Bachmann says Iowa trip about issues, not personal ambition

Michele Bachmann
In this Nov. 2, 2010 file photo, Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann is seen before a television interview in Bloomington, Minn. A spokesman for Bachmann, a tea party favorite, told The Associated Press, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, that she has not ruled out a presidential bid _ but wouldn't say when she will decide.
AP Photo/Andy King

Minnesota's 6th District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann talked this morning about her plans to speak in Iowa later this month. Her appearance has fueled speculation about a potential run for the presidency.

The three-term Republican sidestepped the issue in an appearance on NBC's Today show, neither confirming nor denying her plans for a bid for the White House. Iowa will hold the first presidential contest in the nation in just over a year.

"What we did was just announce that I'll be speaking in Iowa. And if you speak in Iowa today, most people think you're running for President," Bachmann said. "And so the context of the remarks is that I'm speaking about the issue that I think will be important for 2012. That's why I'm going to Iowa."

When pressed about her plans, she said the trip was not about what she called her "personal ambition." She also said the media was focusing too much on the race for the Republican nomination and not on the issues facing the country.

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