“Romney campaigned vigorously for Tea Party-minded candidates during 2010 in New Hampshire and across the country on a state and federal level,’’ Williams said.
But Romney has generally appealed to more moderate Republicans, with Tea Party groups favoring such candidates as Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann, who started a Tea Party caucus in Congress, and now Perry. A Gallup poll released Friday found Perry earning support from 35 percent of respondents who identified themselves as Tea Party supporters - compared with 14 percent who favored both Romney and Bachmann.
Jennifer Horn, a former Republican congressional nominee from New Hampshire connected with the conservative wing of the party, said Romney has been reaching out one-on-one to conservative activists. “I’m sure there are a lot of voters who associate themselves with the Tea Party mentality who are looking seriously at Romney because of his strong private sector background, his limited government, limited spending, limited taxation policy that’s he’s promoting,’’ said Horn, who supported former presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty and is now unaffiliated.
Russell said the Tea Party Express invited all presidential candidates to speak on the tour, and will remain neutral until after the Sept. 12 debate.
The Tea Party Express will make three stops in New Hampshire over Labor Day Weekend - Sunday evening at Rollins Park in Concord, Monday at noon at Veterans Square Park in Manchester, and Monday at 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Nashua.
— Shira Schoenberg
Three replaced after gun program proves flawedWASHINGTON - The Justice Department replaced three officials yesterday who played critical roles in a flawed law enforcement operation aimed at major gun-trafficking networks on the Southwest border.
