The Establishment Is Taking Its Lumps

    
As a proud Tea Party member, I am thrilled to see the emergence of Tea Party-backed candidates around the country gaining popularity and even winning important primaries over well-established incumbents. It is encouraging to see that the voting populace is no longer voting on
the "name brand" nominee and is instead seeking those who actually stand for something.

For instance, Mike Lee won the GOP bid for a senate seat in Utah, ousting the incumbent Republican Robert Bennett by touting his love for the Constitution and a "practical" understanding of its function.

Ken Buck of Colorado defeated the early Republican favorite Lt. Gov. Jane Norton running on a platform of "bottom-up" governance vs. Norton's establishment mentality of taking care of the status quo. (If you haven't been to this guy's website, I highly suggest you peruse his blog. All I can say is, "Wow!")

Joe Miller of Alaska defeated incumbent Republican Lisa Murkowski who is now running what some call a "sore loser" campaign as an independent. The Murkowski name has been part of the Senate GOP for three decades but the Alaskan GOP still voted her down this year. Joe Miller has promised to "support and defend" our Constitution. This race is reminiscent of Florida where Republican Governor Charlie Crist is now running as an independent in that state after being defeated by Marco Rubio.

And then there's Christine O'Donnell who is referred to as a "Constitutional conservative" by her endorser, Sarah Palin. In Delaware, Ms. O'Donnell defeated a nine-time senator and former governor to win the GOP bid for senate in the most surprising upset this primary season.

Those of us who are active in supporting the Tea Party movement know that what this country needs is a return to core American values such as individual liberty and sanctity of life. We need to take a fresh look at the timeless document we call our U.S. Constitution which protects those ideals. The outcomes in these races are evidence that more people are not only waking up to that knowledge but are flexing their political muscles and exercising their right to vote with that strength.

The establishment called the GOP has certainly taken its lumps this primary season. As the Tea Party brews another pot for November, it will be fascinating to see how the Democratic establishment fares when those final votes are tallied.

So, how's about it, Dems? One lump or two?