First on CNN: Tea party plans bus tour to help Romney, Republicans
Washington (CNN) – The nation's largest tea party political action committee is planning a major push this September for Mitt Romney and other Republicans with what will be their "longest" cross country bus tour since the movement began in 2009, the group said Wednesday.
The Tea Party Express will mount its eighth nationwide tour – titled "Winning for America" - in the last two weeks of September and the first week of October, according to chief strategist Sal Russo.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
- Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
The circuit will begin in Florida and hit several other battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, and Nevada. Other stops are planned for Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, Missouri, and Georgia.
"It's going to be our longest tour," Russo said. "We're covering so much ground…it looks like a W across the country."
The group intends to invite presumptive GOP presidential nominee Romney to participate in the tour. Russo stressed that the invitation has not yet been made, though he hopes Romney will accept.
The intention to invite Romney is a sign that tea party activists are increasingly warming to the former Massachusetts governor's candidacy. Many tea partiers have long viewed Romney as not sufficiently conservative – a claim Romney's supporters have long beat back. Yet most activists openly back Romney, whether willingly or begrudgingly, because of fierce opposition to President Obama.
The tour will be the first test of tea party power ahead of a presidential election. In 2010, the movement saw mixed success: helping to flip the House into Republican hands but losing coveted Senate races in Alaska, Delaware and Nevada. Since then, tea party activists have also wrecked political aspirations of other establishment Republicans in other parts of the country.
While stressing that tour details are still being worked out, Russo discussed its logistics, goals and aim.
As in past Express bus tours, the upcoming one will include two to three buses carrying staffers and supporters from rally to rally. Russo stressed that tour stops have been planned for maximum political effect: to not only help Romney but also Republican candidates for the Senate and House.
For example, the Express' Pennsylvania stops are planned to help put that state's 20 electoral votes in Romney's column. But it will also aim to help elect Republican candidates to the House as well as GOP U.S. Senate candidate Tom Smith in his race against Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. The Express has endorsed Smith. But their attempts appear to be futile: Casey has led Smith by double-digits in recent polls.
While praising Smith, Russo added: "I think [Pennsylvania is] going to be a big state for Romney. I think they're going to put a lot of resources in there."
In North Carolina, the Express will rally supporters for Romney as well as to defeat Democratic Reps. Larry Kissell and Mike McIntyre.
The Express' stops in other states are also designed to help Romney as well as other GOP candidates. The highlight in Virginia will be the Senate race between former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and former Sen. George Allen; in Florida it will be the race between Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and GOP Rep. Connie Mack, who's expected to win his party's senate nomination in the state.
"We can play a bigger role in U.S. Senate races than we can in presidential races," Russo said. "So we're trying to be in states which are going to be competitive in the Senate as well as in the presidential race. And when we can, we try to go in the areas of the state where there are competitive House races."
Though many tea party activists were openly hostile to Romney's bid during the GOP primaries, there were also signs of a thaw. For example, last year on Labor Day in New Hampshire, Romney headlined his first major tea party rally.
But getting the tea party's stamp of approval carries risks. The movement remains popular with many conservatives and has a proven track record in energizing them. Yet many independents are turned off by the tea party, potentially turning some of them away from Romney.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday the Express also announced its supporters' choice for Romney's running mate.
In a survey of over 8,000 supporters, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio was the favorite, with 66% of the vote.
"It is not a big surprise that Marco Rubio is the favorite candidate of the tea party for the vice-presidential nod," Express Chairman Amy Kremer said in a statement. "He ran as a strong fiscal conservative, and he has delivered with his record in the U.S. Senate for the last two years. The only surprise is that he led the other excellent candidates by such a wide margin."
Those other candidates are: House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, who garnered 49.9% of the tea party VP vote, Florida Rep. Allen West, with 46.8%, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, with 44%, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, with 41%, and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann with 40.9%.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty – three men believed to be leading vice presidential contenders – ranked low in the Tea Party Express results.
