Outgoing Rep. Michele Bachmann tells
Newsmax TV she'll dedicate her energies over the next two years to discredit and defeat presumed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
In declaring war on the former first lady, the feisty Minnesota Republican said she'll rip Clinton as "the godmother of Obamacare" and architect of the White House's foreign policy "fiascos."
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"I’ll be speaking across the country nationally. I'll be writing. I'll be weighing in … on radio and on TV and print," Bachmann revealed Wednesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"I was privileged to be on the frontlines during Benghazi, during Mrs. Clinton's years being the architect of the president's foreign policy fiascos.
"[I'll] … remind people that Mrs. Clinton is the godmother of Obamacare. She was the original author of Hillarycare, which was even more government-mandated [and] heavy than even Obamacare."
Her message: that by electing Clinton, the nation would essentially get "a third and fourth term of Barack Obama."
Bachmann, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee, has represented the North Star State's 6th congressional district since 2007 but decided not to seek another term.
But she told Malzberg she has not completely ruled out another run for Congress in the future or possibly throwing her hat in the ring again for president, which she did in 2012 before dropping out. She admitted, however, that the latter possibility is highly unlikely.
"I have been here and I have worked solid for eight years and I'm looking forward to just a little bit of change of pace. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting a little rest," Bachmann said.
"I threw the dice and I threw myself completely into this job. I've worked virtually nonstop from the time my feet hit the floor in the morning until I go to bed at night.
"There hasn't been a lot of discretionary time so I look forward to regrouping and getting a little rest and who knows what the future might bring."
Her work for Republicans in the 2016 presidential race is priority No. 1, according to Bachmann, 58.
"I occupy a very unique space, I'm the only Republican woman in history who has been on the presidential stage and participated in presidential debates," she said.
"I want to weigh in with a female perspective on 2016 because this will be an enormously consequential election to determine who our next president will be and what our future direction will be.
"As you know, the president has tremendous power, particularly when it comes to our national security and foreign policy. And having served on the Intelligence Committee, dealing with the nation's classified secrets on terrorism, I'm highly invested in that arena so I want to be involved."
Bachmann — who is founder of the House Tea Party Caucus and has been affectionately dubbed "Queen of the Tea Party" — said she has "a lot of favorites" in the 2016 presidential contest, although she didn't mention any names.
"We're going to have a terrific candidate. We have a lot of well-qualified individuals. By my count, a minimum of 16 are looking to seek the nomination which is very healthy," she said.
"It forces all of the other candidates to be on their best footing. We will have a great candidate and I look forward to assisting that person to become our next president."
Asked if she had any advice for conservative women in politics, Bachmann said:
"Just tell the truth and don't whine. I never whined about the negative media coverage because ultimately I take a long view. The truth does prevail.
"[What President Ronald] Reagan understood is he had terrible news coverage, but he spoke through the media and over their heads, straight in the heart to the American people."
Bachmann said she is "absolutely bewildered" at the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee's so-called "torture report," which bared in graphic, stomach-turning detail the "enhanced interrogation" methods the U.S. has used on terror suspects.
"I had lunch yesterday with the Democrat who serves with me on the Intelligence Committee, [Sen.] Dianne Feinstein, being the chairman," she said.
"[He] was offended and bewildered and perplexed. He couldn't understand why in the world Feinstein did that. It made no sense.
"Remember, we are living in a world where jihadists are regularly beheading innocent Americans."
She said that to say the CIA, which is "covertly trying to do everything that they can to keep the American people safe," was wrong in its actions is "beyond the pale and inexplicable."
Bachmann also said Americans who supported GOP candidates in the midterm elections have a right to be upset at the House vote that averted a government shutdown, which some say was needed to protest President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration.
"A lot of people have the right to be upset because they put the gavel, not only in [House Speaker] John Boehner's hands, but now in [Senate Majority Leader-to-be] Mitch McConnell's hands," she said.
"They expect Republicans will use that gavel. The results of the first Tuesday in November was not to give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, nor was it to give out 5 million-plus work permits to compete with American workers.
"That isn't what the election was about. People want us to stand up for American values and the America worker and I agree with that assessment."