Michele Bachmann's Stock Likely to Rise with the Tea Party, West's is Falling

On July 29th, the Hill listed 22 Republicans that rejected John Boehner's debt ceiling bill. Michele Bachmann was one of those on the list. On August 1st, as the alleged final deal agreed upon by both Houses of Congress, Bachmann is still on that list when several Tea Party Reps sided with the establishment. Surprisingly, Lt. Col. Allen West was one of them and he's not even running for president. Bachmann passed a major test with the Tea Party over this vote. In fact, she's leaving Iowa just so she can got to Washington to vote 'no' on the deal.

Via CNN:

Washington (CNN) - Rep. Michele Bachmann is cutting short her presidential campaign trip to Iowa to return to Washington for a vote on a debt ceiling deal.
Bachmann was to make two appearances Monday - a midday event in Newton and a late afternoon backyard chat in Dexter - but her campaign said she was instead flying back to be ready to vote against the bill later in the day.

The Minnesota Republican has opposed any increase in the debt ceiling during negotiations.

"The 'deal'... spends too much and doesn't cut enough," Bachmann said in a statement released Sunday after President Barack Obama announced the agreement with congressional leaders.

"Is this the deal I would have preferred? No," Obama told reporters. "I believe that we could have made the tough choices required - on entitlement reform and tax reform - right now, rather than through a special congressional committee process. But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year."

"This isn't the deal the American people 'preferred' either, Mr. President," Bachmann said in her response. "Someone has to say 'no.' I will."

Mark this down. Every 'crisis' we've had in the past, whether TARP 1, TARP 2, Auto Bailouts, AIG Bailouts, Stimulus, etc. always ends up coming back to bite those who voted for them. Yet, the same crowd continues to do so. One day between now and November 2012, there will be some who voted for this deal that will wish they hadn't. Those who voted against it - like Bachmann - will proudly point to their vote.

In fact, when McCain dropped his campaign back in 2008 so he could return to Washington to help solve the financial crisis, it was a disaster. What Bachmann is doing will likely have the opposite effect with the Tea Party.

h/t Hapblog