Posted on 04/21/2010 10:32:18 AM PDT by Maelstorm
Vaughn Ward wonders when the Tea Party Express passed him by. The Republican challenger to Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Walt Minnick in Idaho figured to at least have a shot at an endorsement to switch the seat from a vote for Nancy Pelosi and Democratic control of the House. Instead, the Tea Party Express endorsed Minnick, and left a lot of head-scratching behind in Idaho afterward:
When the Tea Party Express last week endorsed Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick — the only Democrat to receive the backing of the conservative grassroots group — one of his Republican challengers said he was simply baffled to learn the news, considering Minnick’s past votes that line up with Democrats on bailouts, the estate tax and Guantanamo Bay.
“He voted for Nancy Pelosi. I mean all these things — I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. This is the guy you guys want to get behind nationally?’” said Republican Vaughn Ward, an active Marine Corps reserve officer whose candidacy for Minnick’s seat was endorsed by Sarah Palin.
His initial shock, Ward told The Daily Caller during an interview Tuesday, turned to frustration upon learning from Tea Party groups in Idaho — who he said have not endorsed candidates in the race yet — that the Tea Party Express didn’t consult them before the endorsement of the Democrat. …
Sal Russo, a strategist with Tea Party Express, said the group did reach out to a number of groups and activists, many of whom support Minnick. Democrats who “are willing to stand up to Pelosi and Reid” should get support from Tea Party organizations “to encourage others” to act similarly, he said.
“When you find someone willing to stand up, you got to stand up with him,” Russo said.
The strategist said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the group add another Democrat or two to the list. “It can’t be a one-party issue. Fiscal responsibility has to be embedded in both parties,” he said.
Tea Party groups from around the country have positioned themselves outside of the Republican Party, demanding accountability from GOP leadership before supporting Republicans. They have also made the point Russo notes here, that both parties need to have fiscal discipline in order for the US to end the spending spree that is sending us careening towards bankruptcy. In that sense, Minnick might be the one Democrat to support. While his party pushed a Porkulus bill that cost $830 billion and didn’t stimulate anything, Minnick proposed a $170 billion version that eliminated all of the pork and had self-termination clauses that returned unspent money after recovery began. He voted against Porkulus, cap-and-trade, and ObamaCare.
On the other hand, Minnick voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, and would certainly do so again in 2011 — and that makes a big difference. The Republicans aren’t guaranteed to win a majority, after all, and they need every seat they can get to take control of the House. Without a Republican majority, Pelosi will once again control the agenda and will continue to pursue her hard-Left, nanny-state, big spending legislation. A vote for Minnick makes that more likely rather than less, which puts the Tea Party efforts at least a little more at risk.
Should Tea Party organizations consider endorsing Democrats in this cycle? Take the poll:
Is there any reason to add one more vote to Pelosi for speaker? I fail to see how this makes any sense at all.
It makes some sense. If the Tea Party endorses 435 GOP establishment candidates for the House, then they look like a branch of the GOP. If they endorse a genuinely conservative Dem here and a challenger to the GOP there, then they look like what they are, a genuinely new phenomenon. I think it adds to their credibility. As for the Idaho race, a republican who can’t beat a Dem in that state (even with the Tea endorsement going the wrong way) deserves to lose.
I thought the Tea Party movement didn’t endorse candidates!
Who are the people involved in this TPE in Idaho.
Why do they want to keep the Dums in power, when they have made it clear that A commie/socialist America is their goal.
It doesn’t to me either. The Dem Minnick is also a hate crimes proponent. He is more conservative than most but I agree with you. There is no reason to return him to Washington. If he wants to be a Republican than he should switch parties.
“If they endorse a genuinely conservative Dem”
...no such thing. In fact “... the term “democrat” originated as an epithet and referred to ‘one who panders to the crude and mindless whims of the masses.” (Joseph Ellis - “Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation”).
2010 and 2012 aren’t just battles where lessons can be taught and consequences recovered from. They are the battles that will determine the winner of the war. Make choices wisely.
I used to give democrats some consideration based on their record of voting. But after the vote on Obamacare, I have decided that the worst Republican is better than the best democrat.
Standing up against Pelosi doesn’t overcome voting for her as speaker.
The “Tea Party Express” endorsement of a democrat smacks of the kind of spineless “big tent” mentality that got weak-candidate-McCain to represent the GOP. Fortunately, the “Tea Party Express” doesn’t represent the Tea Party, and I strongly disagree with their endorsement.
Minnick has received money and support from NARAL. Evidently the abortionists consider him their man. Sorry, I can understand the wish to support a few Democrats to avoid the all-Republican label, but this just won’t do.
If the Tea Party starts supporting abortionists, then the hell with it.
Think again, you “leaders” who did this. Think really hard. Do not destroy the Tea Party in order to make a token move to appease the press.
Walt Minnick is not all that conservative. If he were, he would be a Republican, and he wouldn’t have voted for SanFranNan for speaker. I understand that he is also opposed to repealing Obamacare.
Another reason for Tea Party groups to stay independent of any type of organization. Who gave these people the right to say ‘This is our guy.’? Who did that? The other groups should speak up.
Sounds like infiltration under the guise of looking ‘fair’.
Drunk with power or just plain drunk when Tea Party Express came up with this stunt.
I am anti abortion and would never consider voting for a Democrat, because (look at Stupak) even the ones who say they are anti abortion will cave. Stupak probably was threatened with the loss of everything he holds dear in that conference with Obama, including his cat and dog.
That said, the tea party does not have an anti abortion platform. From what I understand they have a simple, fiscal responsibility and traditional founding fathers against government tyranny platform. They are a “big tent”.
This is why I consider myself a member of the Constitution party.
Seven Principles of the Constitution Party are:
1.Life: For all human beings, from conception to natural death;
2.Liberty: Freedom of conscience and actions for the self-governed individual;
3.Family: One husband and one wife with their children as divinely instituted;
4.Property: Each individual’s right to own and steward personal property without government burden;
5.Constitution: and Bill of Rights interpreted according to the actual intent of the Founding Fathers;
6.States’ Rights: Everything not specifically delegated by the Constitution to the federal government, nor prohibited by the Constitution to the states, is reserved to the states or to the people;
7.American Sovereignty: American government committed to the protection of the borders, trade, and common defense.
I will vote for any candidate that promotes these things, I don’t care what party they are.
No it doesn’t make any sense to me, Democrats turn into, well, card carrying PARTY Democrats regardless the issue.
| 2008 | Bailout$ | . | Auto$ | . | 2009 | Cap&Trade | . | FDA/Food | . | Healthcare | . |
| Representative | HR1424 | District | HR7321 | District | Representative | HR2454 | District | HR2749 | District | HR3962 | District |
| Sali, Bill [R] | Nay | ID-1 | No | ID-1 | Minnick, Walter [D] | No | ID-1 | Nay | ID-1 | No | ID-1 |
You mean like, for example, Bart Stupak...?
A vote for a Democrat is a vote to KEEP Nancy Pelosi!
And just when did the Tea Party start endorsing candidates anyway??
Real Tea Party groups don’t endorse any candidates!
The candidates will be elected according to each members vote only!
This guy keeps Pelosi in charge .
That is all that matters.
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