Tea Party Claims First Victory of 2014

washingtonexaminer.com/ ^ | APRIL 23, 2014 | JOEL GEHRKE

[BarnacleCenturion]

Tea Party candidate Curt Clawson won the Republican primary in the special election seat to replace Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., who resigned after pleading guilty for cocaine possession, a victory that the Tea Party Express is claiming as "the movement's first victory of 2014."

Clawson received 46 percent of the vote, according to Naples News. “The results tonight were clear, Curt Clawson's Tea Party message of economic growth and fiscal responsibility resonated with the voters of Southwest Florida," said political strategist Sal Russo of the Tea Party Express, which was one of the first Tea Party groups to support Clawson.

...

The race divided national Tea Party icons, though, as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., backed Clawson while former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Florida state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, who received about 16 percent of the vote.

[C. Edmund Wright]

I think this Clawson guy had given money to Stabenow of Michigan in the not so distant past…..I hope to be wrong, but I think this may be a case where the TP folks glomed onto a guy simply because he had never held office before. I mean, that’s a good thing, but sometimes TP folks jump too quick. I hope that is not the case here. But Stabenow? Really?

[Tupelo]

re: The race divided national Tea Party icons, though, as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., backed Clawson while former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Florida state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, who received about 16 percent of the vote.

I think a chink in Mrs Palin’s armor is the fact that she damn near always will endorse the woman in any race. Sometimes the woman is not the best man in the race.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

There is possibly some validity to that criticism.

Though she balances out the party, which tends the other direction on balance.

That said, Palin rocks. 2016. Just saying.

[cripplecreek]

I think a chink in Mrs Palin’s armor is the fact that she damn near always will endorse the woman in any race. Sometimes the woman is not the best man in the race.

I think people rely too heavily on her and have unrealistic expectations of her. Its no big deal really. In 2010 she backed Brian Rooney here in Michigan's 7th district and I voted for Tim Walberg who won.

[Timber Rattler]

I think a chink in Mrs Palin’s armor is the fact that she damn near always will endorse the woman in any race. Sometimes the woman is not the best man in the race.

Agreed. The "Mama Grizzly" thing was cool in 2010, but is now wearing thin in 2014. Quite frankly, I've been underwhelmed by some of her more recent endorsements, which do seem to made made with gender strictly in mind.

[I am Richard Brandon]

He obviously is his Brother’s Keeper (not) because he said so, but not his Auntie’s either.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

The first Victory of many to come. 2014 will be the Revenge of the Tea Party!
The Plan: 1st win Senate and Keep House—Next Ted Cruz for Speaker of the Senate—then impreachment of Reid, Holder, and Obama. I only wish Sarah Palin was in the Senate to add her voice to the debate—OR at least in the House! Seeing her as Speaker of the House would be my fondest wish and the nighmare for the Liberal-Progressives. Palin 2 steps from the White House would cause the left to hyperventilate.

[BillyBoy]

I seriously doubt this is the first primary election of 2014 where a Tea Party organization “claimed victory”.

In fact, I know its not, since a bunch of deranged Illinois Tea Party groups were “claiming victory” when socialist combiner Bruce Rauner won the primary for Governor.

http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/kadner/24819806-452/kadner-a-new-chapter-for-the-tea-party.html#.U1f1U1f75Gk

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Tea Party Claims First Victory of 2014,”

Happy days are here again.

Sharron Angle Victory for Tea Party/ We The People (LloydMarcus.com ^ | 06-16-2010 | Lloyd Marcus)

Why is Harry Reid still allowed on the Senate floor after that *victory* anyway?? Calling the Bundy supporters terrorists?

[fieldmarshaldj]

[sickoflibs]

I guess a positive attitude doesn’t insure victory.
Even celebrating it ahead of time.

[NFHale]

Until we win that seat, there’s no time to celebrate anything.

Work diligently... and continue to PUSH forward relentlessly.

