One of the things that people don't seem to realize about the tea party movement is that although it is a fiscally conservative movement it is not a Republican movement.
Back in 2005 prominent bloggers Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit and the anonymous N. Z.Bear from the blog The truth laid bear went out and started a group called PorkBusters. Its purpose was to identify wasteful spending. For several years PorkBusters tweaked congress pointing to pet projects and earmarks. Republicans such as Trent Lott were regular targets. Conservative commentators such as Michelle Malkin referenced and praised their efforts
At the March Twin City Tea Party Meeting 5 candidates and/or representatives of candidates for county and statewide offices came to make their case, all from the republican side of the aisle. They talked about fiscal restraint and the wise use of taxpayer money taking questions from the crowd and responding in some detail.
Now with the April meeting pending; organizer Justin Brooks started contacting democrats either in office or running for office. He left messages or talked to a half dozen different candidates eager to get another perspective, without success. Most office holders and candidates never got back to him, others had conflicts but when the April 26th meeting came around only a single candidate republican Mary Connaughton spoke to the 46 people assembled at the Border Grille & Bar in Leominster.
Brooks went through the list of people he attempted to contact to the crowd and promised to continue to invite Democrats to come, but for the moment, the chance to court a group of voters who had abandoned the Democratic party in January had been missed, at least for a month.
Whatever image they had of the tea parties perhaps they should take the advice of Allen Van Wert who attended that night and had attended tea party meetings in Worcester as well. “I would suggest they show up and find out for themselves.”
One newcomer who did when asked his impression declared every person in attendance their own party. It will be 30 more days before local democrats would get that chance vie for those individual party nominations.
Comments
Now we have a Tea Party Examiner??? Must like short term gigs. Scott Brown was the Tea Party's pinnacle; their influence is dwindling even as we speak. When Obama cruises to re-election on a robust economy if any vestiges of the TP are left they'll shrink to nothing.
And oh yeah, even Brown is dissing the Tea Party these days!
@George Sommers,
Suggestion: let's see how the primaries go before going full-tilt wet blanket.
The Tea Parties, like We The People, will stand as ignored as they permit.
"I wouldn't say I've been missing it Bob."
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