Michele Bachmann says she's got a sense of humor, insisting she was just kidding when she said Hurricane Irene and the earthquake centered in Virginia last week were a warning from God to politicians.

"Of course I was being humorous when I said that. It would be absurd to think it was anything else," Bachmann said Monday about the disaster comment that attracted much attention.

"I am a person who loves humor, I have a great sense of humor."

At least 46 people have died in 11 states in Irene's path. Parts of New England are still dealing with a loss of electricity and epic flooding that washed out roads and uprooted buildings.

Sunday, Bachmann said during a Florida campaign stop:

I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet, and we've got to rein in the spending.

Like many politicians, the Minnesota congresswoman's comments sometimes go viral in this age of YouTube and Twitter. Her gaffe about Elvis Presley's birthday on the anniversary of his death, for example, was frequently replayed on network newscasts.