Blunt and Emerson headlining Poplar Bluff event for the "next generation of the Tea Party"
Is it possible for the "tea party movement" to jump the shark?
A group calling itself the Tea Party of Butler County is hosting a "Patriot Rally" in Poplar Bluff this Saturday which organizers promise will be "the largest indoor demonstration Poplar Bluff has ever had."
Welcome to the next generation of the Tea Party THE PATRIOT RALLY!!!
Get ready 'cause here it comes. The Patriot Rally is now officially HUGE!!! Mark your calendars for January 9, 2010. We are gonna kick this crucial, crossroads of a year off with a bang! More AMAZING details to come!
This "next generation of the Tea Party" apparently includes Roy Blunt, Jo Ann Emerson, state Senate Budget Chair Rob Mayer and four-term State Representative Gayle Kingery -- none of whom are "outsiders" in any real sense.
The organizers of this event are obviously hoping that some of the tea party brand rubs off on their establishment candidates, but they have their work cut out for them – especially for Blunt and Emerson. You may recall that Blunt was the #3 House leader in Washington as Republicans grew government spending and deficits, never figured out a way to pay for huge government programs like the Medicare Part D benefit, and was the leader of the House Republican efforts to pass the TARP bill last year. And Blunt didn't just vote for the TARP legislation -- he was one of the key GOP leaders begging his colleagues to change their votes:
You may also recall that Blunt:
- Skipped the April rally at the state Capitol, even though he was in Jefferson City that day,
- Was not invited to the Springfield Tea Party; organizer and (former?) radio host Vincent David Jericho said "we’re only inviting conservative politicians,"
- Was not allowed to speak to the July 4th Tea Party in Washington, MO,
- Has been criticized openly at previous tea party rallies, and
- Has been the target of intermittent ire by St. Louis area tea partiers like Dana Loesch, who have "called for the old-school Republican guard, the ones intent on enslaving us in the tunnel of Democrat-lite, to go conservative or get out of the way."
All of this makes it more than a little ironic for Blunt to be a headline speaker for anything that bills itself as "the next generation of the Tea Party," unless, of course, the "next generation" means "the exact same hypocritical Republican Party you've had for a long, long time."
Emerson also has a challenge from the right in her GOP primary this August in Bob Parker, a man who has been working the Tea Party circuit for months. From a recent blog post on Parker's campaign website:
I intend to hold Emerson accountable for her voting record that is one of bailouts, stimulus, clunkers, job killing trade deals, and on and on. Emerson has helped America get so far in debt we are now pretty much bankrupt. How is that workin’ for ya America?
Time for a ”Real” Conservative to represent the 8th district in Congress! We will win because the 8th district wants a ”Conservative” representative in Congress!
I imagine he's not impressed with the decision to invite Emerson to a "tea party" either.
h/t Anna Boone
