Kent Sorenson betrayed Bachmann for 30 silver shekels, she claims

Kent Sorenson's defection is driving Michele Bachmann nuts

​Michele Bachmann's hopes for an improbable late rally in Iowa received the unkindest cut of all. 

Yesterday, apparently just hours removed from campaigning with Bachmann, her Iowa campaign co-chairman pulled a Brutus and publicly threw his support behind Ron Paul.

Et tu, Kent Sorenson? 

In a statement announcing his support for Paul, Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson characterized his defection as one of the most difficult decisions he's made in his life, but feels it's something he must do.

Kent Sorenson plays Judas to Michele Bachmann

​"The fact is, there is a clear top tier in the race for the Republican nomination for President, both here in Iowa and nationally," Sorenson said. "Ron Paul is easily the most conservative of this group."

Bachmann went into damage-control mode following Sorenson's announcement, accusing her ex-chairman of selling out to Paul for "a large sum of money."

In a statement released yesterday evening, Bachmann said:

Kent Sorenson personally told me he was offered a large sum of money to go to work for the Paul campaign. Kent campaigned with us earlier this afternoon and went immediately afterward to a Ron Paul event and announced he is changing teams. Kent said to me yesterday that 'everyone sells out in Iowa, why shouldn't I?', then he told me he would stay with our campaign. The Ron Paul campaign has to answer for its actions.

However, in a statement distributed by Sorenson, Bachmann's Iowa political director Wes Enos defends his former colleague from Bachmann's allegation.

"I cannot, in good conscience, watch a good man like Kent Sorenson be attacked as a 'sell-out,'" write Enos. "That is simply not the case, and it was not the basis of his decision."

Enos adds that Sorenson believes he needs to be with the Paul campaign "as they stand on the cusp of a potential caucus upset." Indeed, polls project Paul to win next Tuesday's Iowa Caucus with about 25 percent of the vote, compared to 22.4 percent for Mitt Romney.

Bachmann, meanwhile, is barely a blip on Paul and Romney's radar. She's mired in a four-way dead heat for third place with Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry.

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