From CNN Politics
- America's kids are failed again
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- New US drone routes over Black Sea 'definitely limit' intelligence gathering, says US official
- In 2024, Republicans may complete a historic foreign policy reversal
- Blinken subpoenaed by top Republican investigating Biden administration withdrawal from Afghanistan
- Inside the backchannel communications keeping Donald Trump in the loop on Republican investigations
Great more people who don't pay taxes demanding the right to tell those of us who do how to live. Yeah, like I'd vote for that.
grannie22 posted that Illinois would welcome the teabaggers. Are there more tea baggers in Illinois besides Joe Walsh, the dead beat dad and crazy republican?
Better get an egg colored bus ,thanks palladin !!!!
Sure, as if he doesn't have enough problems now the teabaggers are coming out of their roach holes to help?
Havent the teabaggers in congress done enough harm to the country? This country would be so much better off if they hadn't taken over and signed the norquist pledge to destroy the country while going against everything the President has said or done.
When you go against your own ideas you are really a sick person. Then again . . . . . they are teabaggers after all.
The real tea party was started in 2007 during the BUSH admin. So it is at least 5 years old THIS DECEMBER 16, 2012.
I can assure you it does not support Mitt Romney.
Russo is a GOP operative who collects money for the GOP Establishment. We do not shill for Republicans especially those like Mitt Romney who are NOT conservative.
@Wire Palladin, S. F.: We have been a tea party since 2007 and have never taken a cent from anyone, nor directions from anyone. We don't even WATCH FOX NEWS.
So this guy is just a fake. In fact, last time he pulled this crap, we PROTESTED ROMNEY.
Please..we are trying to get money for a bus tour, we promise to not have drugs or rapes or murders in the bus, we'll keep it outside the bus and we can get away in the bus...please donate for the bus, would like multiple busses but one bus is ok, we can steal other busses along the way, just need one bus to start the crime tour...i mean bus tour...
Believe me, we'll be there to throw eggs at this bus too. Russo has a lot of nerve to use OUR NAME.
Now that the reporter has this information let's see if he corrects the article and makes sure people know this is just a GOP PAC and not a legit part of the tea party movement.
The Tea Party Express – so sorely needed to bolster the wealthy guy who does not want America to see his tax declarations. They will be voting for him, why bother to spend time with them? Mr.Romney's audience is never mixed; he needs to court other ethnic groups and have them come to his rallies. His audiences all seem to be the same, whether it is IA, FL or PA. Where's the melting pot of America, Mr Romney? Your TP express will serve no purpose, except to prove that the GOP is in the grip of the fringists. Marco Rubio is nothing but a puppet; he was going to come up with a Dream Act that pleased the TP!
so the teabaggers are takin a ride on the Koch bus tour. This should be interesting...
Tea Partiy rallies are organized, civilized, they clean up after themselves ( No deficating on police cars), respectful behaviour ( no drug use, rapes, grafitti or illegal occupation and destruction of private property). And the vast majority of them will be able articulate what it is they are there for.
Democrats sure talk about teabagging a lot.
They obviously teabag on a regular basis.
While the Tea Party had no cohesion when TARP was passed, TARP is what set off the Tea Party before it was even the Tea Party. Feb 09 when Rick Santelli had his rant on CNBC (how ironic) that set the Tea Party into high gear.
Looks like summer tour, coming to a fairground near you,Ted Nugent, the KKK and special guest THE TEAPARTY!
the tea baggers really think that this country belongs to them only, bring it on you idoits, we are ready for you.
The communists (democrats) are in for one big surprise.
GOP really needs help selling T-Bills to China to finance the tax breaks they keep giving their rich friends!
Middle Class America is going to have pay off those T-Bills eventually
"GOP TAXES CHILDREN" with every tax break paid for by T-Bills sold to China.
Is that the tax break America really wants?