The TEA Party and the Grand Old Party

Today is Independence Day and across Iowa and the nation there will be all sorts of festivities including TEA Parties. I had hoped to attend the Cedar Rapids TEA Party but today is the last day of my son's leave before he and his fellow soldiers of the 82nd Airborne (hooah!) deploy to Afghanistan — today is his day.

I read with interest the article You May Be a Teapublican by Dave Davidson over at The Iowa Republican. In it Davidson tries to tie the TEA Party and the Grand Old Party together, he even has a TEApubliican website. Davidson says:

If you think Haley Barbour who visited recently should go back to Mississippi after a pathetic compromising plea to vote for pro choice Republican candidates just to win ...

If you like Chuck Norris and the presidential pick Chuck Norris endorsed…

If you think having the 10 commandments hanging on the wall of our court buildings may help our judiciary branch catch a clue of what is right and wrong…

If you think it’s something for Bob Vander Plaats to make the front page of the Des Moines Register explaining to Chet Culver how to deliver the leadership Iowa needs…

You May Be A TEAPublican!

I appreciate Davidson's effort to bring the TEA Party movement into the Republican fold. However the TEA Party movement is not about Haley Barbour's Big Tent or support for Mike Huckabee or the Ten Commandments or Bob Vander Plaats proposed executive order on marriage. Many people in the TEA Party movement would find themselves on opposite sides of these issues. The TEA Party movement is about limited government, responsible spending and tax accountability.

These are core Republican issues. They are not the only core issues but as a party, we Republicans should own these issues. The problem is that when we were in the majority, we had a spending problem. Our presidential candidate (and our president) supported the first bailout. When we had Republican majorities in both houses and a Republican president we did a decent job on taxes but we failed the test on limited government and reduced spending.

Like Davidson, I think that the natural political home for the TEA Party movement is the Republican Party. We are the party of limited government. We are the party of responsible spending. We are the party of tax accountability. At least we say we are.

Unfortunately we have strayed from these core beliefs. If we are to win over voters from the TEA Party movement we must be credible and true to our Republican principles. They have a right to be skeptical.

Comments

[Tom]

As an Independent Candidate, I caution Republicans to think that all the Tea Party attendees will vote Republican.
I've talked with too many voters that don't want anything to do with either party.
You're right, the Republicans have abandoned their principles and now think that its ok to do so for short-term election gains.

[HawkeyeGOP]

Tom, I appreciate your contributing here. I think I heard you being interviewed on Deace.

I was hurt when a Democrat friend said that Republicans were spending like drunken sailors — and I didn't have a response. Where you and I may differ is that I think there is still hope.

I will continue to work to bring our party back to its roots, back to its core principles.

[Tom]

David,
The big problem is that those in power are not listening to "We the People." To many candidates/elected officials do not adhere to the platform. The platform is the voice of the people!
I wish you well in working towards the party returning to its core principles, and I will still support conservative candidates.
My cell phone # is 712-845-6034. Give me a call and we'll discuss.