Bachmann says Perry is a sprinter, and she’s in the race for the long haul

Rep. Michele Bachmann indicated Sunday she's taking a slow-and-steady approach to the Republican primary race, dismissing the suggestion that Rick Perry's entrance has overshadowed the buzz around her candidacy.

"This is a marathon, not a sprint," she said.

The latest poll show the tea party Queen wannabe Bachmann with just 4 percent -- though she was polling consistently in double digits in June and July.

The survey showed Perry leading the field handily with 26 percent of GOP primary voters. But Bachmann was also trailing Romney, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has not entered the race.

There’s one more opponent for Bachmann to worry about, and that’s Sarah Palin, the once and future tea party Queen, who showed she can run a distance by participating in a 13 mile marathon in Iowa yesterday. Hint of things to come? She keeps talking about making her decision by the end of this month.