Tea Baggers have long been complaining about soon-to-be-former RPOF Chair Jim Greer, but the Republican establishment didn't get serious about showing Greer the door until a bunch of deep pocketed donors flaunted an open letter that it was time for a change in leadership.
That hasn't stopped the movement from claiming victory though.
"A founder of the 'tea party' movement said Wednesday he had a warning for Republican state leaders: Back conservative candidates or else other states will suffer the same backlash that toppled Florida's Republican Party chairman this week," reports the conservative-leaning Washington Times.
"If they continue to do things like they did in Florida, it's not going to be good for them," Dale Robertson told the moonie sheet.
We don't doubt that the right-wing pressure made the decision easier to send Greer down the road, but let's be clear, it was his handling of money and public complaints by donors that broke the camel's back.
How much of a victory is it, though, when some grass roots activists are already complaining about Greer's expected replacement Sen. John Thrasher. The man's a tad bit more conservative, has the backing of Jeb Bush, and attended a Marco Rubio fundraiser, but he's not expected to do much to change the dynamic in the Rubio v Crist war. Plus he's a little bi-curious, bipartisan curious that is: he wrote a check to Democrat Alex Sink's 2006 campaign for CFO.
One state committee woman, Sharon Day of Broward, is saying
that the grass roots were disrespected by Thrasher's anointment. Of
course, she's making a last minute run for the gig herself.
Marco Rubio, tea party poster boy, isn't endorsing her, but he's not endorsing Thrasher either. Make of that what you will.
Meanwhile, pundit Chris Ingram says Thrasher is a "big-business corporate-money," who's no different than many democrats.
"The
grassroots of the Republican Party doesn't know a whole lot about John
Thrasher. This however is good if you're John Thrasher. In an attempt
to make him look like the next crown-prince, the party elders and big
money men have unified to rally support for Thrasher before the serfs
learn too much about him," writes Ingram.
There's also concern that Thrasher is a sitting state Senator whose focus would be taken away from the job when the body is in session.
