Minnick sole Democrat to receive Tea Party Express endorsement
Washington (CNN) - Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick is the only Democrat to receive an endorsement by the Tea Party Express – and he's happy that the group is on his side.
"They're just ordinary folks who think the government ought to balance this budget. There's nothing very radical about that so I'm pleased to have their endorsement," Minnick said Friday on CNN's American Morning.
The Tea Party Express, which just wrapped up their three week, 47-city "Just Vote Them Out!" bus tour, listed 13 Democrats on their "Tea Party Targets" list and 13 Republicans plus Minnick on their "Tea Party Heroes" list.
Notable Republicans joining Minnick on the "Heroes" list are Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio, Pennsylvania Senate candidate Pat Toomey, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Rep. Joe Wilson.
"My state supports independent people who do what's best for our constituents and good ideas come from both parties," Minnick said.
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This says much about the candidate.
Kinda funny how some of the top 'heros' of the Tea Party are also at the top of the list of the League of Conservation Voters Dirty Dozen. How does a pinhead like Michelle Bachman rank as a tax hero while taking so much money from special interests who seek to degrade our environment for financial gain?
Talk about a screwed-up sense of values!
It was amazing to see all of the support for the Tea Partiers along the side of our main street yesterday. The ones you see at the rallies are just the tip of the iceburg for sure. People are wising up to what the role of the federal government is, and it is to MANAGE our taxpayer dollars, not to spend it without bound or accountability.
The answer is, " No, we do not grant you an endless pile of money to spend on your pet projects, political agenda and special interests!"
That's what this is about. If they do not hear it, it is because they are not listening.
The Tea Party went through the ranks of Democratic representatives and picked the single most conservative Democrat and endorsed him, solely so they could say they're a "bipartisan" group of people.
The fact is that Minnick votes 70 percent of the time with Democrats and even voted for Nancy Pelosi as speaker, which I think is a great thing as a liberal Democrat living in Idaho.
But Minnick's opposition, Vaughan Ward, is an ultra-conservative, self-proclaimed "pro-life Republican" and military veteran. I'm shocked the Tea Party didn't endorse Ward, but then again, that would have made them a strictly right-wing organization, which they can't admit to the public.