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Tea Party Express Endorses Walt Minnick (D-ID)

the future of the Tea Parties is here and it is ugly*

By: streiff (Diary)  |  April 15th, 2010 at 01:30 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Top Democratic leaders and Democrats in conservative districts are among the names the tea party movement hopes to defeat this year. At the last stop of its nationwide tour in Washington this morning, organizers of the Tea Party Express revealed their list of 2010 “Tea Party Targets,” a list that includes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Rep. Barney Frank and Rep. Alan Grayson.

Others on the list include Democratic politicians representing relatively conservative states, including Reps. Betsy Markey (D-CO), Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

The group also announced a list of Tea Party Heroes, which included tea party favorites like Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) as well as a single Democrat — Rep. Walt Minnick (D-ID). (link)

Like Erick, I’m not a huge fan of the various Tea Party organizations while at the same time I’m in awe of the energy of the people who are giving up valuable time to attend town hall meetings and demonstrations.

The decision by the Tea Party Express to endorse Democrat Walt Minnick in Idaho underlines the dilemma facing the various umbrella organizations for the local Tea Parties and why the interests of those organizations are, of necessity, inimical to the interests of the members of those groups.

The dilemma facing the Tea Party Express, along with other umbrella groups, is pretty simple: product differentiation and branding. If these groups are to continue to exist and have influence they must bring something to the table that is missing from the main political parties.  If these groups only endorse conservatives it means that by and large they will only be endorsing Republicans. If they only endorse Republicans they will be labeled as a subsidiary of the GOP. This presents the groups with a branding (you can’t be independent and grassroots if you are only endorsing one party’s candidates) and a fund raising (why donate to the Ladies Auxiliary when you can give to the main organization?) problem.

Minnick is a convenient beard for the Tea Party Express in this respect. It isn’t that Minnick is a really bad candidate because he’s widely disliked by Idaho Dems. In fact, at one time Minnick was a Republican and has described himself as “I’m not a Democrat … I’m an Independent seeking the Democratic nomination.” (So the description “political opportunist” should be in his bio somewhere in the interests of full disclosure.)

Were his statement a accurate reflection of his record, I’d really have few objections to an endorsement of Minnick as a benign marketing stunt. I’d still prefer a conservative and a GOP endorsement but I understand positioning and fundraising imperatives.

But it isn’t.

Minnick voted for a wide range of big government programs. As a sampler he voted to expand SCHIP. He voted to kill Jeff Flake’s resolution restricting earmarks. He voted to kill the resolution that would have removed Charlie Rangel from his committee chairmanship. He voted against the RSC blueprint to reduce the budget.

Moreover, Minnick’s first vote in Congress when elected in 2008 was for Nancy Pelosi as speaker. His first vote in the next Congress, if reelected, will be the same.

All of these votes belabor the obvious. Walt Minnick is a Democrat who votes in a Democrat way with the Democrat caucus.

When you compare Minnick’s record with the GOP candidates, Vaughn Ward and Raul Labrador, it becomes crystal clear who the conservatives and small government advocates are in this race.

The Tea Party Express has to know this and encouraging their members to support… and send money to…  a man who will vote for Pelosi as Speaker and big government programs should be unconscionable.

*I pinched my subtitle from nathanbenefield because he posted his diary as I was beginning this one and it seemed appropriate.

COMMENTS

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  • smitch61

    That is what happens with a grass roots movement. Nobody ever said the tea party movement was a conservative GOP party only group of Americans. Personally, here in Michigan, I have run across a large amount of Democrat voters at the rallies. I believe their goal is as much as bringing their party back to center ( or what they consider center), as our goal is conservatism. The GOP will most likely benefit this November from the American people that consider themselves to be Democrats, but the future is up for grabs.

    • streiff

      an Idaho grass roots movement based on “Tea Party” principles would never endorse Minnick. A national organization trying to look “bipartisan” did.

