> elmer fudd. >> oh my god. >> i can see it, yes. >> riply was inspiration for the original elmer fudd. >> t

barney frank talk about michele bachmann. he also called out newt gingrich and said he held him responsible for the demonization of opponents that has contributed to the atmosphere we live in today. i do think he came into the house. he slashed all of the caucasus and civility. we are seeing this. this is a man who a few days ago talked about education reform in the context of firing the janitors in schools and putting the kids to work. a lot of the media called that unconventional. [laughter] let's repeal child labor laws that we fought hard for in this country. bring in dickens to chronicle it. i do think there is the cruelty amidst the reality show debates we have been subjected to. who is running this, entertainment or news? there is a cruelty when people cheer that someone dies without health care or bbo a soldier that dies in iraq. >> i am joking about herman cain. he is a guy who cannot hide the truth well. that makes me more comfortable with the idea that i know who he is about so i can make a decision. >> are you tal

luckily for america, michele bachmann has announced she is not going to be seeking a fifth term in thenited states house. >> i haven't had a gaffe or something that i've done that has caused me to fall in the polls. >> you heard it from michele bachmann herself. if we pray the gay away, america will survive. who in this country should align themselves with a political party that would advocate discrimination? >> what the left does, they make it uncomfortable for students who come to austin to shower at a young men's christian association, ymca gym, because they live it. >> what? if republicans think we're ready to say yes to the vest, they can keep on pretending. >> left, left. kick one time. kick, kick, now kick, oh, walk it by yourself. >>> ladies and gentlemen, ed schultz! >> we have some breaking news here on "the ed show" tonight. conservatives are angry with me. righ righties are upset because i correctly said that republicans trashed the city of detroit. >> this will shock you and shock some of your viewers. there are many, many republicans in congress right now, perhaps the maj

lou: for years ago, predicted congressman michele bachmann would it be to mitt romney for the republicanomination. we are more than three years away from the 2016 presidential ection that is 11,802 days, if you are keeping close track. do you want to know how dumb it is t be speculating about who is going to do what in 2016 right now? let's go back to august of 2005. the front runners inhe decrat nomination in one gallup poll were hillary clinton, 40 percent support, followed by john kerry with 16, john edwards had mustered 50 percent sport. that pull at eight democrats on theist. not one of them was named barack obama. the front runners from the republican race, reachuliani, do well. 27 percent of followed by john mccain who had 24 percent. connelly's aice, 19%. so wha does all of the 2016 talk me right now? as you can tell, it does not amount to must -- much. it is not rally that significant, but it can be cause when all of that premature prognosticating against it usually signifies the arms that. don't listen to this, mr. obama. onset of lame-duck status. the good news, even more time

this is going to be a lot more interesting than watching michele bachmann rail against romney and theest of the republicans or sarah palin rail against the rest of the establishment. >> canadians versus kentucky, jeff sachs. this is when it gets interesting. "the daily beast" reporting the white house has secretly suspended aid to egypt, a sign the obama administration is at least internally treating the government takeover as a coup. u.s. officials aren't commenting on the report saying the review of aid to egypt is, quote, ongoing but should be pointed out that saudi arabia has said it would fill the void of any foreign aid that is cut. meanwhile, hosni mubarak has been cleared by an egyptian court and released from jail. authorities are working to determine the official date for the former president to be set freep. >> wow. >> let's go to ayman mohyeldin and get response from the table. ayman what's the latest and how are tensions in the street? do you fear we may have some more clashes or is that past for now? >> well, right now the street violence seems to have subsided, at least

republicans have figured out -- michele bachmann raised 12, 13, $14 million for a congressional race was unheard of and it is throw the bomb, get the attention, build the mailing list, raise money. >> at the end of the day, it's interesting, these very flamboyant characters in the republican party don't tend to win the nomination. i had a -- >> never win. >> republican say to me the other week, look, if you look back, you see it's not the extremists who ends up winning, it's mccain in 2008, it's mitt romney in 2012, so as much noise as these people frank bruni rightly makes fun of as people who are just out to make headlines, they don't seem to end up being the decisive voices in the party. they can be spoilers and like you, i'm hearing house republicans just almost screaming, will somebody find a way for us to legislate and do something up here, rather than being trapped between the tea party and a speaker john boehner who doesn't want to take leadership. >> they don't win the nomination, but they spoil or tarnish the brand of the party along the way and that's the frustration for t

