Bachmann’s Leadership Skills Will Be Tested

Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann has gained great attention for her outspoken support of conservative views. But it remains to be seen how much influence she can wield inside the GOP-run House, Politico reports.

“On Capitol Hill, her negotiating prowess never rivaled her PR skills,” the news service states. “And now that she’s out of the minority and joined by new Republicans, many formed from her outspoken mold, the tea party champion must learn to play the inside game as well as she plays to the base. Success in the majority isn’t throwing flames as a headliner — a skill that might be endangered in Washington now — it’s about scoring victories as a serious legislator.”

And how does Bachmann view her role? “I’ll continue be a vocal voice for fiscal sanity,” she says.