      • CowboyUp4419

        In the eyes of the great unwashed middle whom the tea party is attempting to persuade is the tea party itself an Idaho grass roots movement or a national organization? I’m not talking about how it started or how the people in it think; I’m talking about what the perception of the tea party is to those outside it (because their perception is their reality). The tea party’s held up in the media as a national organization so to attempt to give themselves some shield from the charge they’re just the angry wing of the GOP the tea party express found one of the most palatable Democrats they could and offered support.

        • streiff

          though this implies they have no set of beliefs beyond building an image for which ever umbrella Tea Party organization is doing the endorsing.

      • oliverc

        Being from Idaho and a strong supporter of Vaughn Ward, I was much shocked and distressed to read about the Tea Party Express endorsement of Minnick. Minnick is no conservative.

        Ward most definitely is and his passion for this country is enormous. He was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the USMCR.

        We are very lucky to have this amazing warrior running for Congress in Idaho.

        Minnick has voted with the Republicans in the House most of the time…but, he waits until he gets the nod from Hoyer on whether they need him or not.

        Up until the Saturday before the healthcare vote, Minnick was ‘undecided’. When I called his office on Saturday, they told me he was against. That was when I knew Pelosi had the votes…they did not need Minnick’s vote.

        I found this on Politico regarding the ‘Tea Party Express’ and I was glad they did not endorse Vaughn: GOP operatives crash the tea party @ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35785.html

  • SoulEspresso

    Minnick’s my Congressman and when you take into account that he’s a Dem, he’s not bad.

    But even without his seriously problem votes which streiff noted, I still have to vote against him in November because I badly want the GOP to retake the house with as many seats as possible.

    In other words, he could vote with the Republicans on everything and I’d still oppose him because I want the seat to go to someone who will caucus with the GOP.

    • streiff

      Minnick is more conservative than a lot of GOP congressmen. The difference is that he votes to make Pelosi Speaker. That should be a disqualifier for anyone endorsed via the Tea Party process.

  • josephusmyer

    I bet one kudos that if the Dems lose the majority and he is re-elected Minnick will change parties during the next congress.

    • CowboyUp4419

      n/t

  • ktsub

    I do not give to any organization that supports a Democrat with one dime. If he/she votes for Pelosi as speaker, she organizes the House, she and her liberal minions are the problem. That includes blue dog Dems. Disapointed in this endorsment, big time.

  • crassus

    Walt Mininck received 44 from the ACU. Thats worse than ANY republican including Snowe & Collins.

    This is ridiculous- the previous Rep., Bill Sali received a rating of 100. Minnick must go, and to be honest, I don’t really care who the Tea Party express endorses. If we want to be anti-establishment, don’t ednorse Dems- endorse the conservatives in the primary.

    Florida- Rubio
    Arizona- Hayworth
    Colorado- Buck
    Indiana- Hostettler
    Kentucky- Paul
    Arkansas- Boozman
    Utah- Lee
    Kansas- Tiahrt

    • streiff

      that the TPE endorsed Minnick? That Minnick’s a Democrat? That Minnick votes Democrat? That there’s more conservative/small government candidates in the field?

      What’s wrong?

      • IJB
    • polaedra28

      Add Chuck DeVore in California to this wonderful list!

  • bballfan

    I live in his district.. Do not be fooled by him, voted with Pelosi all the time. The only reason he was a no on HC vote was so he could win again, His challenger was on Laura’s show telling all about Minnick

  • jeffreywturner

    If the Tea Party Express feels the need to support a Democrat or two in order to avoid being labeled as an arm of the GOP, they should just endorse a couple of moderate Democrats who are shoe-ins for reelection anyway (Gene Taylor in Mississippi for instance). That way they don’t hurt the chances of GOP gains.

    Minnick can actually be beaten, so they are helping Pelosi by supporting him.

    • SteveLA

      jeff,

      I think the point is that the Tea party and some elected R’s don’t see eye to eye on the fiscal matters that matter most to the Tea Party.

      My read of the Tea Party is that they are in a general sense more concerned about fiscal matters and anyone D. or R. who likes to spend money like Drunken Sailors is not going to be real popular. Hurting or helping the GOP is sort of irrelevant to the Tea Party movement, at least when it comes to electing fiscally conservative smaller government types.

      • jeffreywturner

        They don’t care about “R” and “D”.

