Ayotte Chooses Sides & Aligns With Tea Party

by: William Tucker

Wed Oct 27, 2010 at 21:25:24 PM EDT

Kelly Ayotte has chosen sides in the civil war for the soul of the Republican party. She's going with the Tea Party.

Ayotte, Judd Gregg's hand-picked successor, has been eyed by the Senate GOP leadership as a "political asset," a moderate who could broaden Republicans' appeal to women and independents. Apparently, it's a suit that doesn't fit.

Monday, Ayotte won an endorsement from FreedomWorks, the Wall Street front group led by Dick Armey that helped launch the Tea Party movement. It was an endorsement she aggressively pursued.

"We only get into races when we are asked,” said FreedomWorks spokesman Adam Brandon, indicating that Ayotte sought out the group's support. Brandon said FreedomWorks made the endorsement only after gaining "consensus from our guys on the ground -- we can’t endorse if our activists’ membership is spilt."

So now we know. But before she remakes the Republican party, there's that small matter of an election next Tuesday. New Hampshire voters have a habit of rebelling when our vote is taken for granted.

Cross-posted to Miscellany Blue