Bachmann: ‘We’re in for the Marathon’

WASHINGTON (AP) - Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann refuses to accept that the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes has come down to a choice between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.

Bachmann says "I'm in it for the long haul."

Bachmann tells CBS's "The Early Show" she a viable candidate, noting she won the Iowa straw poll. That test of strength happened on the same day that Perry, the governor of Texas, got into the race.

Bachmann tells interviewers she isn't participating in the Florida straw poll, saying the balloting there is among a much narrower band of prospective Republicans than in Iowa. She stresses that "we're in it for the marathon." The congresswoman also says she's working hard on fundraising efforts and says the party needs a candidate "who understands the economy and job creation."

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)