Mike Petro -Geauga County Tea Party
Author of "welcome to Soviet America" may 15, 2014. Tea party organized by Pastor Ernie Sanders president Geauga County Tea Party.
By: Nancy Mihalick
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Mike Petro -Geauga County Tea Party - Video
Tea Party beginning to fizzle
On the one hand, the Tea Party this week enjoyed its biggest primary victory of the year in Nebraska, where favored candidate Ben Sasse won the GOP primary in the state. (Of course, other parts of the Republican Party were pro-Sasse as well.) On the other hand, the Tea Party is staring at the real possibility of a series of defeats in the upcoming contests in May and June. In Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to be cruising his way to primary victory over Mitt Bevin. In Georgias Senate contest, the top-two Republicans in the polls are establishment favs David Perdue and Jack Kingston. In Idahos heated congressional primary, First Read confirms a Wall Street Journal report from earlier in the week that the Club for Growth has essentially pulled back from the race and hasnt aired a TV ad there since April -- a sign that incumbent Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) is in strong shape. And then in June, what happens if Sens. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) go on to win their primaries in Mississippi and South Carolina? Bottom line: The outlook for the Tea Party in the next four weeks looks bleak. Things can always change, of course, but the GOP establishment finds itself in a stronger position right now than anyone would have thought six months ago. So how have they done it? Perhaps two reasons. One, establishment Republicans took their challengers more seriously and did oppo on them as if they were Democratic opponents. Two, the issue that animated the Tea Party base more than any other -- the debt (remember, that was Santellis rant; not health care) -- just doesnt seem like a crisis anymore. The deficit controls that have been put into place over the last two years seem to have satisfied a significant chunk of the GOP base.
And some conservatives are getting angry because of it
So the good news for the GOP establishment is that its winning; the bad news for them is that prominent conservatives are getting angry because of it. Look no further than this Washington Post story. Although many Republicans are optimistic about their chances in this years elections, some of Washingtons leading conservatives gathered Thursday to privately vent frustrations about what kind of party they will be left with after November, the Post reports. The group, alarmed by a resurgence of the GOP establishment in recent primaries and what activists view as a softened message, drafted demands to be shared with senior lawmakers calling on the party to recommit to bedrock principles. More from the article: Several attendees said they fear that elected Republicans, even if they succeed in retaining control of the House and winning the Senate majority, would cast aside the core conservative base. Conservatives ought not to delude themselves that if Republicans win the Senate majority, it will somehow be a conservative majority, said L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center. Sen. Ted Cruz even addressed the group: Some say, Yay, our team is winning,? he said, referring to Republicans confidence about possibly taking control of the Senate. But we win when we stand for principle and we lose when we give in to Washingtons status quo.
May 20th primary updates
In the Idaho congressional GOP primary, an outside group (Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions) praises incumbent Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) in a TV ad, while challenger Bryan Smith has a TV ad of his own calling himself the true conservative in the race. In Georgia, Rick Santorum backed Karen Handel (he also has backed Jason Conger in Oregon) In Kentucky, Matt Bevin loaned his campaign an additional $350,000, bringing his self-financing total to $1.25 million in his uphill challenge against Mitch McConnell In Oregon, Politico reports that GOP establishment favorite Monica Wehby was accused by her ex-boyfriend last year of stalking him, entering his home without his permission and harassing his employees, according to a Portland, Oregon police report. And in Pennsylvania, a Franklin & Marshall poll found Tom Wolf at 33%, Allyson Schwartz at 14%, Rob McCord at 9%, and Katie McGinty at 5%; 39% of registered Dems are undecided. Schwartz is up with her closing TV ad. And it appears that Marjorie Margolies didnt attend the NYC fundraiser that Hillary Clinton showed up for; then again, that Pennsylvania primary is just a few days away.
Shinsekis shaky day on the Hill
On Capitol Hill yesterday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki did little to slow down the VA scandal story when he testified before Congress. Senator Richard M. Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the committee, chastised Mr. Shinseki, saying, V.A.s leadership has either failed to connect the dots, or failed to address this ongoing crisis, the New York Times says. The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Representative Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, criticized Mr. Shinsekis performance as out of touch and said it showed why Mr. Obama felt compelled to assign someone from the White House to help clean up the mess at the department. Our take: Shinseki sounded too much like a bureaucrat and not enough like a general.
GOP has a potentially good story to tell when it comes to female candidates
Turning back to the midterms Experiencing a gender gap in races and in the polls, and facing a barrage of attacks from Democrats for waging a war on women, the Republican Party has a POTENTIALLY good story to come Nov. 2014 -- all of its female candidates running for the Senate. Its early, of course, but look at all the Republican women who have a CHANCE at winning in November. Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia. Joni Ernst in Iowa. Terri Lynn Land in Michigan. Karen Handel in Georgia (though shes got to finish in the top-two next week to have a shot). And Monica Wehby in Oregon. Weve said all along that Democratic women -- both candidates and voters -- have a chance to save Democrats in November. But Republicans might have a good story to tell here, too.
