Should a Tea Party candidate run in the 2012 primary if Scott Brown drifts further?

"Retire Barney.com. Sproing! The thought of it set our heart aflutter," we captioned this image in our blogpost "Boston Tea Party Fallout: Retire Barney Frank?" last April: "As a volunteer gathering email addresses for the GBTP at today's Boston Tea Party on the Common with Sarah Palin, we got to chat briefly but intensively with a multitude of good folks from all walks of life and different ethnic backgrounds, ages and sexual orientation who share with us a love and admiration for this Shining City Upon a Hill and want to save it from the ravages of the international progressivist statist impulse represented by the Obama Machine. The vibrant 'new mom' above turned out to be sis-in-law to Barney Frank challenger Sean Bielat" (see below for a proposal).

Interesting email exchange this evening with Professor Reynolds, following up on our earlier post, "Sissy Willis, Scott Brown doesn't want to hear from you":

We: He's getting an earful from us Tea Party people today. Too late for FinReg, but maybe next time?

Glenn Reynolds: Indeed. Somebody should make noises about running a Tea Party candidate against him in the primary if he drifts further …

Barney Frank challenger Sean Bielat poses with newly-minted Senator Scott Brown for this image from Bielat's campaign website.

What if Tea Party favorite, businessman and Marine Sean Bielat manages this November to unseat Barney Frank (MA-4), co-architect of the "Dodd-Frank Financial Fiasco" that passed the Senate this afternoon thanks in part to Brown's vote? He'd have a chance during the next two years to show what he's made of and could be ripe and ready to step into the fray as the kind of Tea Party candidate Reynolds suggests, should Brown's voting record continue to disillusion former supporters. Senator Brown comes up for election to a full term in 2012

We're supporting Bielat this cycle, as we explained last April:

Forget about our useless District 8 Rep Michael Capuano. We've got bigger fish to fry: 4th-District Rep. Barney Frank is in our sights, and Sean Bielat might be just the man to unseat him. Before we decide whether to support the very appealing Mr. Bielat, we'll check out all three Republicans challenging the unspeakably arrogant and destructive Frank, responsible perhaps more than any other one person for the Fannie and Freddie bubbles that precipitated the nation's current economic woes. But the point is, we're going to apply our "Give to strategic small-government candidates, not parties" strategy within our own Commonwealth of Massachusetts, giving time and money to wresting Barney Frank from the Frank People's Seat of Massachusetts 4th Congressional District for the next period of time. This is going to be fun!

Update: "Good way to hand the seat back to the Democrats, I think," cautions twitterfriend Irishspy. Another follower, dmataconis, is more direct:

Dumb idea.

But as we twittered back to Irishspy, "Maybe, but why not think outside the box at this early date?"

Update II: Twitterfriend WooHoo Yoo delights us in the comments:

Retiring Barney to a movement candidate would be delicious and perhaps the best strategy to pulling Brown right. Does Sean yell loudly, cuz Scott is surely deaf to the American people.

Update III: "He's better than Martha Coakley would have been," says Professor Reynolds — thanks for the Instalanche! — citing gs from the comments:

I voted for Scott Brown and gave him a donation when it appeared he had a serious chance, but I’m neither enthused nor disenchanted. I was supporting divided government, not Scott Brown.

Crossposted at Riehl World View and Liberty Pundits.

Comments

[WooHooYoo]

Retiring Barney to a movement candidate would be delicious and perhaps the best strategy to pulling Brown right. Does Sean yell loudly, cuz Scott is surely deaf to the American people.

[RedDogReport]

I am more inclined to focus on 2010 at the moment. Let's start talking 2012 next year.

[Dantes]

Scott Brown has already drifted off the reservation for political expediency. Absolutely run another candidate. Yeah, I've heard the arguments, vote for the lesser of two evils. Look where that has gotten us...McCain, Graham, Snowe, Collins, Specter...

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and RINO's.

I am very sorry I sent money to Scott Brown. This bill is a liberal wet dream. Hey, Scott...did you read it?

[Neil]

The bill was going to pass anyway. He may as well vote for it, as every sign of being a "moderate" increases his chances of re-election in a heavily liberal, Democratic state.

As long as he's voting the right way when it counts, tea partiers should play along. Grumble just enough that he keeps his "moderate" image, but don't actually try to undermine him, because all you'll get for your efforts is another Kerry/Kennedy type taking his spot.

[RINOproof]

No, the vote wasn't going to pass anyway. Dingy Harry nearly wet his pants at the last minute 'cause some "mystery senator" was backing out. Most money is on that being Scott Brown.

Voting the right way when it counts? WTH does the fed govt need to know my bank acct up to the minute and every transaction I make? This bill provides for UNION PARTICIPATION on banking boards and gives $$ to community organizers as well as ACORN. When fuel costs rise, this bill will effectively bankrupt farmers, so goodbye, food. Andy Stern's "persuasion of power" will work well on starving idiots like you.

But nah, this wasn't a biggie, so just let him off the hook.

