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Tea Party Set to Have Real Pull in Congress

But movement may hurt GOP more than it helps

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 15, 2010 3:45 AM CDT | Updated Oct 15, 2010 7:30 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Tea Party movement looks set to emerge from next month's election with enough members of Congress to be able to advance its agenda, a New York Times analysis finds. Eight Tea-Party backed Senate candidates and 33 House candidates stand a good or better chance of winning and the caucus is likely to exert influence beyond its numbers, pressuring Republican leaders to cut spending and taxes and repeal health care legislation.

Most Tea Party-backed candidates, however, are running in Democrat-held districts where they have little chance of winning, the Times analysis finds. The movement's candidates are leading mainly in races that the Republicans expected to win anyway. In some House and Senate races where Democrats have taken an unexpected lead, the Republican establishment's fears that the Tea Party's influence would lead to the selection of less viable candidates are being proved correct.

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David Ficke, of Maryland Heights, Mo., attends the "Gateway to November" rally hosted by the St. Louis Tea Party and Tea Party Patriots last month. (AP Photo/Whitney Curtis)

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There does not appear to be any case where a Tea Party candidate has helped make a Democratic-leaning district more competitive for Republicans. - Kate Zernike, New York Times

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Showing 3 of 67 comments

Teabag Slayer

Oct 16, 2010 12:05 PM CDT

"The movement's candidates are leading mainly in races that the Republicans expected to win anyway."

So how is this even a news story? Teabaggers are leading in districts that already elect Republicans, what a huge surprise!

The teabaggers are nothing more than the same old Republicans with a flashy new name. They pretend to be libertarian, and then oppose gay marriage, abortion, and the decriminalization of marijuana.

They are nothing more than Republicans who feel like calling themselves something different for a while. After the Bush years, can you blame them?

Laughing__Man

Oct 16, 2010 10:49 AM CDT

The tea party is in for some bad news come election day, they just don't know it yet

DontLikeYou___

Oct 15, 2010 8:49 AM CDT

BUT MOVEMENT MAY HURT GOP MORE THAN IT HELPS What liberals do not understand is, the GOP is inconsequential to the Tea Party movement. If the GOP stands in the way of the TP, then the TP will become its own party and the GOP will become a minor third party. Who gives a shit about the GOP if the GOP is going to support liberalism??

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Tea Party Set to Have Real Pull in Congress

But movement may hurt GOP more than it helps

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Congress • Republican Party • Election 2010 • midterm elections • Tea Party • tea party activists

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