The Tea Party is Winning in Wisconsin

The media narrative of the Establishment versus Tea Party in Republican primaries misses what is really happening. The Tea Party movement has morphed from staging rallies to direct action and is learning in every campaign cycle.

Take Wisconsin for example. In Wisconsin, the Tea Party knocked off 35-year Congressional incumbent Tom Petri by forcing a primary. Rep. Tom Petri decided not to run for re-election rather than face a serious Tea Party backed primary challenger this fall. Make no mistake, the Tea Party is winning in Wisconsin, but the media won’t tell you that.

The Tea Party in Wisconsin has been battle-tested and forced into organizing through Wisconsin’s protests and recalls. Because of its efforts, many credit the Tea Party for significantly helping Gov. Scott Walker to become the first governor in US history to moderate voting record. He voted for single payer healthcare, Cash for Clunkers, Head Start expansion, Obama’s Stimulus for an Education Jobs Fund, and in favor of Obama’s War on Coal, to name a few of his moderate votes.

Looks like another Thad Cochran (=RINO Harvard Lawyer POS):

Petri’s three largest contributors in the 2012 campaign cycle are labor unions,[14] and Petri has often voted with labor unions on closely contested issues. Petri has repeatedly voted for Project Labor Agreements (PLAs),[16] and twice cast a deciding vote to allow the use of PLAs in government contracts.[17][18][19] Petri also voted to permit the use of taxpayer funds to comply with the Davis-Bacon Act,[20] voted to use federal funds for collective bargaining by the Transportation Security Administration,[21] and voted in favor of $233 million in taxpayer funding for the National Labor Relations Board.[22]

In 1994, Petri introduced H.R. 4469, titled “The Multicare Act of 1994”, which would have greatly expanded the government’s role in healthcare. This bill would have established federally funded government-run health insurance programs, and would have authorized states to require an individual to purchase insurance from one of these government-run insurance plans.[23] Petri continued to push for the passage of Multicare until 2004.[24]

In 2005, Petri voted to fund the “bridge to nowhere,”[25] and voted to prevent the drilling for oil in ANWR.[26]

On November 2, 2005, Petri voted against the Online Freedom of Speech Act.[27]

On January 18, 2007 Petri voted in favor of HR 6, which made it more difficult to obtain a lease to drill for oil domestically.[28]

On August 1, 2011, Petri voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011 which raised the nation’s debt limit and included the creation of the “super committee” that was empowered to produce legislation that would be immune from amendments or filibuster.[29]

In 2011, Petri sponsored an amendment to allow Michigan based Badger Ferry to dump more than 500 tons of coal ash a year into Lake Michigan,[30] after having received $14,751 in campaign donations from executives of Lake Michigan Carferry,[31][32] the owner of Badger Ferry.

In 2012, Petri inroduced H.R. 4148, titled “Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway National Heritage Area Act of 2012”, which would place 1,444 square miles of land in Wisconsin under the control of the federal government.[33]

Petri endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2008 GOP presidential primary.[34] Petri subsequently endorsed John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.

Petri was honored by U.S. English, Inc. in May 2008 for his votes and co-sponsorships of official English legislation in the 110th Congress.[35] Petri had previously sponsored legislation declaring English as an official language in 1999.[11]

In 2005, Petri introduced the Direct Loan Reward Act,[36] and in 2006 introduced the Student Aid Reward (STAR) Act.[37]

Petri has pushed for additional federal spending for Oshkosh Corporation while he bought stock in the company.[38]

The correct language of the article is

“The Tea Party in Wisconsin has been battle-tested and forced into organizing through Wisconsin’s protests and recalls. Because of its efforts, many credit the Tea Party for significantly helping Gov. Scott Walker to become the first governor in US history to defeat a recall and in the meantime increasing his win margin from his initial 2010 election. The Left unknowingly provided the Wisconsin Tea Party groups with opportunities to mature and become a more powerful political force.

Congressman Tom Petri had gone largely unchallenged in Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District until recently. He won a special election in 1979 and had a largely moderate voting record. He voted for single payer healthcare, Cash for Clunkers, Head Start expansion, Obama’s Stimulus for an Education Jobs Fund, and in favor of Obama’s War on Coal, to name a few of his moderate votes.”

Overall, not a well written article.

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