A Tea Party Debate, a Lot of Promises to the Far Right
The Daily Progress’s writeup of a Tea Party-sponsored Republican candidate forum in Virginia’s 5th district — seen as one of the best opportunities for the GOP to take back a seat lost in 2008 — is being mined for quotes by liberal bloggers, and I see why. Second-tier candidate Lawrence Verga calls Barack Obama’s election win “
“„Hurt said Climategate is “scientists who have given us something that is not true. It is faulty information and it has real consequences in the 5th District, in the loss of jobs and in power bills from Appalachian Power Co.”
“„Residents have power bills that exceed their income and businesses are closing or talking about moving overseas, he said.
“„“How is that possible?” Hurt asked. “It’s possible because of regulation and the idea that bureaucrats in Washington know better than anybody else.
“„“I would try to repeal those regulations,” Hurt said.
This isn’t rhetoric that should damage Hurt in this district — historically conservative, it voted narrow for McCain-Palin in 2008 — but it’s interesting to see how far he’ll go to please Tea Partiers. Another example, snagged by Howie Klein: Ed Martin, fighting a surprisingly strong race in a historically Democratic seat in Missouri, posts pictures of Tea Partiers holding “Obama = Communist” signs at a rally.
