Tea Party Group Slams Ingraham: ‘When Did She Become Chris Matthews?’

Mediaite ^ | Evan McMurry

[ObamahatesPACoal]

Conservative radio host — and, recently, ABC News political contributor — Laura Ingraham had some harsh words for national tea party groups that ignored long-shot challenger Dave Brat, the Virginia GOP candidate who unseated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) in an historic upset.

Ingraham singled out Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder and leader of the Tea Party Patriots, for shunning Brat in favor of more marquee races. In an article by the Washington Post’s Ben Terris, Martin fired back.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

I don't think Chris Matthews is earning or getting ratings on the back of conservatives.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

Chuck Todd didn’t try to shut down free speech like Sal-Russo-backed McCain.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

TPP is making money on the back of conservatives.

[Paladin2]

Cat fight!

[chicagolady]

LOL! Oh, the truth hurts!

[miss marmelstein]

Does the grand poo bah Laura ever invite Nat Hentoff onto her talk show? Nat put her on the map by writing about her problems at Dartmouth years ago. If I was Laura, I would be salaaming at the great Nat Hentoff’s feet every single day! But I think she's moved on...

[GeronL]

It always amazes me how these commentators and columnists can bash leftism and RINO’s for years and then when the TEA Party is about to deliver what they have always said is needed they get scared of the change and start defending the establishment.

[Kansas58]

The Tea Party grass roots has great passion and the local people do great work.
The Tea Party Patriots and other national groups seem to be top heavy in management and are overpaid hacks.

[GeronL]

I am sure that many organizations that claim TEA Party affiliation are doing nothing but collecting donations.

[Mr. Lucky]

To the contrary, Laura Ingraham was on the right side of the Virginia election early on. The Tea Party Patriots sat this one out.

[samadams2000]

Follow the money. Follow where their children go to school. Wake me when we storm Washington.

[grania]

The "tea party" has been so corrupted by one-issue folks, phonies who are playing games to get support, and those looking to make a buck that we should drop the label and choose candidates to support individually. The only group I'll give to is Numbers USA for their great work opposing the invasion of the US and promoting EVerify....and that's all they do.

I don't consider myself "tea party". I prefer to be thought of as a constitutional conservative. It's a much more descriptive and clear label.

[GeronL]

I didn’t name her as part of that group, but it sounds like TPP tried to.

[ExCTCitizen]

Laura, you need to spend a year AWAY from DC. You became part of the problem, that conservatives are fighting.

[skeeter]

Ingraham is one of the few conservative talk show hosts who believes what she says.

I'd give any point she makes serious consideration.

[scrabblehack]

If they opposed Cantor and he lost anyway, it sounds like they allocated their resources properly.

Now yes they do need to support Brat in the general.

[jacknhoo]

I think she struck a chord.

[EDINVA]

If it weren’t for Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, and some other talk show folks, and if Brat had had to depend on the various “Tea Party” groups (vs. Tea Party movement sympathizers), Eric Cantor would be cruising to reelection. These TP groups seems to have become money-raising, publicity seeking machines, without doing that much to help struggling candidates. In this case, Laura is FAR from being part of the problem; the TP orgs are.

[SharpRightTurn]

No one has been better this election cycle than Laura on having candidates on and holding their feet to the fire on immigration issues. She hammered Cantor when few others were focused on that race, assuming Brat had no chance. Laura, more than anyone else, gave Brat the boost he needed to knock Cantor off.

[apocalypto]

Exactly! Laura is terrific!