Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann's surprise retirement announcement Wednesday likely brings an end to an Icarus-like political career in which she rapidly rose to national prominence before falling hard, ups and downs that were fueled by Bachmann's outsize personality and penchant for controversial assertions.
Assessing Bachmann's impact is best done by splitting her eight years in office into two distinct areas: Congress and campaigns.
Her impact on Congress is easier to assess because it is so minor. From her earliest days in Washington — she won an open seat House race in 2006 — Bachmann was viewed by Republican Congressional leaders as a problem to be dealt with as opposed to someone with whom they could work or someone with a significant constituency within the House deserving of special attention.