In a year when wild-eyed conservatism ruled Washington, few were as conservative (or wild-eyed) as Michele Bachmann. The Minnesota Congresswoman channeled the electoral swell of 2010 into a force on Capitol Hill, founding the first Tea Party Caucus and introducing a bevy of bills to erode the legislative landmarks of President Obama's first term. Her opposition to raising the federal borrowing limit in the face of dire economic consequences was a bold, if reckless, stand for the anti-Establishment, and her insurgent presidential bid, which peaked early with a victory in the Iowa straw poll before petering out, marked a continuation of that populist energy.