Bachmann keeps up attacks on Gingrich

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Rep. Michele Bachmann, seeking to gain traction from her performance in Thursday's GOP debate, on Friday kept up her attacks on GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich while expressing frustration at his accusations that she is factually challenged.

During Thursday's Republican debate in Sioux City, Bachmann went after Gingrich for taking $1.6 million in consulting fees from Freddie Mac to, as she put it, "influence senior Republicans and keep the scam going in Washington D.C." Gingrich - who has steadfastly denied lobbying on behalf of the mortgage giant -- shot back by calling the Minnesota congresswoman's statements "factually not true." It's not the first time he's accused Bachmann of playing loose with the facts - an allegation she said is unfair.

"He had made those accusations before that my facts weren't right," she told reporters before launching her Iowa bus tour.

"But the fact is, my facts were right and he didn't have an answer for the $1.6 million that he took, to bring about undue influence regarding Freddie Mac. "

To back up her argument during last night's debate, Bachmann cited the political fact-checking website PolitiFact.com, which she claimed had found everything she'd said on the topic in the previous debate to be true.

But the website was quick to post a rebuttal, pointing out that it had not actually fact-checked any comments from Bachmann on Gingrich and Freddie Mac from the last debate. They also noted that of the total accumulation of statements on which Bachmann had been fact-checked, 59 percent of were deemed either "false" or their most severe category, "pants on fire."

Asked if she Gingrich was being condescending towards her when he challenged her facts during the debate, Bachmann said: "I'm a serious candidate for the presidency, and I think it's important that I be treated as an equal on that stage."

Challenging Rick Perry for fourth place in the Iowa polls and with the caucuses just 18 days away, Bachmann also attacked the field's other front-runner, Mitt Romney. She called both men moderates who have never held conservative beliefs.

"All you have to do is look at the fact that Newt has been backing the individual health care mandate for 20 years... (and) Mitt Romney as well," she said. "On illegal immigration, [Gingrich] has the most liberal position; I have the most conservative record. He was for the $700 billion [Troubled Assets Relief Program] - the same with Mitt Romney. I'm against it. So you have the Newt Romney and then you have Michele Bachmann."

Bachmann, in Sioux City, kicked off a bus tour that is scheduled to stop in all 99 Iowa counties in 10 days. She is not the first candidate to attempt the feat - former Sen. Rick Santorum has already visited all of the counties this year and is now hitting many for his second and third times. Rick Perry also has embarked on a wide-ranging bus tour of the Hawkeye State.

At another event in Orange City, Iowa, Bachmann sought to emphasize her opposition to President Obama's health care law while attacking Gingrich for earlier supporting an individual mandate. "There's no equality among the candidates here in getting rid of Obamacare," she said.

Rodney Hawkins contributed.