Michele Bachmann endorses Mitt Romney

Rep. Michele Bachmann endorsed former rival Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate in the upcoming presidential election, according to the Associated Press.

Referencing President Barack Obama's campaign slogan of "forward," Bachmann said that electing Romney would keep the country from "going forward" over a cliff.

Bachmann said she was "honored" to endorse Romney and said he was "a man who will preserve the American dream of prosperity and liberty," according to ABC News.

While Bachmann was still in the presidential race early this year, she told ABC News, "[Romney] cannot beat Obama because his policy is the basis for Obamacare. The signature issue of Obama is Obamacare. You can’t have a candidate who has given the blue print for Obamacare."

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A tea party favorite, Bachmann dropped out in January after placing sixth in the Iowa caucuses. The Wall Street Journal said she was scheduled to endorse Romney at a campaign stop in Virginia.

Though political analysts note that endorsements this late in the game can do little to help Romney in the polls, Bachmann's endorsement represents that the tea party is willing to embrace the Republican nominee, according to MSNBC.

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Keith Nahigian, Bachmann's former campaign manager, said, "She really liked Romney during all the debates. Really liked him behind the stage, behind the scenes… He was so polite to her every time they saw each other," according to MSNBC.

On a recent appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," Bachmann said, "I want my voice to be one of uniting our party, the independents, the mainstream, the conservatives, evangelicals, the tea party movement."

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