No Labels Challenges Meckler to Stop Threats, Obstructionist Tactics

Submitted by No Labels Blogger on April 18, 2011
No Labels is calling on Mark Meckler, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, to listen to the majority of Americans who reject hyper-partisanship and put an end to his threats against House Republican members for supporting the bipartisan deal on the 2011 spending bill. Last week, Meckler told The Hill that he is encouraging primary challenges against Republican members willing to work across the aisle to avert a government shutdown. [The Hill, 4/13/11]

“When the majority of Americans are crying out for adult leadership in Washington, Mr. Meckler is throwing the political equivalent of a temper-tantrum. We came just hours away from a shutdown of the federal government, but thankfully, Republicans and Democrats were come together in a bipartisan manner. Now Mr. Meckler and the Tea Party want to thwart this progress,” said Mark McKinnon, No Labels Co-Founder. “If the Tea Party really wants to show it can be a powerful force in American politics, it needs to bring ideas to the table, not threats.”

According to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, Americans overwhelmingly support the bipartisan budget deal by a margin of 2-1. [USA TODAY, 4/13/11] Meanwhile, public opinion of the Tea Party has soured; nearly half of all Americans have an unfavorable view of the group.  [Reuters, 3/30/11]

 “The 2010 elections weren’t a mandate for the Tea Party. They were a referendum on the dysfunctional and destructive behavior in Washington. We need our leaders to work across the aisle to identify and implement pragmatic and sustainable solutions,” said No Labels’ Founding Leader Lisa Borders. “We call on Mr. Meckler to listen to the American people and quit his obstructionist tactics for the good of the country.”