Pleas from within Maine GOP stir up tea party activists (they're lashing out at the "gang of 8")

[highplainsdem]

The "gang of 8" are the Republican state senators who rebuked LePage, in the letter kpete posted about here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x807889


The reaction to that, as reported by the Portland Press Herald:

http://www.pressherald.com/news/pleas-from-within-gop-rile-tea-party-activists-_2011-04-05.html

April 5
Pleas from within Maine GOP stir up tea party activists
Conservatives lash out at eight state senators who criticized Gov. Paul LePage in a newspaper piece.
By Tom Bell
MaineToday Media State House Writer


-snip-

While Republican legislators and party officials downplayed the opinion piece Monday, saying the GOP remains united behind LePage's political agenda, Ashcroft and other conservative activists were clearly agitated.

Conservative media outlets and online forums operated by tea party groups were dominated by criticism of the eight Republicans, who were ridiculed for being "weak-kneed" and "mutinous R.I.N.O.s" – Republicans In Name Only.

The party even was lambasted for lacking the discipline of Democrats, a comparison that would have been laughable in November, when Maine Democrats lost control of the Senate, the House and the governor's office in one election.

-snip-

On the "Ray & Ted Show," a conservative talk show on WLOB radio in Portland, 80 percent of the callers Monday were critical of the authors.

-snip-

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. A small but noisy minority. I am just praying that somehow the mural kerfuffle opens the

door to impeaching LePage.

[pampango]

2. "Ashcroft, a tea party activist from Richmond, calls the senators the 'gang of eight.'"

Richard Ashcroft is unhappy with the eight Republican state senators who wrote an opinion piece that ran Monday in Maine newspapers, criticizing Gov. Paul LePage for his caustic remarks and saying he has created too many distractions. Ashcroft, a tea party activist from Richmond, calls the senators the "gang of eight."

The party even was lambasted for lacking the discipline of Democrats, a comparison that would have been laughable in November, when Maine Democrats lost control of the Senate, the House and the governor's office in one election.

The eight senators received support Monday from Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster. He noted that the piece was critical only of LePage's tone, not his policies. Webster said the senators are simply representing their districts, and are hearing concerns from constituents that lawmakers are being distracted and aren't focusing on what's important.

He said many Republican legislators are getting the same complaints from constituents and agree with those who put their names on the piece. "Frankly," he said, "it could have been a much larger list."

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. I wonder if that's tea they're drinking.

I'll bet it's something more toxic.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. The entire country has been taken hostage by a small minority.

[Shallah Kali]

5. wonder if any of those callers were paid actors

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x582985