Labrador: tea party 'helped tremendously'

[ccharles000]

Idaho state Rep. Raul Labrador is crediting local tea party activists with helping propel him to an upset victory in Tuesday night’s House primary in Democratic Rep. Walt. Minnick’s district. Labrador defeated veteran Vaughn Ward, the favored candidate of national Republicans, by a surprisingly wide nine-point margin, and pointed to his strength among conservative activists as a “crucial factor” in his win.

“They helped tremendously,” Labrador said of the tea partiers. “When the tea party in Boise endorsed me, they saw what a lot of people saw: that I was a person who believes in core conservative principles, less taxes, less spending, less regulation. They were helping me to make sure people got out for me.”

While Ward initially drew high marks from the National Republican Congressional Committee and received support from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin throughout his effort, Labrador said local factors were more important to his race.

“This race has always been about what the people of Idaho want, not about what Washington, New York or even what Alaska wanted,” Labrador said, suggesting Palin backed Ward primarily because of Ward’s work on the McCain-Palin campaign in 2008. “This is the problem Republicans have had throughout the nation – it’s great to nationalize an election, but people are ground are worried about putting food on the table and they’re looking for passionate people to solve their problems.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37809.html

[Kerrytravelers]

1. Less regulation? Like BP in the Gulf?

Good idea. :eyes: