Jamie Radtke: Tea Party 'Wouldn't Exist Today If Republicans Hadn't Failed Under Bush Years'

Jamie Radtke, the leader of the Virginia Tea Party Patriots who recently announced she will run for U.S. Senate in the state's 2012 match-up, delivered a blow to the Republican party when she spoke at the first Senate Tea Party Caucus meeting, according to the National Journal.

"The Tea Party movement would not exist today if the Republicans had not failed under the Bush years," she said, adding that if elected in the next election cycle she would join the political affinity group recently established by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

The Wall Street Journal reported last month:

In an interview, Ms. Radtke said she decided to run after watching Congress pass legislation during this month's lame duck session, including a package of tax cuts, that added to the national debt.

"It has become clear that many in Congress still don't get it," she said. "The tax bill did nothing to cut the huge debt burden on all of us."

Also vying on the Republican side for the seat currently held by Democratic Senator Jim Webb, who has not yet confirmed he will seek reelection, is former U.S. Sen. George Allen. The AP recently reported:

The Republican former governor who lost his Senate seat in a 2006 campaign riddled with embarrassments said in an Associated Press interview he will run a more disciplined campaign focused on issues straight out of the tea party playbook.

Allen announced his candidacy earlier this month in a video e-mailed to supporters.

His 2-minute, 45-second video, sent to supporters and around noon Monday, champions sharp cuts in federal spending, an end to Democratic health reforms and a domestic energy policy more dependent on coal.

He also promised support for constitutional amendments that would allow states to veto federal laws, give the president line-item veto authority and require balanced federal budgets.

According to the National Journal, Radtke signaled that she believes she has the conservative cred to defeat Allen in Virginia's GOP primary.

"I'm strongly pro-life and I'm strongly pro-family and pro-marriage and that will not change on the campaign [trail]," she explained. "George Allen has some explaining to do on his pro-life position."

Comments

[ajbiggs]

09:36 AM on 03/02/2011

I just hope that registered republicans & independents now realize that a vote for the GOP is actually a vote for the Tea Party.

[ProudMilVet]

08:57 PM on 03/01/2011

So since they now admit that Republicans failed the country under Bush, it now means that they have to continue to fail the country & try to blame the Democrats at the same time. Very classy.

[Michael Lindley]

06:47 PM on 02/01/2011

Pro-life is a great jobs and deficit-reduction policy.

[LeftRight]

01:31 PM on 02/01/2011

Ms. Radtke is right, you know... The tea party would not be here now were it not for the failure of the Bush administration to so completely destroy the American will that the rich and powerful could continue to take over at the same rate as before, and so the rich and powerful had to create the tea party to convince regular Americans that they needed their "country back"....

[JBoy]

12:53 AM on 02/02/2011

The rich and powerful jumped on the bandwagon after the movement started.

[LeftRight]

05:49 PM on 02/02/2011

No, the rich and powerful CREATED the movement.

[noteaforme]

08:01 AM on 02/01/2011

Um, yeah, sure. That, and the fact that there's a black president. Those two things can help account for this amazing surge of angry white political activism.

[JBoy]

12:59 AM on 02/02/2011

So, you're saying that no one can oppose this president's ideas without a racist? How stupid is that? Obama has proposed massive changes to our society, and many people don't consider it progress. He controlled government with a super-majority in Congress that completely ignored their opposition.

Any president, regardless of race/color/ethnicity who proposed the massive changes that Obama did would have endured the same opposition.

[Big Game Hunter]

07:30 PM on 01/31/2011

That's right. Rebel against the GOP and form a THIRD PARTY! That'll show them what Real America really wants!

[LeftRight]

01:32 PM on 02/01/2011

Never mind that they're working within the Republican party, of course....

[Big Game Hunter]

03:59 AM on 02/02/2011

They just need the proper encouragement. You can do it, guys! All the "Real Americans" will flock to your banner away from the white elephant.

[Robert 999]

03:13 PM on 01/31/2011

Wow, a tea party leader who actually tells the truth, well at least up to this point. This is one to keep an eye on.

[Jimbo24]

03:00 PM on 01/31/2011

The republican party did fail under Bush by allowing way to many liberal policies to sneak by. The tea party is the only thing that has a slim chance of kicking the rhinos out and restoring priniciple to the party.

[Golfer59]

03:03 PM on 01/31/2011

2000-2006 what liberal poicies got through therer Jimbo??

[Jimbo24]

03:38 PM on 01/31/2011

Its not all what passed but what also didn't get passed. Bush failed by allowing Barney Frank and other Dems. fearmongering to prevent Bush from reforming Freddie Mac and Fannie May which would have prevented the current economic crisis to name a big one. Bush's prescription drug plan. His general expansion of the size of government. Thats off the top of my head.

[JBoy]

01:06 AM on 02/02/2011

I think it was more a matter of Bush's failure to engineer a successful exit strategy from Iraq, and he really acted like a lame duck in his 2nd term. But you're right about the need for the Tea Party to restore principle by kicking out the rhinos.

Fan #43

[MissMel10]

02:49 PM on 01/31/2011

At least someone over there is willing to admit it.

[biabouman41]

02:22 PM on 01/31/2011

The Tea Party crowd's reation to the GOP failure under Bush is to give them more room does not make sense. And why the American people followed them down that path is a mystery. Obama and the Dems needed the time and space to correct the Bushit.
Get it right.

[Martin Woros]

02:13 PM on 01/31/2011

Bushed?

[pfz]

02:10 PM on 01/31/2011

Give the states veto power? Now there is a great GOP idea...not. Jesus that i stooopid.

[Truthsfire]

01:58 PM on 01/31/2011

"The Tea Party movement would not exist today if the Republicans had not failed under the Bush years,"

Absolutely right. When, in the sputtering death-throes of the last days of the Bush regime, it became obvious that there was no quasi-reality-based meme that would turn propoganda around to favor extremist neocons AND it was apparent that too many people were actually paying attention to what was going on for them to try simply re-writing events as they usually do, it behooved those who frothed support of all Bush's ill-conceived policies for 8 years to distance themselves from the failures those policies had become. Hence, the "Tea Party," which allowed its members to disavow their previous actions without actually having to take RESPONSIBILITY for them. It also allowed them to develop their own, brand NEW quasi-reality-based propoganda memes and re-write "facts" to their advantage.

At least, under Bush, these folks were kept relatively under control and weren't toting guns to political rallies.

[SolarPowerGuy]

01:42 PM on 01/31/2011

Not one questionable word or thought in my last post... so where is it THIS time? Take two:

"The Tea Party movement would not exist today if the Republicans had not failed under the Bush years."

Oh really?

Since the biggest failures of the Bush years were the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, this means that Tea Partiers will be spearheading an initiative to bring the troops home NOW -- right?

The Tea Partiers would surely relish a chance to show up President Obama -- right?

And they want to convince us independent voters that they're not just a front organization for the same-old same-old GOP agenda, don't they?

Go on, show me.

[pfz]

02:11 PM on 01/31/2011

Immoderate moderation?

[rgilley]

01:40 PM on 01/31/2011

Just more evidence that the Tea Party id no more than Republicans with a new name. A new name will not make them unresponsible for the horrendous policies Republicans made under Bush. these are the same power mongers who seek to return to power to finish off the middle class that they have nearly destroyed under Bush.