[KC_Lion]

T.W. SHannon, Ben Sasse and Greg Abbot aren't Females.

Besides it's like Cripplecreek said, sometimes you gotta go with someone you like, even if that is someone different than who another person would go with.

It's not wrong Per Say, just different people for the same goals.

[cripplecreek]

I just get sick of the attitude that we’re supposed to side with or rant against anyone we agree or disagree with at any point in time.

There’s just no sense in it.

[Impy]

This is a safe house seat, no need to worry about the rat.

But we were talking about this on another thread, I don't believe this guy was the better candidate.

C. Edmund Wright:I think this Clawson guy had given money to Stabenow of Michigan in the not so distant past… ..I hope to be wrong, but I think this may be a case where the TP folks glomed onto a guy simply because he had never held office before. I mean, that’s a good thing, but sometimes TP folks jump too quick.

You said it.

[C. Edmund Wright]

she had not made that mistake with Mace yet in SC…..but I agree, the mama griz thing is past its sell by date.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Curt Clawson definitely donated to the ultraliberal Democrat Senator Stabenow’s 2012 reelection campaign (see below, from OpenSecrets.org’s donor lookup; it’s definitely the same Curtis Clawson, since he was CEO of Hayes Lemmerz International at the time of such donations).

And even worse in the eyes of the “Tea Party” purists who eschew anyone who has an actual record in politics, the only $200+ federal political contributions that Clawson has made since the late 1990s apart from his recent donation to the “Dangerously Incompetent” Stabenow were to ... wait for it ... Mitch McConnell and to the McConnell-controlled Republican Party of Kentucky! If those self-proclaimed “Tea Party leaders” are to be consistent, they should demand that Clawson drop out of the race and permit the GOP to nominate a candidate who is not “a stooge for the GOPe” like Clawson obviously must be—I mean, what is more “establishment” than donating to Mitch McConnell’s reelection campaign? At least Clawson donaled to ultraliberal Democrat Stabenow, so I guess that proves he’s no Republican. Whew! Close one for the Tea Party Express—they almost endorsed a conservative Republican by mistake, but Clawson’s Stabenow donation will save its reputation.

Here are Clawson’s federal political donations. Read ‘em and weep:

CLAWSON, CURTIS
NORTHVILLE,MI 48167 HAYES LEMMERZ INTERNATIONAL 12/31/13 $4,800 Republican Party of Kentucky (R)
CLAWSON, CURTIS
NORTHVILLE,MI 48167 HAYES LEMMERZ INTERNATIONAL 12/31/13 $2,600 McConnell, Mitch (R)
CLAWSON, CURTIS
NORTHVILLE,MI 48167 HAYES LEMMERZ INTERNATIONAL 12/31/13 $2,600 McConnell, Mitch (R)
CLAWSON, CURTIS J
NORTHVILLE,MI 48167 HAYES LEMMERZ INTERNATIONAL 5/20/09 $1,000 Stabenow, Debbie (D)

[NFHale]

“...This is a safe house seat, no need to worry about the rat. ...”

Maybe that particular seat, but I think from now on, we should move forward under the assumption that NO seat is safe, and fight accordingly.

We thought the WH was safe from a clown like this, and look what we got.

We’ve underestimated these people too much. They have a fraud machine par excellence, a huge bag of dirty tricks, a smear machine beyond compare, they have ready and willing accomplices within OUR party, and they have spineless, gutless chumps (Boehner, et al) who they can count on to do - NOTHING - to stop them.

So, no seat is safe until we actually have a REAL Tea Party conservative sitting in it.

Just my 02.

[C. Edmund Wright]

Thanks for that info…this is a case of some TP “leaders” jumping off too early….seeing just a few surface facts, and now we have a so called TP person going to Congress who will perhaps vote with Stabenow!

I mean, the TP just gave us the “real” estab choice. Kind of like the TP leaders who idiotically jumped in behind Todd Akin. Folks..PAY ATTENTION!!!!