I don't mind telling you that I'm a great admirer of Michele Bachmann's. Far from being the fringe outlier

depicted by the mainstream media — and all too often by some on the right — she is a strong

spokeswoman for unapologetic conservatism. She is neither extreme nor unreasonable, which is why her

philosophy has resonated with grass-roots conservatives. She is unafraid to speak out against the

crushing debt crisis we face. She is energized, rather than deterred, by the caustic criticism she

constantly endures.

Michele, 55, had ambition from the get-go. A stay-at-home mom of five children and 23 foster kids, she

ultimately became a tax attorney, small-business owner with her husband and political firebrand who

runs rings around her opponents. If she were liberal, she'd be celebrated from the mountaintops. But

she's conservative. So because she is smart, talented and accomplished and a natural leader — not to

mention attractive — the left brands her as a flame-throwing lightweight. They underestimate her at their

own risk.