WASHINGTON — Welcome to Washington, Tea Partiers.

Now that they're freshmen in a GOP-run House, the political movement's candidates are running smack into the traditions, partisan divisions and powerful competing interests that make it so hard to redirect the government.

Some Tea Party activists — part of a loose-knit, libertarian-tinged network advocating small government and less federal spending — already are dismayed to see their new lawmakers plunge into familiar patterns of raising political cash, hiring former lobbyists and stopping short of the often-heard vow to "change the way Washington works."

Others are more lenient and patient.

"There's a little bit of expectation that they can do more than they really can do," said Sal Russo, a California-based co-founder of the Tea Party Express. Democrats still control the Senate and White House, he noted in an interview from Wyoming, where he was visiting potential Senate candidates for 2012.

Russo said the recently enacted tax cut compromise reached with President Barack Obama was imperfect but "as good a deal as we're going to get." The Tea Party must expand its influence with each new election, he added.

Other activists, however, fear their newly elected lawmakers will fall too quickly into old Washington habits of turning to special interest groups and their lobbyists for information, advice and campaign money. Some winced at a Jan. 4 fundraiser at Washington's W Hotel, where ticket prices ranged from $2,500 for individuals to $50,000 for "donors." It was sponsored by a political committee founded by freshman Rep. Jeff Denham of California and other Republicans who won election with Tea Party support.

Denham defended the event, telling reporters his freshman class needs campaign money to stay self-reliant and win future elections.

Some Tea Party activists also fear their newly elected allies will weaken or break promises to dramatically cut federal spending. Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler told CBS it's an "absolute joke" for House Republicans to back away from pledges to cut $100 billion this fiscal year.

Newly elected Rep. Kristi Noem, a South Dakota Republican with Tea Party ties, says critics should simmer down.

"They should stay focused on the results we deliver," Noem said in an interview shortly after taking office. "They pick little fights, but I think in the future they're going to be satisfied with the results and solutions that this Republican Congress brings forth."

House Republicans plan on Wednesday to fulfill a Tea Party priority: voting to repeal the health care law passed by Democrats last year. The pace and rhetoric of the drive have cooled in recent days because of the shootings in Arizona that severely wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who supported the new law.

Nonetheless, GOP leaders are sticking with a title for their resolution that Democrats say is inaccurate and unseemly in light of the six people killed in Tucson: "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." Republicans acknowledge that the Senate is certain to block a repeal.

Some veteran House members say it's unrealistic to think that even a freshman class of 87 Republicans, most of whom have tea party backing, can make a significant impact in their first term.

"They are raring to go," said five-term Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa. But with Democrats controlling the Senate, "we can only do what we can do in the House," he added.

"We're going to run a lot of issues up the flagpole and create a lot of national discussion," he added, acknowledging that may be as far as they get.

Nine-term Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, said Tea Party newcomers who are eager to slash federal spending will soon learn how difficult it is.

"Back in Ohio, almost everybody says, 'Oh, you've got to cut spending,'" LaTourette said. "But then they say, 'Oh, I didn't know you meant my spending.' And there's going to be a lot of that."

Deep spending cuts would anger many interest groups, and Republicans may pay a price, he said.

Republicans picked up nearly three dozen House seats when Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, LaTourette noted.

"Half of them were shown the door two years later," he said. "Not because they did anything wrong. They kept their promises. But when you've got to cut a lot of money out of the budget, everybody's got a pet program, a pet disease, a pet something, and people are going to get fired up."

Indeed, the House's new Republican speaker, John Boehner, another Ohioan, is moving cautiously. When NBC asked him to name a federal program he's willing to cut, Boehner replied, "I don't think I have one off the top of my head, but there is no part of this government that should be sacred."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41103288/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

87 Freshman.
Most of which have Tea Party backing.

What exactly does that mean?

It means the Repubs weren't as big of winners as they like to portray. The Tea Party has already said they are a party of their own and will not vote line for line to stall gov like the Repubs have been.

With guidance like this I'm sure they'll make good Repubs.

Not!

They will disenfranchise themselves from the Repub Party like most Americans already have.

Like I said weeks ago. The Republican Party were not the winners they portrayed of the mid-terms.

They do not hold the majority in the house that they think they do.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41103288/ns/politics-capitol_hill/
Sorry.
MSNBS isn't a reliable source of news.
They inject the Extreme Left Winger opinion.
That would make them a blog site.

That is a big endorsement for MSNBC.

This story is mostly an interview.. It's not a blogg, and if it's opinion it's the opinion of the Tea Party members they interviewed.

Besides, they are 100 times more fair and accurate than FOX.

Gotta give you that one.

It all adds up.

100 X 0 will always equal zero.

cute!

Yea Fox is the worse for accurate and unbiased news.

I agree with you here Fanta.

The tea party candidates which I believe they are over estimating how many were actually tea party candidates, are not going to be able to accomplish a whole lot. They can make a bit of noise that is about it.

This is going to be good for the Dems for 2012 though because all the misery that the people are still suffering in the country can now fall on Republican shoulders too.

That is one of the reasons they got voted in last year because the misery of the country was being falsely blamed on the Dems.

So now the circle can be completed. Republicans are mostly at fault for the misery in this country and now they can bear some of the blame come next election as should be.

This is even more reason to unseat republican and democrats alike from their all to comfortable posts and positions............

Repubs first!

They are dangerous and an enemy to America!

i think voicing stupid opinions is the real danger to america....

That is not a stupid opinion. An opinion maybe, but not stupid.

The Republican Party has been stalling government, job creation, and the nations economic recovery for two years. Purposely by voting no on every issue, and right when the country needs them to work together with the Dems and the President.
This to me defines a party which only cares for themselves and their financial backers and is a direct threat against the people and our duly elected President.
A President elected by a clear majority. The first President elected by a clear majority in 8 years.
There was no recount needed in the last Presidential election. No one can argue that perhaps Obama didn't win or that the election was fixed!

Yep!

and the dems did not do the same thing when bush was in office?
and the only threat from our "duly elected prez" is himself

"The Republican Party has been stalling government, job creation, and the nations economic recovery for two years. Purposely by voting no on every issue, and right when the country needs them to work together with the Dems and the President."

Your opinion...

Mine...

The Republicans finally listened to the people. They voted as they felt those people wanted... (most ligimate polls backed up those votes).


Bet Democrats got the message also. 2012 will be interesting as the Tea Parties will more than likely hand out wins for Republican and Democratic politicians that pass muster.

Legislation passed in the last two years has been one sided, in some cases outright stealing (without even an attempt to cover the theft) and in most cases the most repugnant use of power I have seen in years.

double post

Arbeit Macht Frei?

scary when the opposite of the truth is perceieved to be the truth because of the propaganda machine

Sorry to disagree but both are dangerous and enemies to the USA....removal of both in as many positions as possible would be best...........starting with a fresh outlook and agenda......do you know what happens when people stay in their positions for too long a time without change.....they become comfortable to the point of doing anything they want and acting anyway they wish.....their position becomes stagnate.........the US government is absolutely stagnate

That's the same thing I say when Extremist Progressive Libs quote their favorite Messiah.

Whatever they say, the opposite is true.

Example. H has deported more Illegals in history. When he got elected all workplace raids stopped for over a year and a half and he wants Az sued for doing his job.

You'd think the wanker would appreciate the help.