Dallas Rep. Jeb Hensarling has come out of the gates strong in his candidacy for GOP conference chair, the number four leadership position for Republicans in the House.
But he'll have to contend with party superstar and tea party darling Rep. Michele Bachmann, who is also jockeying for the job.
Hensarling has already racked up endorsements from top Republicans including likely Majority Leader Eric Cantor and outgoing Conference chair Mike Pence. But while Hensarling is known for his staunch conservatism, particularly on fiscal issues, he is not especially associated with the tea party. He is not a member of the House Tea Party Caucus, which Bachmann formed this summer .
This morning, Dick Armey, former House majority leader and a key figure in the tea party movement, touted Hensarling's conservative credentials.
"This is a candidate that gave opposition in deeply analytical terms to T.A.R.P. and to the banking reform bill. ...So, the fact is, this is not an insider. This is not an establishment guy. He's a very bright and able person," said Armey, who chairs the tea party group, Freedom Works.
Hensarling also got a blessing from Erick Erickson of RedState.com, an influential conservative blog.
"This is terrific news," Erickson wrote yesterday. "Hensarling is one of the most substantive conservative policy guys I know in the House."
The hope for Hensarling is that the stamp of approval from Armey and Erickson would prevent his race against Bachmann from being cast as a "GOP establishment vs. tea party" civil war.
As for Bachmann, her office denies her candidacy is a knock on Hensarling.
"This is not a race against Jeb, it is a race for the Conference chair," said Bachmann's spokesman, Sergio Gor. "Contested elections are a vital part of a democracy."
Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/11/hensarling-faces-tea-party-cha.html
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