US News

Dud Michele quits

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann ended her bid for the GOP presidential nomination yesterday after her embarrassing sixth-place showing in the Iowa caucuses.

A native Iowan, Bachmann garnered only 5 percent of the vote.

She won the Iowa Straw Poll last summer, and she was expected to be a formidable contender in the Hawkeye State. But her campaign there fizzled.

Bachmann had trouble raising funds, and key staffers quit or defected. In a bizarre turn of events, her state chairman joined rival Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s campaign just days before the caucuses.

“I look forward to the next chapter in God’s plan,” Bachmann said. “I’m grateful to have been a part of this presidential contest.”