28 Missouri Tea Parties call out Congressman Blunt
Posted by Jessica Podhola in Blunt, Senate 2010UPDATE: TEA PARTY NATION IS IN AN UPROAR!!!
I am not a conservative and have never pretended to be, but to pretend to have conservative credentials then get called out by the very people you claim support you????
Missouri Tea Parties call out Roy Blunt
Here is a Press Release from the Tea Parties around Missouri
UPDATE: TEA PARTY NATION IS IN AN UPROAR!!!
Rebuked: Tea Party Groups in Missouri are up in Arms Over Michele Bachmann’s Decision to Campaign with Roy Blunt
STATEMENT FROM MISSOURI DEMOCRATIC PARTY SPOKESMAN RYAN HOBART IN RESPONSE TO BACHMANN’S VISIT ON BEHALF OF ROY BLUNT:
“Congressman Blunt’s 14 year Washington record of waste, corruption and sticking it to the middle class has proven he is the very worst of Washington. Why Republicans would want the ultimate Washington insider Congressman Blunt at the top of the ticket is beyond us, but it certainly will make our jobs easier for the November election.”
Congressman Blunt’s problems with the tea party are receiving wide spread state and national attention:
Politico: Mo. tea partiers rebuke Bachmann visit
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40345.html
Huffington Post: Michele Bachmann’s Roy Blunt Endorsement Sparks Tea Party Fury
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/28/michele-bachmanns-roy-blu_n_662239.html
Kansas City Star: 28 Missouri Tea Parties say they’re not backing Blunt
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/entries/28-missouri-tea-parties-say-theyre-not-backing-blunt/
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Some Tea Party groups angry that Bachmann backs Roy Blunt
KMBC Kansas City: Missouri TEA Parties Blast Roy Blunt
http://20poundsofheadlines.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/missouri-tea-parties-blast-roy-blunt/
Minneapolis Star Tribune: Bachmann riles Tea Party in Missouri - and Joe the Plumber gets involved
http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/99473499.html
Fired Up! Missouri: Tea Party Coalition: Bachmann’s Support For Blunt “An Abomination”
http://firedupmissouri.com/content/tea-party-coalition-bachmanns-support-blunt-abomination
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Mo. tea partiers rebuke Bachmann visit |
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When it comes to one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and a coalition of Missouri activists are drinking two different flavors of tea. Bachmann, a national conservative leader who announced a formation of a Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives last week, is trekking to St. Louis Saturday to stump for Rep. Roy Blunt’s Senate campaign. A swath of tea party groups in the state isn’t pleased. “Tea Party participants believe the spending in Washington has to STOP. Roy Blunt voted for TARP and Cash for Clunkers,” Jedediah Smith, a tea party leader in Missouri’s Franklin County, said in a biting statement Wednesday. “For Michele Bachmann to come to Missouri and give the impression that all the Missouri Tea Parties support Roy Blunt is an abomination of everything we have been standing up for. “Most Tea Party supporters I know will be baffled by Michele Bachmann helping someone with a record like Roy Blunt before the primary vote.” Twenty-eight tea party groups signed onto the statement criticizing Bachmann on behalf of 8,600 claimed members. Smith told POLITICO he has also contacted Bachmann’s office to share his disappointment, explaining that plans are underway to organize an event for Bachmann outside of her appearance with Blunt. “I have heard from many others in the state who have called and e-mailed her office as well,” he said. Though Blunt faces a primary challenge from underfunded state Sen. Chuck Purgason, the tea party leaders emphasized that they aren’t backing either of the candidates in next Tuesday’s nominating vote. They’re just voicing their discontent with Blunt. Two groups from southwest Missouri, where Blunt’s 7th Congressional District sits, complained that the congressman has not participated in town hall meetings there, and Southwest Missouri Conservative Network’s John Putnam said they “were told by [Blunt's] scheduler that he would not attend a candidate forum until after the primary.” Blunt has already run two television ads for his campaign, both of them aimed at shoring up his conservative base. One attacked presumptive Democratic nominee Robin Carnahan for appearing at a fundraiser with President Barack Obama, while the other introduced Blunt as a former university president - not mentioning his career as a congressman. It’s Blunt’s time in Washington that clearly irks tea partiers in his state. Chris O’Conner, who leads the Mid-Missouri 9/12 Patriots group, wrote: “Roy Blunt is not a true Conservative. He is the Number one taker of donations from Freddie and Fannie, he voted for TARP, and convinced other Republicans to vote for TARP as well. He is not a true Conservative and he has not and will continue to not uphold our Constitution.” Asked about the reaction to Bachmann’s visit, Blunt campaign spokesman Rich Chrismer said only that conservative icon was scheduled to “meet with supporters and volunteers at our phone bank.” A Bachmann campaign spokeswoman did not return a request for comment |
Michele Bachmann’s Roy Blunt Endorsement Sparks Tea Party Fury
The Huffington Post | Elyse Siegel First Posted: 07-28-10 01:44 PM | Updated: 07-28-10 01:44 PM
[Search HuffPost]
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is facing fire from supporters of the Tea Party movement over her decision to endorse Republican Congressman Roy Blunt in his primary fight for Missouri’s GOP Senate nomination.
