Tea partiers take sides in chairmen races

The influential Tea Party Patriots group is starting to take sides in key House chairmen races, pushing for Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) over Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) for the Appropriations panel.

The group has also criticized Rep. Fred Upton's (R-Mich) as not quite conservative enough to chair the Energy and Commerce committee.

The organization is also sending out information about contenders for House gavels ahead of a conference call Monday evening in which some of the lawmakers are scheduled to participate. The steering committee will hear from chairmen candidates this week.

"Some of the most important positions in Congress are the chairmanships of committees,” group leaders wrote in an e-mail. “Never before have the people been involved in trying to influence who chairs these various committees, but times are changing, and our voices need to be heard!!"

The group is encouraging Tea Partiers to contact members of the steering committee to express support for certain candidates. It lists the names of all steering committee members on its web site.

In a description of members being considered to lead the Appropriations panel, the group notes that the Wall Street Journal has endorsed Kingston as leader of Appropriations, which will be ground zero for spending cuts next year. They also point out that Rogers was “involved in spending during the Bush administration.”

In the Energy and Commerce race, the site links to a 22-page document that analyzes and criticizes Upton’s votes on taxes, regulations, health care and other issues.