[Vigilanteman]

Toomey could not have won without the TEA Party support. The margin was a lot narrower than it should have been. In large part because the ass-hat GOP chair Gleason tried relentlessly to recruit a name candidate to run against Toomey and wrote him off in the beginning as too conservative to be electable.

[TAdams8591]

The comment was a statement on the victory of the Republican Party in general. Without the Tea Party Movement, it would have been big, not as big, a general consensus among Tea Party organizers on a recent local panel, which is a more accurate statement.

Toomey may have been one of the losses incurred without the Tea Party and John Runyan, in NJ, may have been another.

Another point to consider regarding the power of the Tea Party, is most of the "Tea Party" candidates supported by most Tea Party groups across the country, lost in the primary. That should change as the movement becomes more politically mature.

It's important to avoid over or under-estimating the Tea Party influence, in order to set more realistic goals, and operate more effectively, IMHO.

[Think free or die]

"Toomey could not have won without the TEA Party support."

I tend to agree, based on what I saw in my own township. Bear in mind that Tea Party folks have been joining the ranks of local GOP committees, trying to work from within . . .

[TAdams8591]

Btw, yes I heard about Gleason's comments about Toomey and his efforts to run someone against him.

I've heard much about Gleason, little positive though I have no personal experience with him, have never worked with him nor have we ever met.

Our Tea Party group couldn't have been prouder to be the first Tea Party group to have Toomey as a speaker after his April 15, 2009 announcement that he would again run for Senator (April 18, 2009)at Independence Hall. And I worked like heck to get him there. : ) As well our PAC proudly endorsed him.