In the wake of news that Bachmann plans to campaign alongside Blunt in St. Louis, Mo. this coming weekend, a coalition of Tea Party groups issued a statement expressing their dissatisfaction with the conservative congresswoman over her impending trip.
“We were shocked,” explained the Missouri Tea Party alliance. “We believe she has been grossly misled if she understands him to be a Missouri Tea Party candidate.”
At issue for the anti-tax groups is the fact that they have “NOT” endorsed Blunt in his primary pursuit against State Sen. Chuck Purgason.
“Tea Party participants believe the spending in Washington has to STOP,” the Tea Party groups asserted. “Roy Blunt voted for TARP and Cash for Clunkers. For Michele Bachmann to come to Missouri and give the impression that all the Missouri Tea Parties support Roy Blunt is an abomination of everything we have been standing up for.”
But this isn’t the first time that Bachmann - who has achieved rock star status in the Tea Party - has sparked controversy in the conservative movement by deciding to stand behind a particular candidate.
Last month, Bachmann saw palpable backlash after she recorded a robo-call for New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith in his primary campaign against Tea Party-backed candidate Alan Bateman. Bateman charged that Bachmann “betrayed the Tea Party movement” with her endorsement and added that it “showed her true colors in that she is nothing more than a politician using the Tea Party movement for her own advancement.”
28 Missouri Tea Parties say they’re not backing Blunt
Steve Kraske
A coalition of 28 Missouri Tea Party groups have issued a statement clarifying a point:
They have not endorsed U.S. Senate hopeful Roy Blunt.
The groups said they were “shocked” to learn that Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, a strong supporter of Tea Parties nationally, was coming to St. Louis Saturday to make phone calls for Blunt and raise money for him.
“We believe she has been grossly misled if she understands him to be a Missouri Tea Party candidate,” the statement said.
“Tea Party participants believe the spending in Washington has to STOP. Roy Blunt voted for TARP and Cash for Clunkers. For Michele Bachmann to come to Missouri and give the impression that all the Missouri Tea Parties support Roy Blunt is an abomination of everything we have been standing up for.”
“Most Tea Party supporters I know will be baffled by Michele Bachmann helping someone with a record like Roy Blunt before the primary vote,” said Jedidiah Smith, a Tea Party leader in Franklin County, Missouri.
No response yet from Blunt’s campaign.
Some Tea Party groups angry that Bachmann backs Roy Blunt
By TONY MESSENGER > tmessenger@post-dispatch.com > 573-635-6178 | Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 10:06 am | (13) Comments
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JEFFERSON CITY - As several politicians have learned over the past couple of years, upstart Tea Party groups do anger well, and some of the members of those groups in Missouri are angry today at one of their heroes, Minnesota Congressman Michelle Bachmann.
A coalition of Tea Party and Patriot groups issued a news release this morning saying they were “shocked” that Bachmann would be coming to St. Louis to campaign and raise money for Congressman Roy Blunt. While the Tea Party groups have said they don’t endorse candidates, they made it clear in their news release that they do not endorse Blunt.
Many of the Tea Party groups have been offering support to state Sen. Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield, who is running a longshot campaign against Blunt, the front-runner who has raised more than $8 million in the race.
From the Tea Party release:
Tea Party participants believe the spending in Washington has to STOP. Roy Blunt voted for TARP and Cash for Clunkers. For Michele Bachmann to come to Missouri and give the impression that all the Missouri Tea Parties support Roy Blunt is an abomination of everything we have been standing up for. “Most Tea Party supporters I know will be baffled by Michele Bachmann helping someone with a record like Roy Blunt before the primary vote,” said Jedidiah Smith, a Tea party leader in Franklin County, Missouri.
The news release was signed by 28 different groups, though not by the St. Louis Tea Party.
Bachmann, who recently started a Tea Party Caucus in Congress, is scheduled to be in St. Louis to raise money for Blunt on Saturday.
Bill Hennessey, a member of the St. Louis Tea Party, said the group will stay out of the fray. Speaking for himself, he said:
“We decided a long time ago not to endorse candidates in the primary. That means we don’t un-endorse, either. The Tea Party, being totally decentralized, represents a lot of ideas and opinions. We love that. We love that so many passionate conservatives have gotten involved in the process.”
Missouri TEA Parties Blast Roy Blunt
More that two dozen Missouri TEA parties say a bid by US Senate candidiate to capitalize on their movement has “shocked” them.
Blunt is bringing in Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann for a fundraising and to work the phone for him July 31 in St. Louis.
“We believe she has been grossly misled if she understands him to be a Missouri Tea Party candidate,” according to a TEA party statement Tuesday.
