Tea Party Movement Seen as Energy Source for Republicans, Not Political Party

Marco Rubio, a conservative Republican, views the tea party movement as a catalyst for change, rather than a political party to be led. His Senate race in Florida has become a rallying point for conservatives nationwide, with Rubio condemning the expansion of government under both parties. He will address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where the tea party phenomenon will be a primary topic.

Key Takeaways:

• The tea party movement is a symbol of mounting voter frustration with the records of both major parties in Washington.
• Marco Rubio, a rising star in conservative Republican circles, sees the tea party movement as a political energy source to be tapped, not a political party to be led.
• Rubio has been called the potential first tea party senator, but he's quick to note that the anti-big-government movement is about the anger over Washington's excesses that began under a Republican administration and Congress.
• 11 percent of Americans say they have actively supported tea party efforts, including through financial donations and attending rallies.
• Tea party supporters would overwhelmingly back Republican candidates over Democrats, assuming no tea party candidates were on the ballot.
• Former Gov. Frank A. Keating, Oklahoma Republican, suggests that conservatives should pick and choose tea party ideas that keep government closest to the people and that encourage the liberation of the individual.
• The Heritage Foundation President Edwin J. Feulner insists that tea party activists are allies, and they need to be accommodated in every honorable manner.
• A potential source of major conflicts between D.C. conservatives and tea partiers is that in recent years most D.C. conservatives supported big-government Republican politicians.
• Marco Rubio has attended tea party events, but stopped short of embracing the movement as closely as some others, such as Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele.

Statistics:

• 11 percent of Americans say they have actively supported tea party efforts.
• Tea party supporters would overwhelmingly back Republican candidates over Democrats, at 85-10 percent (CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey).
• The 37th annual CPAC gathering will feature several sessions devoted to the tea party phenomenon.

Sources:

• "By Ralph Z. Hallow, THE WASHINGTON TIMES"
• CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey
• THE WASHINGTON TIMES, Marco Rubio, a rising star in conservative Republican circles