Idaho's Walt Minnick Rejects Tea Party Backing in Wake of Divisive Blog

The Tea Party is going to shrink the government and cut taxes. Ask them for specifics. You won't get any. Eighty-five percent of the budget is Defense, Homeland Security, Entitlements and Interest on the national debt.

It will be interesting to see how Tea Party backed candidates do in November. Will it be toxic as some here have expressed or will it be helpful as part of the movement to unseat incumbents? To me that is the BIGGER and more significant issue. There appears to be a massive wave of dissatisfaction with current members of Congress. The big question is how will it manifest itslf. I believe the most signficant test will be in Florida. If Charlie Crist can win the Senate seat against the establishment Democrat and the Tea Party backed Republican, then we may be seeing the beginning of the end for the two-party system as we know it today. For me it can't come too soon. The current leaders (and their bases) of the Democratic and Republican Parties seem to be more interested in embarrassing the other party than in getting ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED. Polls show that most Americans want their leaders to work together. But will it translate into winning elections, that is the question.

I do not believe the so called "tea party" (which is not a political party at all) is a racist group, despite having a small handful of racist members. The real problem with the "tea party" is that it has no new ideas for bettering our nation, not already held by our existing parties. The only things its supporters stand for are a bunch of vague and meaningless slogans, like "cut taxes," "cut spending," "limited government." There are never any specifics to all their vague and meaningless slogans, like cut whose taxes (47% of American households already pay no federal income tax at all), cut what spending? (abolish social security, medicare, defense spending or veterans spending?). As for "limited government," we have had that for over 200 years and all mainstream parties support it. What "government" do they want to limit or abolish? (FBI, Military, Homeland Security, etc.) And of course it is too little government, not too much, that has caused all of our recent major problems (e.g., too little regulation of Wall Street led to the second biggest collapse of our economy since 1929, and of course it was too little government that caused the 1929 crash also). The "tea party" is such that it would support "good weather," yet no 12 of its supporters can agree on what "good weather" is. Indeed, its supporters cannot even agree on a simple billboard. The "tea party" will go down in history as the most petty and insignificant "party" in American history, even more petty and insignificant than the Bull Moose Party of 1912, which at least was a real party and agreed on some specifics instead of only vague and meaningless slogans. Given that the imaginary "tea party" is nothing but a loose collection of anarchists and radical activists from the extreme right wing of the Republican party, with no new ideas and standing for nothing except vague and meaningless slogans, the conservative Democrat from Idaho was correct in declining its endorsement as its token Democrat.

Good for him. So nice to know there are some people that think words and blogs like that are so wrong and divisive. I am impressed with the governors courage and applaud his stance against hateful statements.

It is sad now that politics is being driven by race and not by issues. The core values of the Tea Party are based on strong principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility. All politicians would be smart to adopt those same views. It is ridiculous to base its importance in politics based on the blog. Let's face it, there are extremes on both sides and the Democrats certainly have more than their share!

It's too bad this man had such poor judgment and thoughts. However, he does not speak for most of us who support most of what the Tea Party believes. I'm sure there are many democrats who do not support many of their leaders who are running the party.

Now why was the NAACP wrong again? Listen, I realize the Tea Party is not a racist organization but too many of its members are and its viewed negatively by progressives and liberals because of its extreme actions (constant unproductive ranting like the townhalls, ridiculous misspelled signs, etc.)and most importantly, lack of a realistic agenda. Why risk angering your base - he made the best decision not to get into bed with an organization whose "fringe" members do things like respond to a charge of racism by posting a racist, supposedly satirical letter. Way to disprove a point...btw Mark, how did that hate and irrational anger workout for you? Eeek, I'm sorry, I got startled for a minute - I just heard a loud backfire.

"Whatever his reasons for writing it, his words reflect on all of those associated with the Tea Party movement" Guilt by association, speaking of all members? This is the part of history in which we all gather in Salem to see the witches and their followers burned at the stake?

Okay people where are the conservatives on this board? I was hoping at least they could try some bi-partisanship by making at least a token effort to say something positive about the one person in politics that actually stood up for what was right. Come on the Tea Party endorses him. This is what I was waiting for a Tea Party candidate that will stand up to even the Tea Party if necessary.

Sarah Palin/Mark Williams 2012