Bachmann would use “every military option” on Iran

By Amy Bingham, ABC News

As Israel flirts with the possibility of using military force against Iran, GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said if elected she would stand with America’s ally and consider “every military option” to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“As president of the United States I will stand with Israel,” Bachmann said in an interview today with ABC News/Yahoo. “I will not do as this president has done and put daylight between the United States and Israel. That was a foolish decision. I also will put every military option we have on the table to deal with an Iran that seeks a nuclear weapon.”

Bachmann said President Obama has “taken his eye off the ball” when it comes to Iran’s nuclear aspirations and created “tremendous heightened hostilities” in the Middle East by distancing America from Israel.

“The president has failed the American people in perhaps almost every way the president could,” she said.

The Minnesota congresswoman said she could think of only one decision the president has made that was not “very foolish.”

“I agree with the fact that he didn’t have a new Marine One helicopter made,” Bachmann said, referring to the presidential helicopter.

Obama did purchase a new limousine, she said, but decided to forego having a new “outrageously expensive” helicopter made. Preliminary contracts for an updated Marine One fleet in 2009 put the price tag for each chopper at $400 million, roughly the same price as the president’s Boeing 747 jetliner, Air Force One.

“That was a good move that he made,” she said.

While Bachmann’s disdain for the current president was apparent, she had kind words for two lesser-known Commanders-in-Chief.

When asked which former president should be the fifth face on Mt. Rushmore, Bachmann passed over GOP-darling Ronald Reagan in favor of James Garfield, America’s 20th president.

“Ronald Reagan would be a good choice, but I think that Garfield was the last member who was from the House of Representatives who became president of the United States,” said Bachmann, who is serving her fourth term in the House. “And he was a very wonderful man.”

Garfield was in office a mere 200 days before he was assassinated in 1881, making his term the second-shortest in American history. Only William Henry Harrison, the ninth president, served a shorter term at 32 days.

Bachmann also singled out Calvin Coolidge as Mt. Rushmore-worthy, “because Calvin Coolidge was able to get the United States budget way on track and he really was a taking care of business kind of guy.”

ABC News’ Russell Goldman contributed to this report.