At this time in the cycle, there’s often a glut of endorsements from local officials in Iowa and New Hampshire that don’t mean much to the public at large, but taken in sum can be an indication of movement on the ground. So TPM is keeping an eye on these. The latest comes to the Bachmann campaign, from “state Sen. Merlin Bartz, an influential conservative leader from north central Iowa.”
Bachmann made the following statement, via the Des Moines Register:
Merlin Bartz has been a strong voice on the front lines to defend traditional marriage and family values… He is a rock-solid conservative and I’m proud to have him standing up for our cause when it matters most – in these crucial weeks leading up to the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses.
