Bachmann to hold press conference after Obama’s speech

Republican presidential candidate and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has scheduled a press conference for Thursday night to respond to President Barack Obama's speech before a joint session of Congress.

In his speech, Obama is expected to unveil a large jobs package.

Fox News reports that Bachmann's decision may not sit well with the House Republican leadership.

But Bachmann's move, likely to be hailed by the Tea Party base that supports her, is not likely to please House Republican leaders. House Speaker John Boehner announced several days ago that the GOP would give no rebuttal, a decision declared disrespectful by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Boehner said Thursday that he felt it was "a more appropriate and respectful way to go forward" to give the president his time, and allow lawmakers who wish to respond to have access to the media in Statuary Hall following the joint session.

Bachmann's presidential campaign was gaining steam after her official announcement in late June, and she ended up winning the Iowa straw poll. But on the same day as the straw poll, Texas Governor Rick Perry entered the race, and as Perry has risen in the polls, Bachmann has dropped, CNN reports.

On Wednesday, Bachmann's top two campaign aides, campaign manager Ed Rollins and deputy campaign manager David Polyansky, announced that they are leaving their positions with the campaign. Polyanksy left completely, while Rollins, who once worked for Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, will stay on as a senior adviser.

"I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people on the ground in Iowa and South Carolina in the past week and there is a sense among activists on the ground that Bachmann is starting to fade," conservative blogger Erick Erickson wrote over the weekend. "It is not that they do not like her. In fact, they love her. But there is a creeping sense that she cannot beat Obama and they want someone who can beat Obama."