Romney suggests that the Koch Brothers ‘Fuel’ Tea Party

Let’s be clear on one thing before we go any further, I do not support Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for the 2012 presidential race. Nor do many in the tea party.

And for good reason.

From a story in the Washington Examiner yesterday;

Mitt Romney is quietly courting the Tea Party as it becomes increasingly clear that the conservative grass-roots movement, which has stubbornly refused to embrace him, represents a bigger threat to Romney’s quest for his party’s nomination than any of his rivals.

Less than two months before the Iowa caucuses, Romney is skipping a major Iowa event Friday — where every other GOP hopeful will be — to deliver a keynote speech on fiscal policy to the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity.

Americans for Prosperity is led by billionaire Republican donor David Koch, whose endorsement Romney seeks. An Oct. 4 internal Romney campaign memo obtained by The Washington Examiner describes Koch as the “financial engine of the Tea Party” even though Koch “denies being directly involved.”

The reason I clarified that I do not support Romney is because I am going to offer him some friendly advice because it looks as if he desperately needs it.

As to be expected of an elitist big government proponent that just doesn’t quite get what all the fuss is about, Romney approaches the tea party as a top down entity. In staying true to the age old GOP tradition of successful deal making in smoky backrooms, he starts at the top – or at least what he percieves to be the top.

He did the same thing when in town back in April, holding a “quiet” meeting with a local tea party leader, as if a single individual controls the spigot, capable of turning the flow of support on and off at one’s choosing.

As the Washington Examiner story indicates, for Romney to believe that the Koch Brothers direct the tea party not only gives the Left the vindication they seek in diminishing the tea party, it also shows just how little he knows about the movement.

Americans for Prosperity has been a tremendous ally of the tea party, providing much needed support at every opportunity. However, AFP has never controlled the tea party. It holds it’s own events, pursues it’s own agenda and even though the organization is very active here in Florida, it does not try to influence the direction of local tea party groups.

To believe otherwise is buying into the propaganda of the Left.

And that is because AFP understands the movement and the fierce independence of the local groups. Other than showing up at a tea party wearing a ‘Che’ t-shirt, about the worst thing one could do is start telling tea partiers what to do. The two entities share common goals and often partner together in advocating on behalf of these shared beliefs, but that’s where it ends.

As for Romney, if he wants to curry favor with the great awakening known as the tea party, he will need to kick off his Ferragamo loafers, roll up his sleeves and mix with the ‘great unwashed’.

He’ll also need to understand that the tea party is not about so called leaders, it’s about we the people. If in doubt, just look to Herman Cain as an example.

Of course, in doing so, he will need to be prepared to address the concerns the folks have about many of his policy positions. He will not receive the kid glove treatment he’s grown accustomed to from the national media – which may explain why he hasn’t already traveled down this path.

Nonetheless, if Romney is not up to the task of successfully taking on a bunch of racist, far right extremists that want to wipe out women and the elderly, well… is he the man for the job in these very troubling times in American history?

(Sorry there’s no love for Perry herein)

Cross Posted at Florida Political Press