| Moderate Republican Todd Smith is now in the crosshairs of the local Northeast Tarrant County Tea Party because of his refusal to support Republican challengers to Democratic legislative incumbents.
Smith, the House member representing Hurst, Euless, and Bedford, fended off an attempt by Tea Party organizers to unseat him in the Republican primary after former Bedford City Council Member, Jeff Cason, received an influx of money in the waning days of the primary season from special interest organizations not happy with Smith's moderate record.
When confronted by Tea Party organizers about whether Republican Smith would support Republican challenger Bill Zedler, the subject of a controversial doctor-donor scandal this past week, against incumbent Chris Turner in House District 96, Smith responded:
"I strongly and only endorse Republican candidates," Smith said in an e-mail. "I do not get involved in races against sitting legislative colleagues -- period. This policy has served me well in advancing on the House floor the legislative interests of the people of Hurst-Euless-Bedford."
Talking heads and pundits wish for the electorate to believe that the Tea Party is an energizing force within the Republican Party, but time and again the extreme and bizarre elements of the Tea Party continue to demonstrate that they are anything but a motivating force for Republicans this election cycle. The Tea Party continues to expose the disunity and unorganized elements of the GOP. The infighting continues to pour out into the public domain. Clearly the leadership of not only the Texas Republican Party, but the national Republican Party, are unable to rein in the radical elements of a third party insurgency within their own ranks. Moderates in the Republican Party are no longer welcome as extreme has become the mainstream of the modern Grand Old Anglo Party. |