what one republican state senator charged the ron paul campaign to switch his endorsement from michele bachmannl, which he did. the allegations were made by the iowa republican, a conservative news site yesterday. the state senator denies it and says the e-mail appears to show his list of demands are utter fabrications. now though the same site published sound of allegedly him talking and fretting about getting paid by ron paul's campaign via a check made out to his wife. >> did i tell you what happened? >> no. >> i kept saying no, and my wife was like, we need to do this, and then i went to the bathroom, and we were in a restaurant, and he made it out to my wife. i'm going to give you the check back. >> oh, you are? >> do you think i should, or do you think i should hold on to it? i'm not cashing it. >> i understand. >> do you think i should hold on to it, or do you think i should do a deal? should i hold on to it so i then have something over him? >> i don't think i would give it to him, no. >> okay. >> i think you need to sit down with an attorney saying here's what i've done and where am i?

michele bachmann? >> yeah. had never been a divorce or gay in his family. >> so though former communists are lauding the right-wing now. >> more and more -- liberals always used to say i'm moving to canada where they have good health care and government programs and respect worker, blah blah blah. more and more the countries that conservatives are going to have to move to when their democrat graphics become too small are going to be places like, you know, serbia, russia, afghanistan. >> stephanie: and your final answer for how many write-in votes carlos danger will get for new york city mayor. >> i'm hoping at least three. >> stephanie: all right. karl happy birthday to dexter once again. >> i will tell him you said so, and bring him in from his ear from thattally away from those hooligans. [ applause ] >> stephanie: all right. major of san diego said san diego should pay for his defense. you made him do it, san diego. >> you put that tongue on that woman's cheek. ♪ you made me lick you >> stephanie: ewe. ninet

professor, take a look at the gop's impeachment posse in the house, blake farenthold will, michele bachmanns, ted cruz, tom coburn has been talking about it recently. what i don't know we do know the names. do we have any idea what is it they plan on impeaching the president for? >> that is what is absolutely compelling and absurd about these callouts for impeachment across these folks. i'm not sure all these folks are relevant in american politics. coburn is. >> mr. bent volio, you don't know his. >> sorry, i'm not sure if those lawmakers have made a name for themselves. i'm not sure if they've made a name for themselves outside of the ways they try to pander to their base around absurd accusations. if you think there's grounds for impeaching this president, that is an extremely serious accusation. we want the evidence and the proof to back that up. if they were more substantive, we might be able to pay for attention to them. i haven't seen substance in any claims up to this point. >> there's the feeling it is the black president aspect of it. 50 years after the march on washington, we hav

goldie, michele bachmann, we're used to that. but tom coburn?hat the president wrote about tom coburn not toot long ago when coburn was selected as one of the most influential people of the year "after i took office, tom received dozens of letters from oklahomans complaining we looked too close on tv. tom's response was how better to influence somebody than to love them. each of us hopes the other will see the light but we'll settle for being friends. what kind of friend is he? >> with friends my those, you don't need no enemies. . at the end of the day, it used to be a time when you could step into your very small saturday morning gop breakfast and say what you wanted to say without any real repercussions because what was said among family stayed among family. then they invented videotape. it's very difficult to have one conversation in the public square and then one conversation with your very localized constituents. in this case, they're sort of bleeding over for coburn, in up to his chagrin. the fact is he has had to try and distance himself

there have been a lot of people in congress, michele bachmann, others, who know how to deliver -- >>'s starting to get a lot more attention. >> i think he is. a few months ago jeb bush went up for a fund-raiser and he got a lot of flak, jeb bush, who could be a 2016 candidate was raising money for paul lepage who talks hitler when he talks obama. when you're comparing anybody who hasn't killed millions of people to hitler, you're generally losing. >> the governor's spokesman is pointing to devon raymond, the young man he took into his home from jamaica, who he refers to his son. >> we've seen this too many times with politicians that when it comes to president obama, some racist thing comes out and they try to deny it and change the subject and then reince priebus goes to the republican convention and says, oh, we're actually going to make an extra special effort this year to reach out to blacks. i think that, you know, the problem that republicans have, yes, they've got a couple of racist governors -- >> couple? >> well, at least one. >> you're just spotting them a racist governor.

