Bartlett joins congressional Tea Party caucus
While there appears to have been some confusion about who is and who is not a member of the new House Tea Party Caucus, Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett is making his position clear: The Western Maryland Republican announced Wednesday that he has joined the group.
“I have been cheered at every Tea Party event that I’ve attended because I’m one of only 18 members in Congress who has voted against every bailout bill,” Bartlett said in a statement.
Rep. Michele Bachmann introduced the new caucus Wednesday in Washington with a list of 28 members, including Rep. Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Republican who shouted “You lie!” as President Barack Obama gave a speech before a joint session of Congress, and Rep. Joe Barton, the Texas Republican who apologized last month to BP for its treatment by the Obama administration following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Later Wednesday, the Furm Forum reported that two of the House members on the list had not yet agreed to join the caucus, and spokesmen for others said they did not know that their members had joined or were unaware that the list was to be made public.
Bartlett, the only Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation, confirmed his membership.
The veteran lawmaker described the caucus as “one of the new tools, such as American Speaking Out and YouCut, that House Republicans have introduced to help Americans regain the control over their lives and their pocketbooks that’s been taken away from them by the jobs-killing, out of control regulation and spending agenda of President Obama and Congressional Democrats.”
Comments
Why am I not surprised?
Posted by: Brooksroberts | July 21, 2010 7:01 PM
Tea partiers are lunatics and bigots. Here's a question O'Malley should demand that Ehrlich answer - If you were in Congress again, would you join the tea party caucus?
Posted by: Rick | July 21, 2010 7:02 PM
Way to paint with a broad brush Rick.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 21, 2010 7:25 PM
Well, Rick, I guess if expecting fiscal conservatism & common sense in DC means I'm a lunatic & a bigot, then so be it. Entirely too many Americans fail to see that everything that's happening in our nation right now can be tied squarely to failed DC policies & fiscal irresponisbility... on BOTH sides of the aisle.
Posted by: Tina | July 21, 2010 8:13 PM
Any black members of this caucus? Or Hispanics? I'm surprised Bachmann allows white men even.
Posted by: Sally | July 21, 2010 9:03 PM
Tina it's refresing to see some common sense in this country. Obama-Nomics and Obama Care are causing a global slowdown. Marxism is a disaster and will destroy the very people they think they will help. Liberty equalls Prosperity!!!Go to a tea party rally they welcome everyone!!
Posted by: Derek | July 21, 2010 9:13 PM
Congrats tea party members. Get organized and stop this runaway train of taxes and spending
Posted by: DG | July 21, 2010 10:25 PM
No it doesn't surprise me either. He's a Congressman drawing $ 185,000 a year whose own Republican Caucus wouldn’t let him have a Committee Chairmanship because of his complete and total incompetence. He has as much respect in Congress as his son did in the Maryland House of Delegates. (Remember Joe Bartlett thought it was OK for the State to pay his housing expenses to his girl friend so he could shack up with her for free.)
The Congressman has not used his seniority to bring any job creation projects to his District. He is the joke of the Maryland Congressional Delegation!
Posted by: Fred | July 22, 2010 8:45 AM
Bartlett does a good job, I trust him and glad he is officially in the party..
Posted by: Beth Mahoney | July 22, 2010 11:33 AM
Why would anyone jump on a ship that is doomed to sink?
Posted by: Ray Barcia | July 22, 2010 3:26 PM
ALT = Anarchists, Lunatics and Terrorists
Posted by: Tim | July 26, 2010 6:05 PM
Thanks for the blog. A spiritual awakening must be a reality for the Tea Party's influence to be lasting. It is not enough to change politicians, it is not enough to change our financial direction as a nation, we must return to the one who gave us the responsibility to experience freedom and that person is God.
Posted by: Arizona Life Insurance | September 20, 2010 12:12 PM