Tea Party Celebrates Moffett's Showing

Even though Tea Party-backed gubernatorial candidate Phil Moffett lost the Republican primary, his supporters are celebrating.Moffett was a political novice with little name recognition, and he lacked the fundraising power of the primary winner, state Senate President David Williams. But Moffett beat Williams in the state's two most populous counties and finished about ten percent behind the favorite statewide. He credits the surprising performance to individual Tea Party groups across the state."The Republican Party knows that the Tea Party is an integral part of what's going to happen in this state and what's going to happen in this nation," he told a cheering crowd. "And if they can't figure that out, woe is them."It will be up to individual chapters to decide who to support Williams in the general election."[Williams's] whole voting history would go into account," says Louisville Tea Party president Wendy Caswell. "All 25 years of it or whatever it is. His ten years or more as Senate President will go into it. I'm not really sure he could do anything at this point."Independent Gatewood Galbraith is also running. Caswell says she hasn't decided who, if anyone, she'll support.