WASHINGTON -- Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who in early October introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would force women to listen to the fetal heartbeat before having an abortion, made the surprising comment in Iowa recently that abortion bans should be left up to the states.
"I think that's referring to late-term abortion, and I think that's something that most people find anathema, and they would prefer to see it outlawed," she told the Iowa Republican in response to a question about abortion bans. "That's a state issue, and so it's up to the people of Iowa to decide what they want to do."
A week later, she denied having ever had that conversation, despite the video of her comments that was posted online.
"I don't think I ever said that, that a late-term abortion ban is a state issue," Bachmann told blogger Shane Vander Hart in a phone interview on Saturday. "I don't ever recall anything about that. I don't recall a question about that. I've always been absolutely unequivocal about [abortion being a federal issue]. They should contact the campaign before they post something like that, because that is not true."
Bachmann seemed particularly defensive about her pro-life stance in light of fellow presidential candidate Herman Cain's recent gaffe about abortion not being a government issue. Unlike Cain, she told the blogger, she is strong, consistent and decisive on pro-life matters.
Voters "get an idea of the person, and then they pull back the layers," she told Vander Hart. "Then they find out another candidate really isn't pro-life. The more people find out where the candidates truly are standing, the more I'm confident that people will choose me as their nominee."
WATCH Bachmann's response to a question from the Iowa Republican:
LISTEN to Bachmann's interview with blogger Shane Vander Hart: