The Hill News

Gov. Scott Walker's (R) push for collective bargaining reform in Wisconsin is akin to the accomplishments of Presidents Lincoln and Reagan, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said Friday evening.

Bachmann, speaking on conservative talker Mark Levin's radio show, accused President Obama of ignoring budget debates in Washington to focus on financing demonstrations against Walker's labor reforms in Madison.

"I'd say it's a new revolution going on over there," Bachmann said. "We saw the great Ronald Reagan pushing back the Soviet Union in the eastern bloc nations. We saw Abraham Lincoln push back the Confederacy in Atlanta. And now we're seeing the Republicans in Wisconsin causing the Democrats to retreat to Rockford, Ill., so I'd say we're winning!"

Bachmann had previously been relatively silent! on the labor protests in Madison, had been traveling this past week on an official congressional trip to Mexico and Colombia. But on Friday she strongly backed Walker, and castigated Obama amid reports that his political arm, Organizing for America, has helped organize protests in Wisconsin. (The administration has backed off taking credit for the demonstrations.)

"I think what Obama is doing is, he's busy organizing buses and plans and trains to get people into Madison," she said. "Here you have BarackObama.com, Organizing for America, you have the president of the United States behind these protests in Madison. He's trying to run away from it now, because here, he can't balance a budget."

Bachmann is also mulling a longshot run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. She said that she'll return to Iowa soon for another speech in the key caucus state.