Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said Friday that "Perry supporters" were behind a Tea Party movement leader's call for her to quit the race. In a reference to rival Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, the Minnesota Republican said "These are Perry supporters and they went out with this and it was meant to be a stealth move and it was clumsy." Bachmann, being interviewed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer, was asked about a piece in Liberty Rising posted by American Majority president Ned Ryun. It began: "It's time for Michele Bachmann to go." Perry spokeswoman Catherine Frazier disavowed any connection to Ryun's piece. "We learned about this through news reports today," she said. "We were not aware or involved in the group's action." Ryun warned of the danger of "individuals or organizations trying to present themselves as leaders of the Tea Party movement." He argued that Bachmann's ongoing staff problems and her dive in the polls could be a detriment to the Tea Party movement. "While other campaigns are diving into the substance, the supposed tea party candidate Bachmann is sticking to thin talking points and hanging on for dear life," he said. Bachmann noted that her involvement in the Tea Party movement goes back several years, saying "I have led the movement for the Tea Party in Washington."
