Tea parties inspire some GOP challengers

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U.S. Rep. Michael Conaway of Midland was among 16 Texas Republicans who sailed to renomination last year, unopposed in their party's March primary.

But in March, Conaway looks to be among half a dozen members of the state's GOP caucus, including Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin, facing challenges from people inspired to run, in part, by tea party rallies.

Initially dismissed by some as inconsequential shout-a-thons and by others as pseudo-events cooked up by GOP-leaning special interests, the tea parties are showing signs of branching out from rallies to involvement in election-year politics. The movement has inspired some people to consider running for Congress and others to make plans for candidate forums.

"The pep rallies were fun," said Austin lawyer Greg Holloway, who with his wife, Judy, has organized tea party events. "But the game is all about elections coming up."

Common Sense Texans, a coalition of 100,000 people with ties to tea party groups, plans to sponsor candidate forums that allow the audience members to grade candidates immediately on their adherence to conservative principles such as limited government and fiscal responsibility.

Republican operatives have aired little concern about possible contested primaries.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/2009/11/10/1110teaparty.html