AMES, Iowa — With news Thursday that Rick Perry is making his presidential campaign official, the coming clash between him and Michele Bachmann is quickly moving into the open.
A Web site created Thursday called keepconservativesunited.com asked for money to “expose Texas governor Rick Perry’s record.” The site says it wants to level the field on behalf of “Congresswoman Bachmann: The Honest Conservative.”
The Web site listed Bob Harris, a conservative activist with roots in North Carolina, and Luther Snyder, the owner of a public affairs firm, as the organizers.
At the same time, another group called “Make Us Great Again” has begun raising money on behalf of an expected campaign by Mr. Perry. In an e-mail on Thursday, the group said it plans events in Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth next week.
Both efforts point to a likely clash between the two candidates, who are likely to compete vigorously for votes in Iowa during the next several months.