It's a question that has dogged Rep. Mia Love since she first ran for Congress in 2012. Is she a member of the Tea Party?
The Washignton Post tries to provide a definitive answer to that question. Their answer? Kinda.
Love took some flak from Tea Party supporters for her vote in favor of John Boehner for House Speaker.
However, Love has been endorsed by Tea Party affiliated groups like FreedomWorks and the Tea Party Express. Moreso, Love is touted by the Tea Party as one of their own.
The Post says Love is simply doing what most politicians do – adapting to the current political climate.
Part of it is that candidates campaign in poetry, as the late Mario Cuomo was apt to say, and the tone and content of that poetry depends on the political climate at the time. Both Rubio and Love rose when the tea party had more of a grip on the GOP.
(Another reason is that the tea party would love to be a part of two rising congressional stars. Claiming Love as a tea partier makes the tea party look ascendant.)
But governing in this less-tea-party-inflected time will likely be much more about practical prose, especially for ambitious lawmakers who see a path beyond their current seat. And, like Rubio, Love has every reason to believe she has a future in her party beyond her district. Being "on the side of the elected speaker," bent on sending a message to defectors, can only help that cause.
