By Robert Romano
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN TEXAS Whoever is saying the Tea Parties were a hindrance to the GOP in 2010 needs to get their heads examined. Republicans in the House picked up the most seats of either party since 1948. To argue the tea parties were inconsequential or an impediment one has to maintain such a turnaround and the fortunes of Republicans was somehow inevitable. It was not.
There is no question that the tea party movement has dramatically contributed to the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives and narrowing the margin in the Senate. In addition to providing boosted turnout it helped raise turnout to an estimated 41.5 percent (some 90 million) since early 2009 the tea parties and other citizen activists have helped to dramatically shape the debate toward limiting the size and scope of government.
In fact the American people set the agenda in the midterms.
Their staunch opposition to:
- The failed $812 Stimulus"
- ObamaCare
- The Carbon Cap-&-Tax
- Bailouts and
- Government Takeovers emboldened empowered & encouraged Republicans on Capitol Hill to take strong a stand on their behalf.
gave the American people confidence that they had representation that they had a voice."
That was a critical development. Republicans were extremely unpopular when they were completely driven out of power in 2008.
Nor was there any guarantee after Obama was elected that the GOP would even unite against his agenda. When they did that was when the American people responded.
So far for House Republican Leader John Boehner the mandate for Republicans to govern is a two-way street. Said Boehner at a joint press conference with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell & Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.
Our pledge is to listen to the American people and to focus on their priorities and thats exactly what were going to do."
Boehner defined what he said were the peoples priorities:- Creating Jobs
- Cutting Spending and
- Reforming the way Congress does its business."
The real question now is this: Are we going to listen to the American people?"
But the work is not over with a mere election" Wilson added. Now the American people must hold the new Congress accountable for their pledges to pay down the debt repeal ObamaCare create jobs and end the bailouts once and for all."
Speaking to Newsweek ALG Research Director Don Todd said The heavy lifting will take place after the election. The public makes it feasible for Congress to do the things they want it to do."
Left to be seen is the degree to which Tea Parties and other citizen activists continue their patriotic efforts rein in what has been an unaccountable government and to hold them responsible for what happens next."
Wilson said the early indications that Republicans are listening are favorable" and wrote that Boehner and McConnell deserve praise for leading the opposition during the first two dark years of the Obama presidency."
Certainly it is clear that Republicans have been given a new lease on political life by the American people. This would not have been possible if Republicans were divided on Capitol Hill over whether to support the Obama agenda. That would have had the effect of sucking the energy out of the tea party movement and would have wrecked their 2010 prospects.
At the press conference McConnell said that Democrats may have missed the message" of the elections.
I get the impression that theyre thinking their view is that Republicans have not cooperated enough. I think what the 
American people were saying yesterday that they appreciated us saying no to the things that the American people indicated they were not in favor of."
- Repeal & Replace the health spending bill;
- Dnd the Bailouts;
- Cut Spending; and
- Shrink the size & scope of government"
