So I decided to take a closer look at Mitt Romney's Tea Party support, and sure enough this thing unravels like a cheap sweater. There are four Tea Party groups and six leaders mentioned in the press release.
The first group called Rattle With Us was co-founded by Maribeth Schmidt who is endorsing Romney. But if you look at this article: Why is Rick Santorum leading in Michigan on Rattle With Us' web site, you will clearly see that this group is anything but in support of Romney.
These questions and assessments of Romney are why Rick Santorum is going to win Michigan because he is not a self professed conservative but a practiced conservative with conservative ideologies.
It is also interesting to note that Marco Lollio, Owner Of Marlo Trucking, is listed as a Tea Party leader in support of Romney. Well if you read this article in the Detriot News, Lollio and his wife Sharon, she is a co-founder of the Rattle With Us Teaparty, are interviewed at a Romney speech. Sharon was part of the "anybody but Mitt crowd" but still undecided because though she likes Santorum she doesn't think he can win (this wrong belief should be dead by now but I digress). Marco went over to the Romney side, while Sharon is not listed among Mitt's six Tea Party supporters. So it might be more accurate for this press release to say, "The Husband of a Tea Party Leader Supports Romney" rather than "Tea Party Leaders Support Romney."
Next mentioned is "Dennis Moore, Founder/Former Director Willow Run Tea Party Caucus." Dennis is described as a former director because his decision to back Romney and not Santorum was so unpopular that he was forced to resign!!! Moore's "pragmatic" reason for endorsing Romney was that he is more "electable." (Again when will this wrong-headed notion die?)
Next we come to Leisa Audette And Patty McMurray, Red Heels On The Ground. I don't doubt that these ladies are political activists, but when you lead an ACTIVE Tea Party group, you tend to leave a trail behind you that any search engine could find. The only group called Red Heels On The Ground that I can easily find is a facebook group with 36 members!
Lastly we come to Rose Drouillard, board member of the Brighton Tea Party. Even this group admits in a blog on their site that Romneycare could be a problem for Mitt since it so closely resembles Obamacare. Obama and the media will have a field day with this and that definitely gives Romney his own electibility issue.
Romney is trying to give the impression that he is making great in-roads into Tea Party voters, but nothing could be further from the truth. So don't be fooled by a slick politician. We'll let these Tea Partiers sum it up best:
Dave Parker, a Santorum supporter from the Willow Run Tea Party, said Santorum, he believes, is a consistent conservative who is electable. Plus, Santorum's values align with his as an evangelical Christian.
Sharon Lollio co-founder of the Rattle With Us Tea Party says of Santorum "he has the "fire in belly" and "you feel he's one of us."
