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The Republican candidates for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st District have eagerly embraced the House's new Tea Party Caucus, as veteran Republican lawmakers warily weigh the risks.
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives Administration Committee approved a request by Rep. Michele Bachmann to form the Tea Party Caucus.
Tea party enthusiast Bachmann claims the caucus "would do nothing more than promote the timeless principles of our founding, principles that all Members of Congress have sworn to uphold." Others aren't so sure.
By creating the caucus, Bachmann is forcing House members to choose whether or not to officially join the movement. It's a decision that Politico says is causing heartburn for lawmakers.
Indeed, the tea party movement is a loaded political weapon for Republicans heading into the midterm elections...
It's easy to see why some Republicans may be hesitant, even as the tea party itself fights over the sentiments expressed by the movement's most extreme elements.
"If there are some tendencies in the outside movement that you don't want to be associated with, this could be a risky step," said Celia Carroll, a political science professor at Hampden-Sydney College who has done academic research on congressional caucuses.
Andrew Cline, Union Leader editorial page editor, confirms the leading 1st District GOP candidates have no such concerns and are all on board.
Rich Ashooh and Sean Mahoney both told me today that they would join the newly formed House Tea Party Caucus... Frank Guinta has simply said he would join it.
Sean Mahoney:
"This is a caucus I would join, if it supports lower taxes, constitutional principles and less government."
Rich Ashooh:
"I would join, in an effort to ensure that they sincerely focused on lowering taxes and limiting government."
Time will tell how how voters in the evenly divided 1st District respond. Surveys suggest the Tea Party embrace could be harmful to their political health.
...likely voters overall see the Tea Party as possibly extreme - and lacking realistic solutions to problems... Only one-in-five of the non-supporters in the likely electorate think the Tea Party "shares their values."
