Reader explains Tea Party stance

I am the TEA Party, along with members of your family and community. The TEA Party consists of independent individuals. We are not for forming a third party. We are not an arm of the Republican Party. We are a coalition who have come together to bring about real and sustained change towards the restoration of the USA to a Democratic Republic based on the Constitution of the United States of America. The main focus of this effort is on fiscal responsibility, limited government on all levels, and individual responsibility and accountability.

During my lifetime I moved from 50 years as a liberal Democrat to a conservative Republican to the constitutional TEA Party. I've been concerned that our government is taking over our lives, turning us into a "nanny state" thereby costing us our personal freedom. Our Republic was instituted to have a constitutionally limited Federal government. The TEA Party strives to restore us to a Democratic Republic based on the Constitution of the United States of America.

We shall try to influence the Republican Party to the right by having Tea Partiers active in the GOP and by influencing it from the outside. However, the TEA Party must remain an independent group of conservatives with common basic values. We must retain the independence to be a "Watch Dog" group and apply pressure from outside when it fails. A second method is to educate people about fiscal and constitutional issues to help influence their voting.

Please consider voting for Romney/Ryan, Rob McKenna for Governor, Matt Manweller as your State Representative, Doc Hastings to Congress and Mike Baumgartner to replace Marie Cantwell.

Rita Frey

Moses Lake