Opinion

Letter: Tea Party stronger than ever

By Bill Moss, Published: May 11, 2012

To those who think the Tea Party influence is fizzling, look again.

The movement is growing and becoming more strategic in making a difference at the ballot box. In Henderson and Buncombe counties, the Asheville Tea PAC and Blue Ridge Tea Party Patriots candidates succeeded in unseating incumbents to the chagrin of the political party entrenched.

Former Henderson County Commissioner Grady Hawkins sent GOP-appointed Bill O'Connor packing in a landslide victory after less than 18 months in office. Brevard resident, Chris Whitmire unseated 4 1/2 term GOP appointed NC House 113 Rep Trudi Walend. Buncombe resident RL Clark, NC Senate 49 candidate, handily beat his rival with 82% of the vote. Dan Forest, lieutenant governor candidate, came out on top beating his second place rival by 17%, narrowly missing the 40% mark needed to avoid a run-off.

Nationally and the first to be ousted for 2012, Senator Richard Lugar, a 35 year Republican veteran, was trounced by Tea Party backed Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock. This is just the opening salvo. We've other compromised incumbents to trounce. Get involved and help us elect and hold our representatives accountable for putting this out of control government back into its Constitutional box!

Jane Bilello

Hendersonville

Chair, Asheville Tea Party/PAC