TEA Partiers in Sheep's Clothing

Every political organization has a great idealogical origin. They begin with the best of intentions. They say they will fight the good fight and always stand up for their values. As time goes on those values and platitudes are replaced by ruthless pragmatism and sheer avarice. Just look at the GOP and the liberal Democratic Party. Is the TEA party in danger of doing the same? 

In 2010 the political world was rocked by the TEA party movement. With their banners of "Don't Tread on Me" and their flood of little constitutions, they turned the political establishment of both parties upside down. They fought hard for candidates who believed in balanced budgets, less taxes, less government. These insurgents came to Washington with a clear mandate; Don't just talk about change, Do it! 

The old guard on both sides of the aisle descended like vultures on a fresh piece of road kill. Many  of the newcomers were sucked into the stinking slough of corporatism and Tammany Hall style politics. Our own Congresswoman Renee Ellmers was a victim. Once shunned by the establishment, she quickly embraced it and began to spout with vigor the watered down talking points from the speaker's office. She is no different than the man she replaced. Now she votes the right way enough of the time, but the train is still heading towards the abyss. Renee Ellmers is throwing chaff at the wheels and then looking at us with those dough eyes and saying "Well, I Tried." She needs to be replaced. 

This example should be a warning to the TEA party. There are wolves out there who will brandish as many constitutions as they can carry to win a seat. They will don a powdered wig and pantaloons and play the part of Thomas Paine or Patrick Henry. They will say they believe in what we believe. Yet when they win they will act like the good ole boys and girls they are. They will vote the right way enough to win re-election but when the chips are down they will turn tail and run. 

It happened to the GOP and it can happen to the TEA party. The local chapters need to research candidates dispassionately and judicially. They need to look into their backgrounds and their past actions. Thy need to choose people who aren't going to talk about "legal rape" or Obama's birth certificate. They need to choose candidates who are moral and who are conservative. 

Sadly many times the candidate they choose is based on emotion and whim. As soon as someone says a line from the Declaration of Independence or pulls a US Constitution from their inner jacket pocket, the TEA party swoons. 

If the TEA party wants to stay legitimate and actually make a difference than they need to do a better job of picking candidates. If they don't than two things will happen. They will elect fools to office or worse, charlatans who will sell their principles to the highest bidder. Both things will weaken and destroy the TEA party. This movement may be our nation's last resistance to the madness of liberalism. We can't afford to screw it up. 

Anybody But Tillis.

The primary battle for the GOP nomination for US Senate has entered the back straightaway. The choices could not be more clear. On the liberal side you have Thom Tillis. Tillis is a state Rep, and speaker of the NC House. Thom Tillis is taking credit for a lot of conservative legislation that has been passed over the last couple of years. Even though many conservatives in the NC House and Senate would argue that he was more of a hindrance than a help. There have been charges that he was a Richard Morgan plant when he beat Rep.Jim Rhodes in 2006. He has denied this but the fact remains that he runs with a crowd that is too liberal for many of us on the right. He has also  been embroiled in several scandals and innuendos. Some of his staff had to resign because of improper relationships and corruption. Tillis also has come under scrutiny for some of his "picks" for the board of governors. It seems like Tillis is all for you getting the position if you contribute to his campaign. These things may all be circumstantial. However they will be repeated with vigor by our liberal friends in the press and by the  Kay Hagan campaign. We can do better. If you vote for Tillis, You will be voting for amnesty, more government, and more of the same from establishment GOP leaders. 

Fortunately we have two great choices. You have Dr. Greg Brannon. Dr. Brannon is a libertarian/ TEA party candidate. He labels himself as a constitutional conservative. He is against Obamacare and is endorsed by Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee. 

Brannon is however involved in a legal issue that is of some concern. He has been sued, with other co-defendants, for fraud. He has denied these charges vehemently. He was found guilty however by a jury and was ordered to compensate the plaintiffs. Since that decision, several sites, including the Daily Haymaker.com have reported that the judge in the case is a democrat with ties to Kay Hagan. This is troubling but the fact that it was a jury who handed down the judgement and not the judge is a valid point that Brannon supporters will have trouble refuting. There are rumors that a complaint will be filed against the judge. Brannon is a smart man who would make a good senator but his legal issues will be exploited by the press and the Hagan campaign as well. 

Another good choice is Mark Harris. Mark Harris is a pastor of a large congregation in the Charlotte area. He has also been involved in the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a classic conservative who stresses moral values, lower taxes, and strong national defense views. 

The negatives on Harris are that he isn't well known. He will be lambasted by our liberal press and the Hagan campaign as a bible thumping, homophobic, woman hating Baptist. 

He is endorsed by Former Governor Mike Huckabee and other conservative Christian groups, such as Return America. 

We cannot choose a candidate based on what Hagan and her lap dog press will say or do. We should pick a candidate that represents the conservative values of our state. 

No one is perfect. The point here is that in my opinion, the conservatives in this state have two good choices in Mark Harris and Greg Brannon. Thom Tillis is no conservative and does need any power let alone the position of US senator. Research Harris and Brannon for yourselves and decide whom is the better choice. We need a conservative in Washington for NC. Not another John Boehner, Mitch McConnell wannabe like Tillis and certainly not Kay Hagan.