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As Tea Party candidates multiply, GOP looks to be the umbrella

PHILADELPHIA—As the conservative Tea Party movement has evolved into a political force across the country, its early reputation, deserved or not, has been one of making it harder for Republicans to win elections. But as Tea Party candidates proliferate in congressional races across Pennsylvania, the state Republican Party is making a concerted effort to ensure that the diffuse movement will be a political boon instead of a headache.

In more than half-a-dozen House races, there is at least one candidate who has claimed the banner of being a “Tea Party candidate.” None of these folks are expected to win their primary battles against better-funded, establishment-backed Republicans. But they have a potent ability to push their opponents further to the political right, possibly making it harder for the eventual primary victors to win a general election. It was a dynamic on stark display here last week, when Republican candidates in six House districts gathered for a forum hosted by a coalition of Tea Party groups. One by one, candidates sounded a fiercely populist and staunchly conservative note. Calls for abolishing the Department of Education were greeted with applause. Asked if global warming was a scientific certainty, most pointed to the snowstorm building outside to offer a resounding no. Every candidate was asked when they last read the U.S. Constitution, and all claimed recent refresher readings. Former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick said “I see it on the wall of my office every day.” The most prepared had a pocket copy on hand to proudly display.

But perhaps the most notable person in attendance was a man who isn’t on the ballot: state GOP chairman Rob Gleason, who sat in the front row throughout most of the long forum. That he felt spurred to attend on a snowy night underscored his party’s determination to avoid the political headaches conservative activists have caused Republican leaders in other states. An event organizer said it was the state party that had “wisely” reached out.

“I look forward to standing with you,” Gleason told an audience that was a mix of grassroots activists and local insiders.

If he succeeds in heading off the kind of conservative revolts that have occasionally cropped up elsewhere, it will be in part because of the state party’s formidable power in Pennsylvania. As he held court over the party’s endorsement meeting last weekend in Harrisburg, Gleason repeatedly took pains to emphasize what he called the “openness” and “transparency” of the process.

But there is plenty of room for disagreement between movement conservatives and the party establishment. Making his bottom line clear early, Gleason said during last week’s candidates’ forum: “Remember, everything we’re doing is about winning elections.” That’s a sentiment not all grassroots activists would share.

In an interview with pa2010.com, Gleason sought to frame the Tea Party movement as a natural ally of his party.

“We’ve worked hard to be open with them and have  asked them to support the Republican Party,” he said. “Because the principles of our party are very close to the principles espoused by the Tea Party groups. I think we have a good relationship.”

Whether that remains the case is yet to be seen. It’s unclear if the Tea Party movement is as developed or politically potent in Pennsylvania as in other parts of the country. Maybe it was because the event was held in that liberal bastion of Philadelphia, or maybe it was because of the gathering snowstorm, but last week’s event had a decidedly establishment feel, with party insiders at times seeming to outnumber anyone who could be called grassroots.

Establishment candidates, for their part, profess no fear that their Tea Party compatriots will make their jobs any more difficult—though some must surely harbor that concern.

“There are roughly 170,000 Republicans in Bucks County, and they are a diverse group of voters,” Fitzpatrick, who’s running for his old 8th District seat, said in an interview. “The Tea Party is an important part and they play an important role in the electoral process. They are the base of the Republican Party, and I believe many of the positions I hold … are issues they believe in as strongly as I do.”

While insisting he’s “not a bit” worried about conservatives pushing his candidates rightward, Gleason made clear where he will stand if there comes a time that electoral success is in conflict with satisfying the Tea Party movement.

“Winning elections is always No. 1 with me,” he said. “Our only agenda is to elect Republicans.”

February 15, 2010 at 9:15 am

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Mike Fitzpatrick, PA-8, Republican Party, Rob Gleason, Tea Party

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