Tea Party group makes first 2012 endorsement

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Nebraska Republican Attorney General Jon Bruning in an undated photo. REUTERS/Nebraska Department of Justice

Nebraska Republican Attorney General Jon Bruning in an undated photo.

Credit: Reuters/Nebraska Department of Justice

WASHINGTON | Wed May 11, 2011 1:55pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A prominent organization of the fiscally conservative Tea Party on Wednesday made its first endorsement in the 2012 campaign, backing Nebraska Republican Attorney General Jon Bruning for Senate.

The Tea Party Express is a national group within the loosely organized network, which pushes for limited government and reduced federal spending and demonstrated political muscle in the 2010 state and national elections.

The group has said ousting Nebraska's incumbent Democratic Senator Ben Nelson is a top priority in 2012, calling it a critical first step for taking the Senate for conservatives.

"Jon Bruning is a true conservative who will fight to uphold the Tea Party core values of fiscal responsibility, and finally give Nebraskans the quality of representation they deserve," Tea Party Express chair Amy Kremer said in a statement.

Some Nebraska Tea Party activists, however, said it was premature to back a specific candidate among Republican contenders, one of whom is State Treasurer Don Stenberg.

Nelson served as a popular two-term governor and would be seeking a third Senate term if he runs for re-election. He is seen as the most conservative Senate Democrat.

Despite conservative leanings and Republican votes when it comes to presidential contests, Nebraskans have often elected Democrats as governors or senators.

During the Bush administration, Nelson opposed legislation that would have provided illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. He also backed Bush tax cuts that were opposed by most democrats.

But Nelson is seen as vulnerable because he provided a key vote in favor of President Barack Obama's healthcare bill after Democrats gave him a number of concessions.

(Additional Reporting by David Hendee in Omaha; Editing by Xavier Briand)

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Comments (3)
Jzyehoshua wrote:
Nelson, ironically, was a pro-life Democrat who fought to protect unborn life during the healthcare reform process. He produced the Nelson Amendment, similar to the Stupak Amendment, to try and eliminate the pro-abortion agenda in the healthcare bill. This was after the Senate refused to pass the House bill back in December/January, because it had the Stupak Amendment that removed their abortion agenda. The Senate Democrats under Reid thus risked the entire healthcare reform process to try and create a new bill to reinsert their abortion agenda, and Nelson was one of the few to try and fight it.

Republicans have been very unfaithful in attacking their former allies, the pro-life Democrats, who stood against Obama’s liberal agendas. Many of these pro-life Democrats (also known as DFLA, Democrats For Life of America) opposed not only the abortion agenda in the healthcare bill (despite Stupak’s choice, over half of the DFLA members still voted against the bill) but also the various stimulus bills as well. Yet Republicans now attack them for their seats, showing their dishonesty in seeking power rather than principle.

May 11, 2011 2:07pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
Eideard wrote:
The The Party Express is led [by the nose] by long time rightwing Republican Party activists. Just because they’re reasonably good at fooling their little cadre of noise makers is no reason for the adult press to play along with their charade.

May 11, 2011 8:18pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
hsvkitty wrote:
“who will fight to uphold the Tea Party core values”

That statement is all one needs to know… tea party core values hmmm? let me see if I can define their core values…

{Copyright HSV kitty}

White, right and can’t write?

Loud, proud and racist crowd?

False patriots, bigots and Fox parrots?

May 15, 2011 11:23am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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