Hotline On Call

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is taking another step toward making her presidential bid official, signing a prominent Republican pollster to conduct surveys for her campaign, sources tell The Hotline.

Bachmann will work with Ed Goeas, president of The Tarrance Group, several sources said. Goeas had been a top advisor to Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who pulled the plug on his own presidential bid last month.

Goeas said he couldn't comment on any deals, and that a "final discussion" had not occurred. "But," he said, "look for it."

Signing on a pollster is the latest sign Bachmann is a serious presidential contender. She has quietly reached out to potential staffers in key early states as well as top consultants and strategists in Washington.

Bachmann has kept up a busy travel schedule, taping "Iowa Press" and appearing at two events in New Hampshire over the holiday weekend. The Iowa native told reporters last week she will announce her intentions in her hometown, Waterloo, in June, with all signs pointing to a declaration next Monday.