Tea Party Leaders Look to Bachmann, Paul and Perry

If the gathering of about 100 Tea Party leaders in Washington Monday gives any indication, it’s Representative Michele Bachmann (who just announced her candidacy this morning), with Representative Ron Paul and Gov. Rick Perry vying for a close second (and probably edging her out on fervency of support).

The leaders, from Tea Party groups in about 40 different states, had gathered in the Washington offices of FreedomWorks, the libertarian advocacy group that cultivated the Tea Party movement. The weekend training session was aimed at educating them on legislative priorities as the Tea Party tries to transition beyond its role as a protest movement to one that has impact in state capitols and in the 2012 campaign.