“Roy Blunt voted for TARP and Cash for Clunkers. For Michele Bachmann to come to Missouri and give the impression that all the Missouri Tea Parties support Roy Blunt is an abomination of everything we have been standing up for”, said Jedidiah Smith, a Tea Party leader in Franklin County, Missouri.”
Bachmann riles Tea Party in Missouri - and Joe the Plumber gets involved
By Jeremy Herb
July 28, 2010
In Missouri, it’s Rep. Michele Bachmann vs. Joe the Plumber and the Tea Party.
More than two dozen Missouri Tea Party groups are fuming this week after Bachmann announced she was coming to St. Louis to campaign for Rep. Roy Blunt.
Blunt, a Republican, is running for Senate in Missouri, but some Tea Party groups there have thrown their support behind state Sen. Chuck Purgason in the GOP primary.
Purgason’s campaign is definitely a long shot: he’s raised $32,000 to Blunt’s $8.2 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
But Samuel Wurzelbacher, known as “Joe the Plumber,” is backing Purgason and has bankrolled an ad that will run in nearly every Missouri TV market, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
And Missouri Tea Party groups say Bachmann “has been grossly misled” if she thinks Blunt is the “Tea Party candidate.”
“Tea Party participants believe the spending in Washington has to STOP,” 28 groups wrote in a joint statement. “Roy Blunt voted for TARP and Cash for Clunkers. For Michele Bachmann to come to Missouri and give the impression that all the Missouri Tea Parties support Roy Blunt is an abomination of everything we have been standing up for.”
This isn’t the first time Bachmann, who leads the Tea Party Caucus in Congress (holding its second meeting today), has been in hot water with tea partiers.
In New Jersey last month, Republican congressional candidate Alan Bateman said Bachmann “sold out the Tea Party movement” after she did a robo-call on behalf of Republican incumbent Rep. Chris Smith.
Tea Party Coalition: Bachmann’s Support For Blunt “An Abomination”
KMBC’s Micheal Mahoney: “More that two dozen Missouri TEA parties say a bid by US Senate candidate to capitalize on their movement has ’shocked’ them…’Roy Blunt voted for TARP and Cash for Clunkers. For Michele Bachmann to come to Missouri and give the impression that all the Missouri Tea Parties support Roy Blunt is an abomination of everything we have been standing up for,’ said Jedidiah Smith, a Tea Party leader in Franklin County, Missouri.”
UPDATE: The coalition’s full release is here, with statements from a number of tea party leaders. From that release:
- Franklin County Patriots: “Roy Blunt, like other RINOs, wants to be associated with the Tea Parties for his own political advantage. However, his record of voting for Cash for Clunkers, the TARP bailout, No Child Left Behind and other unconstitutional legislation does not reflect the conservative values of Tea Party Patriots. In addition, Roy Blunt’s association with Washington D.C. lobbyists has earned him a reputation of being one the largest recipients of lobbyist support, including Fannie and Freddie.”
- “In God We Trust PAC has not endorsed and would never endorse Roy Blunt for the U.S. Senate. Roy Blunt does not stand for the conservative values and principles the Tea Party movement represents. He is a career politician and Washington insider who has sold out his constituents for special interest money. Roy Blunt is, in fact, what we are endeavoring to “purge” out of Washington.”
- Jefferson County Tea Party: “Big spending Republicans that voted to increase the size and scope of Government during the Bush years are part of the problem, not the solution…If posing as a fiscal conservative were a crime, Roy Blunt would be on top 10 wanted list.”
- Sikeston Tea Party: “We…do not endorse or even want Roy Blunt for our next Senator.”
- SW MO Conservative Network: “We invited Congressman Blunt to several of our meetings over the last year and were told by his scheduler that he would not attend a candidate forum until after the Primary.”
Blunt’s upcoming event with Bachmann obviously won’t the first time he’s filtered his record for the tea party crowd:
- Blunt skipped the first tea party rally in Jefferson City in April 2009, even though he was in in the Capitol that day.
- He was not invited to the Springfield Tea Party in April 2009; organizer Vincent David Jericho said “we’re only inviting conservative politicians.”
- He was not allowed to speak to the July 4, 2009 Tea Party in Washington, MO, an even organized with the St. Louis Tea Party folks like Dana Loesch, Bill Hennessy and Jim Hof.
- He was the target of open criticism at almost all of the early tea party rallies, and
- Was described by Dana Loesch as the epitome of what tea partiers claim to hate: “the old-school Republican guard, the ones intent on enslaving us in the tunnel of Democrat-lite.”
- Jefferson County Tea Party leader Ken Horton told an April 2010 gathering that “Blunt needs to be held accountable for his votes,” and said he’d be endorsing state Sen. Chuck Purgason instead.Ken Horton told an April 2010 gathering that “Blunt needs to be held accountable for his votes,” and said he’d be endorsing state Sen. Chuck Purgason instead.
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