Earlier this week, I interviewed Washington state’s Republican Minority Whip, Ellensburg-area Rep. Bill Hinkle (R-13), about his “Washington state health care freedom act of 2010.”
Here’s an excerpt:
“Have you heard of the 10th Amendment?” Rep. Hinkle begins when asked to explain the bill. (Answer: Yes. That’d be state’s rights.) Hinkle, the Republican minority whip, says the health care bill is a federal power grab that violates the 10th Amendment “because it would be a national system, preventing states from having our own system … and this kind of stuff is driving people crazy. People in my district are furious.”
Hinkle says, “It’s time for the states to excercise the power to remind the federal government of constitutional restrictions on their power.”
Hinkle’s proposal failed along party lines, with every single Republican voting in favor. It looks like the Tea Party is already in the GOP leadership in Washington state.
Publicola: Tea Party Power in Washington State
I think we will see more reports like this as the Republicans search for identity. We have a term for the people that actually believe the Tea Party ideals.
The Republicans may be rejecting moderate voters, forcing those people to call themselves "Independents". The people that remain are Tea Partiers, and those that play along to get elected (I call them TeaHuggers).
Have a great day,
Mike Baker
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