Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation

Press Release:

Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation Chairman Mark Lloyd today issued the following statement in response to former Governor George Allen hiring veteran political operative Mike Thomas to be his campaign manager in his bid to run Virginia’s Senate seat:

“Former Governor George Allen’s announcement that Mike Thomas will be his campaign manager is a typical example of the Republican establishment trying to tighten its grip on power in the face of the growing Tea Party movement. Although this sort thing has come to be expected it never ceases to be disappointing.

“Mike Thomas is a long-time Republican operative and the personification of establishment go-along-to-get-along Republicans in D.C. over the last decade. And his elevation now reveals that many Republicans have still not learned the message of the past election cycle: The people are sick and tired of the establishment.

“To add insult to injury, Mike Thomas has spent the last few years hard at work rigging the system for Allen to win the Party’s nomination; for example, insisting on a primary instead of a convention to nominate the GOP candidate for Senate in order to blunt the energy and passion of the Tea Party. Instead of representing the interests of rank-and-file Republicans in Virginia, Thomas has been representing the interests of George Allen. Even if folks support Allen for Senate, this sort of thing is just wrong.

“An honest examination of the situation reveals a clear conflict of interest to anyone watching. Now that Thomas has come out of the back room to officially assume the position he’s always been playing since Allen was voted out of office, he must resign all positions he holds with the Chesterfield County Republican Party and the Republican Party of Virginia.

“For the good of the GOP and the many Tea Party patriots who are trying to bring the party back to its principles, resigning from all positions of trust to the Republican Party is the only honorable thing Thomas can do.

“After all, the Tea Party is as much a result of the Republican Party’s government mismanagement, irresponsible spending, and government bailouts of the over the last decade as it is a reaction to incomprehensible binge spending and government takeovers of the Obama Administration. When they were in power, the GOP increased our national debt by more than 50 percent and expanded an already bloated federal government.

“The Republican landslide of November was thanks in large part to the energy, enthusiasm and determination of Tea Party supporters. Allen and Thomas know that a sincere and critical review Allen’s senate voting record does not stand up well against the principles of the Tea Party — fiscal responsibility, Constitutional fidelity, limited government and accountability. And that is why they are avoiding rank-and-file Republicans at a nominating convention, where these differences would be highlighted.

“The worst part is that Mike Thomas favored a convention for George Allen back in 1993 when he ran for governor. The question people, including the media, should be asking of the Allen campaign is, what’s changed since ’93?”