St. Paul, Minn. ? Tea party favorite and Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann is feeling pressure from the political calendar to rush a decision on a White House bid and may announce her intentions as early as May, one of her top advisers said Thursday.

Bachmann, a third-term congresswoman from Minnesota, could form a presidential exploratory committee before two televised Republican debates scheduled the first week of May, said Ed Brookover, a Bachmann adviser.

“I’m not sure the debate is what’s going to make our final decision,” he said. “Is it a factor? Yes.”

Other Republicans familiar with Bachmann’s thinking said all signs point to a White House run. They insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations with Bachmann and her advisers.

For her part, Bachmann played coy.

“I’m in for 2012 in that I want to be a part of the conversation in making sure that President (Barack) Obama only serves one term, not two, because I want to make sure that we get someone who’s going to be making the country work again. That’s what I’m in for,” Bachmann told ABC News.

“But I haven’t made a decision yet to announce, obviously, if I’m a candidate or not, but I’m in for the conversation.”