Bachmann: Palin Not a 'Competitor'

The Hill reports:

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said she doesn't consider Sarah Palin a political "competitor" as both consider bids for the Republican presidential nomination.

Bachmann, a Tea Party darling who appears likely to enter the 2012 race, said she considers the former Alaska governor (who has embarked on a bus tour that's stoked speculation about her own possible campaign for president) a friend, not a foe.

"I compare myself to Barack Obama, not any other of the Republican candidates," Bachmann said in an interview on "Good Morning America" on ABC. "First of all, I want to say that I like Sarah Palin a lot; we're friends. And I don't consider her a competitor; I consider her a friend."

Conventional wisdom has held that Palin and Bachmann are likely to appeal to and compete for the same voters in the GOP primary electorate. Both women were early allies of the Tea Party movement and have distinguished themselves by way of their strident criticism of President Obama. ...