Does the Tea Party Actually Matter?

Is the Tea Party a Ponzi scheme?

More than a few progressive Democrats may have already come to this conclusion, but Republican presidential candidates who participated in last night’s debate in Tampa certainly went out of their way to curry favor with Tea Party voters. Some had more at stake than others.

“I know we can do so much better in this country,” said Minnesota Congressman Michele Bachmann in her introduction. “That’s why I’m the chief author of the bill to repeal Dodd-Frank, the bill to repeal Obamacare. And that’s why I brought the voice of the Tea Party to the United States Congress as the founder of the Tea Party Caucus.”

Bachmann described herself as “the leading voice in the wilderness of Washington all summer” against raising the country’s debt ceiling, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry continued to take more wind out of her sails as he fended off attacks from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Congressman Ron Paul on the economy, taxes, Social Security and immigration. She found her Tea Party mojo, however, when she blasted Perry over his executive order that requires HPV vaccines for girls as young as 11.

“I’m a mom. And I’m a mom of three children. And to have innocent little 12-year-old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat out wrong,” said Bachmann. “That should never be done. It’s a violation of a liberty interest.”

Rhetoric and strategic one-liners aside, last night’s debate raises the obvious specter of whether the Tea Party will emerge as a tangible force in 2012. Voters will obviously answer this question at the ballot box, but today’s special election in New York’s Ninth Congressional District for could potentially prove a harbinger of things to come.

Pawlenty Endorses Romney

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president on Monday, Sept. 12.

Pawlenty praised Romney as a candidate with "unique qualifications to confront and master our severe economic predicament" in a letter to his supporters. He also lauded Romney's "abiding faith in our country's exceptional historical position as a beacon of freedom." (Pawlenty announced this endorsement a day after the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.)

"Romney is running for president because he is deeply committed to our country, troubled by its current condition, and I believe he can turn it around," said Pawlenty.

Pawlenty ended his own White House bid last month after he finished third in the Iowa straw poll. Republican presidential candidates will participate in their next debate tonight in Tampa, Fla.

Newt feels the rainbow

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich literally felt the rainbow during a book signing at the Minnesota Family Council and Institute's annual dinner on Tuesday, May 17, in Minneapolis.

Comb-over in chief wannabe bows out

That was quick!

"After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency," said Donald Trump in a statement released earlier today. "This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector."

We now return to our previously scheduled programming...

Has the Donald Trumped Palin?

Whatever happened to Sarah Palin?

Levi Johnson’s new memoir will certainly ensure the former Alaska governor and her family—think Willow and the homophobic-laden messages she posted to her Facebook page last fall—will garner even more headlines. Will anyone actually notice? And more importantly, will anyone even care?

Palin’s assertion she was the victim of “blood libel” following the Tucson massacre certainly didn’t help her possible 2012 presidential campaign. The hype surrounding Donald Trump’s potential White House bid, however, has accomplished what Palin’s critics could not—her spits and spats and tweets and Facebook posts no longer dominate the hyper-saturated news cycle.

A Trump spokesperson said earlier this month that the Donald plans to announce whether he will run for president during the season finale of “Celebrity Apprentice” on May 22. Anyone who suggests that Trump is a serious presidential candidate is at least somewhat naïve—he has a reality show to promote after all! This ego-fueled side show, however, ensures that a former Alaska governor with a knack for social media is no longer the only media-savvy kid on the block vying for attention.

Stay tuned…

Does POTUS' re-election announcement matter?

President Obama finally announced his re-election bid earlier this morning, but does it even matter?

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and even former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are among the potential Republican presidential candidates who responded to Obama’s announcement throughout the day. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin have successfully used the media to advance their anti-Obama talking points and sound bites, but none of those who could become serious presidential candidates have broken out of the partisan gaggle. And this places Obama—who enjoys a 53 percent approval rating in a recent Associated Press poll—at a distinct advantage.

Progressives, independents and even Donald Trump should take note!