Mitt Romney (Photo: Getty)

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's efforts to tie Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the wife of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, to the Muslim Brotherhood have drawn rebukes from several of her fellow Republicans. However, Mitt Romney said he didn't want to tell Ms. Bachmann what she can and can't say when a reporter asked him about the controversy following an event in Nevada today. 

The reporter asked Mr. Romney about both the controversy over Ms. Bachmann's accusations against Ms. Abedin and the president of the fried chicken chain Chick-Fil-A expressing his opposition to gay marriage.

"There have been two,sort of, culture fights that have sprung up in your party recently, a battle about Chick-Fil-A recently and one about Huma and the Muslim Brotherhood," the reporter asked. "Could you comment on both of those issues,and whether or not you would think of these as important things for your party to be talking about right now?"

Mr. Romney declined to address either issue, but said he wouldn't discourage others from discussing Ms. Abedin or the fast food flap.

"I’m not going to tell the people what things to talk about. Those are not things that are part of my campaign," he said.

Ms. Bachmann's push to investigate Ms. Abedin and other members of the federal government for links to the Muslim Brotherhood has been condemned by John Boehner and John McCain, among others.