        However the fact remains that which party controls the chamber matters, and there is much greater chance of fiscal conservatism prevailing WITHOUT Nancy Pelosi in control.

        Supporting moderate Democrats in races where they are a lock to win anyway gives the Tea Party credibility, but it doesn’t help Pelosi stay in charge, however, supporting Democrats in swing districts does help Pelosi stay in charge.

  • jbjones

    The republicans, to a large extent, leave conservative, constitutional policy behind whenever they are in power and continue the same fundamental approaches of nanny state spending as the supposedly more liberal dems. Ha! The TEA PARTIES are supposed to be the conservative choice – assumed by many to be the republican choice, but in reality the more conservative choice. If the repubs consume the TEA PARTIES then they will become the conservatives they claim to be, not just the promise of being conservatives. The TEA PARTIES represent Americans who want American to be around for their grandchildren and their grandchildren rather than the empty, spent shell of the Founder’s dreams and my upbringing.

  • modcon

    We are AnyStreet (http://anystreet.org).

    Idaho is our strongest state.

    We don’t endorse Democrats.

    We don’t endorse or work for indies who will split the conservative vote and hand the race to the Democrat.

    We work for the best candidate in the primary, and then we work for the most conservative candidate who can win in the general.

    We don’t play reindeer games; we keep our heads down and do our work. We have our noses to the grindstone, and we will for decades to come.

  • awunsch

    the tea party members would vote for the conservative, no matter what the party. The trouble with that, at this juncture, is that there are no pro life or conservative democrats. Whatever they claim, when the vote counts, they vote according to the dem party line ( death, spending, spread the wealth and more taxes).
    As for the tea party(s), they are “Americans” that are really concerned about the future of this country and want the country to return to government as envisioned by the Founding Fathers and outlined in the constitution. Mostly conservative but both democrat, republican and independent. I don’t worry about their “brand”. As the people, they should put the fear of the people in the hearts of those running for office. As a group they won’t all agree on every aspect of politics but they know the dire consequences of moving toward a secular progressive government.

  • soljerblue

    if any…who can honestly say they’re for limited government as envisioned by the Founders. As a Tea Party member, I would walk away from any organization that endorsed any Democrat candidate for any reason whatsoever. I can’t speak for other TP’ers, but my intent is to drive the GOP
    back to its roots. We were designed to be a democracy IN a REPUBLIC. Putting the “republic” back in Republican is our best hope.

  • polaedra28

    If the TEA party umbrella organizations seek to become ends unto themselves, then they become more of a distraction than a service. I am far more interested in working for and financially supporting conservative candidates directly.

    I never contribute to the RNC, the NRSC or the NRCC as I cannot count on them to promote conservatives. Yes, most conservatives are in the Republican party, but we are obviously in a battle for supremacy there. If we do not take back the Republican party, we will split the conservative vote and our country and the true exceptionalism of the United States will continue its downward spiral which has accelerated into a tail spin under Obama.

  • StandardCandle

    I just find this endorsement OFFENSIVE. Minnick dodged every townhall possible, changed dates and times to avoid Tea Party activists… There are two major groups in Idaho… one in Twin Falls, one in Boise… the Boise group was more willing to give Minnick the benefit of the doubt… but the guy just outright refused to come to our several events even though he was told that we’d allow his office to determine the day and time.

    Minnick is I think the closest thing to a blue dog democrat… the only problem with that is that “Blue dog democrat” is a lie… they’re just democrats that have to deal with right leaning constituents… Minnick may be more willing to talk to people on the right, but he’s not willing to represent fiscal conservatism…

    It’s offensive that national tea party leaders are naming names and endorsing people… THAT would be like George Washington claiming the work of the Boston Tea Party because he knew Sam and John Adams… the only problem is Washington would never have done that… because he’s not some drolling snake in the grass trying to prop themselves up as a politcal machine that impacts the decisions of individuals…

    These national tea party organizations are the death of tea party movement and the birth of sleazy organizers claiming to lead grassroots… that’s just damned foolish.. you CAN’T lead grassroots nationally… its no longer grassrooots, its just sod placement chronyism.