i was expecting him to say a out colleague in the house, i was thinking of michele bachmann ort somedon't like, buto he said you. so, yeah. >> you're now -- you're going t a gentleman's club in new york tonight? >> right, but let's be clear, u i'm hosting, i'm not stripping or doing anything like that. >> and then you did these pictures?nd t >> i did. >> this guy wants you to do pornographic movies.ou why would you do that with your life. why is that door even open for you? >> i think because i'm open with my sexuality.d i don't think there's a probleme with women being open about their sexuality. it turns in to shaming as as soon as a woman is open with her sexuality but men are open all the time. >> ask me if i would prefer my son or daughter be a professional doctor or lawyer or do that. >> i'm not your son or daughtere >> no, you're not. that's true. >> have you talked to your parents, are they okay with that?hat. >> my dad is great, he loves me unconditionally. i would assume you love your condition children unconditionally. >> i disagree with some of their decisions. is he okay

michele bachmann who ran, herman cain. the republican party is not a serious problem.ld trump considers himself a republican and the republican party dent distance themselves from him, mitt romney embracing him shows how far off the deep end the gop has become and i think a huge problem for the republican party. >> keith, keep doing us that favor. you just discount it and we will keep going around with our serious candidates. >> susan, you want him out, right? >> donald trump? i don't think he is ever getting in. there is nothing to get out. i would prefer him not bringing up silly matters such as the president's birth certificate on television and doesn't do us any favors but, again, this is what he does. every so many months he raises his profile in republican politics and goes away because he is not taken seriously. >> we have to go. thank you both. have a good day. >>> checking news feed. day five of deliberations earned a way in the racketeering trial of mob boss whitey bulger. jurors asking a question to the judge on the racketeering charge. bulger faces 32 count

went public this week with allegations at a conservative state senator dropped his support for michele bachmannul after seeking payments from paul's campaign in exchange for his endorsement. the aide handed over this recording to the economic policy journal. at economicpolicyjournal.com. >> between you and me, i'm sort of holding my nose for two years because what we're doing here is going to be a big benefit to rand in '16 so that's my long vision. >> benton issued a statement saying, quote, it is truly sick that someone would record a private phone conversation and uses it to try to hurt me. i look forward to victory in november 2014. mcconnell primary challenger matt bevan has seized on this, tweeting, even mcconnell's campaign manager things mcconnell isn't conservative. mcconnell's campaign is trying to make light of the episode, posting this picture of benton and mcconnell on facebook. i hope we posted that picture. the two them were there, holding their nose together. let's bring in the gaggle. republican strategist and former top aide to hastert john furyk. an msnbc contributor maria te

possible we might to be pining for a return to 2012 because by comparison, herman kaine and michele bachmannnd rationale compared with some of these individuals. >> you keep wondering when we are going to get a sean republican party coming back into the forehere. instead much of what we saw in 2012, the utter absence of an agenda. if you ask anyone to identify what the republican agenda is, it is nothing. nothing anybody can identify, nothing anybody can certainly understand. the only thing they 150eseem to talking about is the repeal of obama care. the white house has not done a good enough job in selling obama care, the public does not want to repeal obama care. the polls are clear on that. this is a republican party that still suffers a little bit from the brain death right now. there are a lot of republican who are very worried about this who think this is the wrong direction for the party who don't like senator cruz grandstanding but none seem to have the guts to stand up and say we need a more middle of the road course. that's a shame. we all benefit from a more vigorous two-party syst

we'll recall how michele bachmann won the straw poll last time around.here are these invisible primaries under way. particularly i think the most interesting one right now is the jockeying to be. there is clearly going to be, you know, a modern establishment candidate, a romneyesque candidate. it might be someone like chris christie. and there are a lot of people who want to fill the role of the more tea party libertarian hard-core take no prisoners conservative candidate. so i think what is happening right now to a large degree within the party is jockeying, you know, for instance including cruz and rand paul to be that more conservative alternative. but this is all still very nebulous. and by the way i think for cruz the most important thing is to boost his name recognition. it helps him have more leverage and attention back in washington and be effective in the senate. >> right. good for cruz, regardless of whether he actually runs. susan, it looks, though, already, like there are a lot of folks interested in that gop field, could be a big field. so l

allegedly got bribe money from the ron paul for president campaign for switching his allegiance from michele bachmann to ron paul, in the tape he talks with another conservative activist in iowa about whether ron paul, himself, knew that his campaign was bribing people for their endorsements or whether maybe it was just the campaign guys like jesse benton who knew about the bribery. >> i understand ron paul came out and said nobody gave you -- the lying that's going on is just incredible. it's one thing to be smart politically and tough, you know, but, you know, ron paul out there lying. so -- >> you think he knows? >> no, actually, i think he doesn't. >> what do you think he knows? >> all these guys are corrupt. who do i think knows? everybody you told. >> do you think the whole ron paul like all of them know? i mean, the inside group? >> that was the state senator who allegedly asked for and got the bribe money from the ron paul campaign for him to endorse them saying he knows the campaign chairman, jesse benton, knew about the bribe. jesse benton denies that. the aftermath of the iowa republican c