I never went to any Tea Party meetings, although I am fiscally very much in like mind, and grateful for and appreciative of the support of anybody, no matter what group they might be part of.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I have never been a member of a Tea Party.
I've never attended any Tea Party functions.
In many respects, I guess I would say I was into Tea Party before there was a Tea Party.
So, a lot of my supporters back home are members of the Tea Party.
I think that, you know, when we start talking about the Tea Party, people want to marginalize that into some kind of organization or party, but it really isn't.
I think people are confused about what the Tea Party is. I mean, they were a broad cross-section of Americans who came together concerned about our debt and our spending. And they're interested in constitutional, limited government. And so they're not one group of people. They're thousands of small groups all over the country.
At root, the Tea Party is nothing more than a them-versus-us thing.
I always start my discussions with the Tea Party groups with telling them, 'you know I have only three words for you: God. Bless. You.' Because the Tea Party's bringing the Republican party back to a more conservative base.
You know I have had Tea Party support.
I was Tea Party years before there was an official Tea Party.