Congressman Peter King’s Small Tent Strategy is Wrong

Sacramento, CA – Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest Tea Party political action committee, chastised Congressman Peter King for forming American Leadership PAC, an ill-advised organization that aims to reduce the appeal of the Republican Party by promoting big-government proponents.

Tea Party Express’ Chief Strategist Sal Russo said, “Republicans have tried Congressman King’s small tent approach to winning elections as recently as the 2012 presidential election. It does not work. That’s why Tea Party Express focuses on the economic issues that promote economic growth and opportunity, which also unite 70% of the electorate. Unfortunately, Congressman King is out of touch with the majority of Americans who want to reduce the size, cost and intrusiveness of the federal government.

“The political pundits expected 2010 to be another election year where more Democrats would be elected to public office. Instead, the Tea Party movement emerged, delivering huge political gains across the country and giving control of the House back to Republicans. That effort succeeded because the Tea Party inspired people to get involved in the political process and take the Republican Party out of the hands of the country club establishment-types like Congressman King, who managed to lose both Houses of Congress and the White House over the past two election cycles.

“King has consistently, yet foolishly, pointed the finger at conservatives for the gridlock in D.C. In reality, it has been the ‘politics as usual’ that has kept America swallowed in deficits and debt that the American people want addressed. The Sandy relief legislative is a perfect example of the wrong-headed approach by Congressman King. Instead of attacking Democrats and some Republicans for stuffing the bill with pork spending that was not even going to the victims, he attacked conservative Republicans for objecting to wasteful and deceptive spending. It’s that kind of backdoor politics that Americans hate.

“Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, who Congressman King likes to criticize, are exactly the kind of conservative leaders we need in the party. Senator Paul has embraced Reagan’s big tent approach and is sharing his message of fiscal conservatism and economic freedom with communities that the Peter Kings of the world ignore. King should follow Senator Paul’s lead and work on growing the party – not shrinking it,” Russo concluded.