Tea Party Leaders Flex Newfound Muscle, Put GOP Insiders On Notice

The tea party rebels preparing to storm across the Potomac and into the marbled halls of Congress are already flexing their muscles, circulating petitions and shooting off letters advising members of Congress how to vote in an early test of their newfound Beltway influence following Tuesday's historic elections. Much of the activism centers around grass-roots support for Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, who is challenging Texas GOP Rep. Jeb Hensarling for the chairmanship of the House Republican Conference, the No. 4 position in the House leadership. Both candidates are considered tea party favorites. But Hensarling is the clear preference of the GOP establishment, which at times has appeared leery of the tea parties' growing might. Movement conservative Richard Viguerie on Monday began circulating a petition urging GOP leaders to remain neutral in the leadership struggle between Hensarling and Bachmann. GOP Whip Eric Cantor recently endorsed Hensarling. "Rep. Hensarling and Rep. Bachmann are both good, constitutional conservatives and they both deserve to openly compete to chair the House Republican Conference without your interference," states the petition posted on Viguerie's website, ConservativeHQ.com. "I urge you to withdraw your endorsement of Rep. Hensarling for the House Republican Conference and allow Rep. Bachmann (or anyone else who wishes to join the race) a fair and open election process that equally respects the voice of each Republican House member." Viguerie told Newsmax in an e-mail: "Yes, I think it's important that Michelle Bachmann be elected as the House Republican Conference Chair. All other leadership positions, including committee chairs, are controlled by [presumptive House Speaker] John Boehner and Eric Cantor -- men associated with the big-government Republicans that so angered the GOP's base and most of America.       Here is more