Republican Presidential Pool Slims

After placing sixth in the Iowa caucuses, Republican Michele Bachmann has withdrawn as a candidate for the nation's top office. Bachmann admits the passage of Obamacare was the impetus for her presidential bid, basing her campaign on repealing the healthcare reform law. Although she's no longer running for president, Bachmann has vowed to "continue fighting to defeat the president’s agenda of socialism."

There was also no love lost between Bachmann and caucus winner, Mitt Romney. Bachmann has criticized Romney's gubernatorial efforts in the healthcare reform arena, as well as predicting that he will not scrap Obamacare if he makes it into office. Romney has professed otherwise.

In a stunning demonstration of "every vote counts," Romney took the Iowa caucuses by a mere margin of eight votes, putting Rick Santorum in a close second. The two top vote-getters each captured 24.5 percent of the ballots, with Texas congressman Ron Paul hot on their heels with 21.5 percent.

Texas Governor Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich, former House of Representatives speaker, pulled in significantly less votes at 10 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

We'll see if Romney and Santorum can continue to maintain their lead as they head into the New Hampshire primary.

– Karen Butler, Editor in Chief