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Subscribe to RSSNEW YORK and DES MOINES, IA -- With just over two months to go before the first-in the-nation caucuses, Michele Bachmann appears to be going all in -- in Iowa.
This morning, the Bachmann campaign announced the addition of new staffers, bringing their total to 10 paid staffers in the Hawkeye State. That number includes Iowa political veteran Eric Woolson, the newly appointed state campaign manager.
"We have a strong, experienced organization in place that is equipped to build upon Michele Bachmann's historic victory in the Republican Party of Iowa Straw Poll this summer," National Campaign Manager Keith Nahigian said in a statement. "Eric is the perfect person to lead our team to victory on caucus day."
Woolson served as the campaign’s communications director in the state since late September, and he had previously worked for Tim Pawlenty’s unsuccessful bid this year. During Mike Huckabee’s caucus win in the 2008 cycle, Woolson served as his Iowa state campaign manager -- so the same title he holds with the Bachmann campaign.
In addition to Woolson, the Bachmann campaign announced State Central Committee member, Wes Enos, as deputy state campaign Manager.
Seven staff members were named to regional positions, and, notably, outreach positions on issues important to the campaign's base. Four of the staffers are assigned to Northwest Iowa, Northeast Iowa, and the central and Southeast areas. Two are assigned to "faith leader" positions, and one is assigned to be "home-school coalition" director.
The Iowa staffing additions come just a day after the Minnesota congresswoman mailed in her filing papers to New Hampshire qualifying her to be on the state’s primary ballot. And they come almost a week after the high-profile departure of five of Bachmann’s New Hampshire staff.
John DiStaso, the New Hampshire Union Leader's chief political writer, today sourly quoted yesterday's campaign's press release announcing the filing. "We all know what Michele Bachmann thinks of New Hampshire," he wrote.
DiStaso added: "She 'reaffirmed' her 'commitment' (we're being a bit sarcastic here, folks) to New Hampshire by literally mailing in her first-in-the-nation primary paperwork to the Secretary of State."
But campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart tells NBC News, "We've been clear all along our focus is Iowa," and says today's staffing announcement shows the campaign is growing in the Hawkeye State.
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...and to her credit she's the only one who hasn't had to walk back any comments that she's made or that have been made on her behalf this week.
Congratulations.
Who wants a BOGO brain?
If she is ramping it up in Iowa, she is doing it on her Visa.
Has she even made any comments this week? I must have missed them!
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
FR, Please explain in your lead in: what do two staff positons as "faith leader" mean???
I don't know what's worse, Michelle Bachmann not realizing that she's past irrelevant and has no shot or the people who work for her campaign essentially collecting a paycheck as they watch that ship shink.
And for those just hired, it must suck to know you're only going to be working for a couple of months. Another example of how republicans can't create jobs.
lmao. Got that Queen song all cued up on the old turntable.
poor Michelle, likely her last stand. She really needs to know when to walk away and get back to Washington to do her job.
She should pack it in, she doesn't have a chance of being President. I predict she won't be in the race much longer.
Why is she spending all of her time in Iowa? Doesn't she realize that there are 49 other States and she needs to maybe win a couple of those also? She has this dilusional idea that since she won some silly straw poll last Summer that she needs to stay in Iowa and really, really focus on that one State. She's just odd...