Bachmann lacks ability to go distance, says aide

Michele Bachmann's star is falling rapidly and she "does not have the resources or ability" to remain in the Republican presidential race beyond February's Iowa caucuses, according to her former campaign manager.

Ed Rollins, who quit this month, used a television appearance to share awkward revelations from his time with the headline-prone congresswoman.

Ms Bachmann, who was propelled to prominence by the "Tea Party" lobby, is unable to cope with the high-wattage scrutiny of a presidential campaign, Mr Rollins told MSNBC. She also lacks the intellectual wherewithal to grapple with ideas that were not previously vetted by staff, he said, adding: "Her entire political career has really been in one area of Minnesota."

Ms Bachmann's credibility was damaged this month, he said, when she decided to make a campaign issue out of her opposition to the HPV vaccine, which her rival Rick Perry mandates for children in Texas.

Arguing her case, Ms Bachmann said the vaccine caused mental retardation. That claim, which she later admitted was based on something a bystander had told her at a rally, turned out to be fabricated.