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Cold Tea: GOP's Conservative Wing Loses Steam
The Tea Party movement would like to make clear that reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated.
Victories this week by Tea Party-backed candidates in Nebraska and West Virginia Republican primaries are helping to reinvigorate the movement, which some had written off amid a difficult campaign season. But as its own members point out, whether the movement is winning primaries or not, it's hard to argue its small-government message has faded.
Famous, or infamous, Tea Party-aligned lawmakers in Congress continue to play a strong role in the direction of the party. Polls of conservatives consistently show figures like Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as political favorites in a hypothetical 2016 race. And it is those figures who keep the Republican Party something of an evolving force -- Paul arguably made drones a bipartisan issue, and also filed a lawsuit this year against the administration over NSA surveillance, pushing the GOP to rethink the balance between security and privacy.
"Political pundits love to role-play as coroners, but they aren't very good at it," Tea Party Express Executive Director Taylor Budowich said after wins Tuesday night in Nebraska and West Virginia. "The mainstream media has been pushing the recycled 'Tea Party is Dead' headlines, but tonight's results show how again they've got it wrong. What these pundits don't understand is ... the broad appeal of the Tea Party's message of fiscal responsibility and economic growth."
In Nebraska, the primary victory by Republican Senate candidate Ben Sasse should help his party in November retain the open seat -- he is immediately considered the favorite for the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Mike Johanns.
In West Virginia, former Maryland GOP chairman Alex Mooney won the Republican primary with spending help from such outside groups as the Madison Fund, the Senate Conservatives Fund and Tea Party Express.
The Tea Party is optimistic about winning both general election races -- with Mooney's 2nd Congressional District being a Republican stronghold and Sasse, a former Bush administration official, rebuffing the kind of fringe-candidate label that dogged some unsuccessful Tea Party candidates in 2012.
In addition, Tea Party leaders are touting the narrow victory Tuesday by Nebraska GOP Rep. Lee Terry for a House seat he is expected to keep and Florida businessman Curt Clawson's victory last month in a special election for the House seat left by Republican Trey Radel.
Still, it is becoming clear this year that the Tea Party will struggle to repeat its past record of ousting high-profile Republican incumbents in the primaries.
Hopes in the movement are fading that Kentucky businessman Matt Bevin will knock off Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell next Tuesday and that Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel will upset U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, first elected to Congress in 1973.
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Primary victories help Tea Party fend off critics- VIDEO: Ben Sasse's message for Washington - Republicans block bill ...
Changes are going to be happening in the Butler and Warren county Republican parties.
The executive chairman in Warren County, David Nichols, announced in advance of the May 6 primary election that he would not seek another term in order to concentrate more energy on being mayor of the city of Mason. And in Butler County, more people who support the tea partys philosophy of fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets now make up more than 11 percent of the county GOPs 263 Central Committee seats.
I hope the last four years of tea party encouragement of people to get involved made a difference, said Susan McLaughlin, of the Liberty Twp. Tea Party. Helping people learn how to get involved, writing letters, making phone calls and running for office is how democracy works. Moving from anger to action is a natural step.
Many tea party groups in Butler County formed in 2009, a year after the 2008 primary elections the last election for political parties to elect central committee representatives.
Butler County GOP Executive Chair Todd Hall said the 72 competitive races for a Republican Central Committee seat, and the more than three dozen tea party-aligned candidates seeking a seat, means a lot of people want to be involved in the party.
Its incredible that we had so many people run, and that everybody wants to be a part of us, said Hall, adding the party welcomes the new people.
There are 21 Central Committee seats yet to be filled, but Hall said he feels they will fill many of those seats by the next election in four years, if not sooner.
Tea party groups in Butler County suburbs have encouraged people who support the groups values and who attend their meetings to become involved politically.
Liberty Twp. resident Gene Smith, who was appointed to his Butler County GOP Central Committee seat more than two years ago, became involved in the tea party and the Republican Party because of President Barack Obamas election in 2008.
I saw the direction my country was going, and I saw a philosophy that my country was (adopting), Smith said. I wasnt going to make an effect on the national level, but I figured I could get involved on the local level.
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Tea Party changing face of Butler and Warren GOPs
A Smoking Gun - Bombshell In VA Scandal - Email Offers Proof Of Falsified Records In WY - F F
A Smoking Gun - Bombshell In VA Scandal - Email Offers Proof Of Falsified Records In WY - Fox Friends Hurting Our Heroes - VA Knew In 2013 Of Questionable Actions In WY ==========================...
By: Mass Tea Party
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A Smoking Gun - Bombshell In VA Scandal - Email Offers Proof Of Falsified Records In WY - F&F - Video