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House Republicans Get Cozier With Tea Party
Cantor (R-Va.), the minority whip, brushed aside Democratic claims of extremism within the tea party movement and said the grassroots activists "are people who are concerned about the fiscal state of this country." They are not "outside the mainstream" of American politics, he told CBS's "The Early Show."
At the same time, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) -- the man who would likely be speaker if Republicans capture the majority on Nov. 2 -- has transferred more than $320,000 from one of his campaign accounts to 39 conservative GOP candidates backed by elements of the tea party, according to the Washington Post.
Republican leaders, early in the midterm campaign, encouraged tea party activism, but were cautious of getting too close to the movement's fierce anti-government, anti-establishment rhetoric. A Boehner spokesman said "the congressman is doing everything possible to support all of our Republican candidates -- whether it's contributing directly to their campaigns, raising money for the party, or simply meeting with and listening to voters."The tea party also has the attention of former Bush White House political adviser Karl Rove, who is part of a successful effort to direct millions of dollars of third-party campaign cash for advertising to benefit Republican candidates.
In a recent interview with German newspaper Der Spiegel, Rove said, "If you look underneath the surface of the tea party movement . . . you will find that it is not sophisticated. It's not like these people have read the economist Friedrich August von Hayek. Rather, these are people who are deeply concerned about what they see happening to their country, particularly when it comes to spending, deficits, debt and health care." Rove was comparing 2010 activism to the conservative true believers behind the Reagan Revolution in the 1980s.
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The TeaParty will become to the Republicans what the Blue Dogs have become to the Democrats. A stumbling block!
October 23 2010 at 8:43 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyas if this surprises anyone.....we all knew they were one in the same, and since palin admitted it, now it's out in the open.....as if anyone thought the tea party nuts were not republican conservatives....
October 22 2010 at 9:48 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyHow long after the tea party takes over before they end Obama's middle class tax credits? They are promising a balanced budget along with extending tax cuts for the wealthiest 3% of taxpayers. The cost must be be offset somewhere, so most programs will go. Stopping medicare, Medicaid, and public schools won't cover it.
October 22 2010 at 12:40 PM Report abuse Permalink +6 rate up rate down ReplyThe founder of the original Tea Party released a statment that the current Tea Party is not what he founded. He said the current party is made up of Republicans who could not run on their record and now with the Chamber of Commerce and all the fat cat billionairs and millionairs who want to continue their destructive policies that led us to the brink of destruction. Shipping jobs overseas to increase the salaries of their CEO, avoiding paying taxes on the money they earn outside the US and on and on.
October 22 2010 at 11:46 AM Report abuse Permalink +8 rate up rate down Replyjust watch how fast the tea party dispenses once the republicans are in control and start spending again...it will be accepted because the tea party is all about republicans not average americans who are upset with government spending...this was formed by republicans to usurp the Obama administration. They sure did not seem to care when Bush was spending and borrowing from China to fund two wars. Bush has a book out and he comments as to why he started the bailouts...that is one thing that people seem to forget...TARP was started by him not Obama.
October 22 2010 at 11:16 AM Report abuse Permalink +9 rate up rate down ReplySmall Business and individuals earning less than 250000/Year are enjoying the benefits of Oabma's record tax credits. The republican tea party candidates want to take all that away. Tea Party supporters are in denial about this.
October 22 2010 at 11:03 AM Report abuse Permalink +8 rate up rate down ReplyHow could anyone concerned about deficits vote for the Tea Party? Tea Party candidates don't even know when the debt crisis and financial collapse hit. WIthout knowing this, they cannot be effective. Besides, the Tea Party candidates are all radicals.
October 22 2010 at 10:57 AM Report abuse Permalink +8 rate up rate down ReplyThe Republican Party IS the Tea Party. They are one and the same.
October 22 2010 at 10:54 AM Report abuse Permalink +7 rate up rate down ReplyThe Tea Party members are not fools. They know exactly what they stand for and are not going to be manipulated by money! This is what is driving the Dems crazy and has them throwing large amounts of money to every left fringe group. The GOP would be smart to align themselves with the Tea Party. But, if the GOP does not follow through being fiscally conservative and repeal Obamacare, they will also find themselves out of jobs the next election cycle.
October 22 2010 at 10:44 AM Report abuse Permalink -4 rate up rate down ReplyBubba1zfg, there's no need for the GOP to align themselves with the Tea Party, the GOP is the Tea Party. They have just fooled all you folks who don't like the reality of government. Let's just cut taxes so nobody pays anything, is that what you all want. Then, who fixes the road, who defends the country, who makes sure water is safe to drink, who manages the National Parks, and the list goes on and on. No, you all don't want to pay any taxes, but you don't want to give up anything either. Bunch of hypocrites!
October 22 2010 at 12:25 PM Report abuse Permalink +10 rate up rate down ReplyStill baffling to me that the tea partiers, who have some good points, would allow themselves to be manipulated by the big money folks like the Koch bros. and the chamber of commerce. Those groups don't give a damn about what the tea party wants, they are just using them for their purposes. Why does the tea party accept it?
October 22 2010 at 9:31 AM Report abuse Permalink +7 rate up rate down Reply
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