[Dantes]

"As long as he's voting the right way when it counts"

When might that be. Have you read the Wash Times analysis of this bill? Racial quotas, putting unions on boards, a consumer regulatory czar with unfettered powers, a bureaucracy which can order banks to write social justice loans"

Sorry. He is already channeling Ted Kennedy and Kerry seems to be his 'Washington Spiritual" advisor.

I'll even bet he doesn't drive that pickup truck in DC.

[BubbaV]

Absolutely, but not because Mr. Brown may have "drifted". I would argue that ALL incumbents should challenged...ALWAYS!

I've often even thought that while incumbents should be able to run for a return to office, they should not be allowed to campaign. They already hold the job and are in the enviable position of being able to prove, by example, that they are the best suited for the job.

[Anonymous]

Yes! No more RINOs!

[Susan Gorgo]

I've already emailed Scott Brown and asked for my $25 campaign contribution back.

No response so far

[Jed Skillman]

Let's just all agree that Scott Brown has not performed as expected. It is bad enough that he is not a leader, but if he's cut out to be a follower why does he have to follow Them?

He may shape up. You never know. Meantime, we have two years to look for an opportunity to "trade up".

[Mondo]

Brown's falling prey to the idea that HE can make a difference--by passing more legislation to regulate and rule a field of endeavor written by people who have little practical knowledge of it.

It's the hubris that comes from being one of the 100 Club of the Senate. The only cure, when it sets in, is to remind those afflicted that they are not indispensable.

[BenJcarter]

And so with one vote Scott Brown goes under the bus?!

How many of those making derisive comments live in Mass?

He is the Republican Senator from Ted Kennedy's old seat. Did you expect Tom Coburn?

We need him and a few others to ensure chairmanships are chosen by the opposition to the one party Gov't we have today.

[gs]

I voted for Scott Brown and gave him a donation when it appeared he had a serious chance, but I'm neither enthused nor disenchanted. I was supporting divided government, not Scott Brown.

If you wonder why this center-right nation is being governed by Obama and Pelosi, look no farther than the Dump Brown stirrings. Talk about pulling defeat from the jaws of victory...

Jeebus. Some people deserve to be represented by Martha Coakley.

[Neil]

I said that this vote "didn't count" because it didn't matter which way Brown voted. The Democrats would have had 60 votes once the new guy from WV was seated. He could have delayed passage by what, a week, tops?

First, let's get the hardcore tea party candidates elected in places like Nevada and Kentucky. Then we can worry about taking over New England.

[Orson]

YES! a Tea Party candidate should be supported and welcomed.

[Badger]

Vote for Change. Re-Elect NOBODY!

[S. O'Rourke]

Dumb, dumb, dumb idea. He is the most conservative we'll ever get from Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS!!!

We should thank God everyday for how lucky we were to get Brown in the first place. Has everyone gone insane?

[Mike]

I supported Brown - sent ten bucks in fact, but wasn't under any illusion he was anything but a male version of Collins/Snow. That being said, by all means run a primary challenger from the Tea Party -I'll send that person money.

No politician, anywhere, anytime should feel secure, besides look how having a challenger (even a weak one) prompted McCain to develop a spine.

There should be no safe seat for any elected official... ever.

[John]

I live in VA and was a $100 contributor to the Brown campaign. So far he has performed to my expectations, that being RINO. I see him as a vote for adult leadership for the next Majority leader. Hopefully that will NOT be Mitch McConnell.

Also, he'll be a vote to "fix" the abomination they passed yesterday. (The government, forcing businesses to give unions a seat in the boardroom. Oh, that wasn't a payoff...)

[Peg C.]

I now believe Tea Partiers should put up constitutional conservative candidates in every single election every single year. All incumbents should have credible challengers every single time, and we need regular and frequent infusions of new blood.

There should never be a single safe seat again, and Congresscritters and all politicians should have to answer to the constituents every single day for every single vote and piece of legislation they touch in any way. We have GOT to take this country back from the miserable, ignorant, arrogant cretins we have voted into office and allowed to run roughshod over our lives and our liberty.

"Incumbent," not "challenger," should be a dirty word!

[bandit]

I told you this during the run up to the election. I've known Scott for over 20 years - he's going to do exactly what he wants and his #1 priority is going to be taking care of Scott Brown. He's a pro-business GOPeer and he's not going to be tied down by conservative ideology. If you think otherwise you're sadly mistaken.

[Gayle Miller]

The primary thing should be to find a way to make Captain Zero's political antecedents - not to mention his incompetence - the centerpiece of any campaigns.

Too little is known about this big fat boob and it's high time that someone did some serious investigation. Probably should be someone with nothing to lose because his kind fights dirty! It's the Chicago way doncha know.

[KingShamus]

I'm with Peg C.

Just keep bombarding elections with conservatives.

And if Scott Brown turns into yet another Maine Sister, run Beilat against him too.

[Greg]

Bielat recently said he is not one of those, when it came to being a tea party member. How can he be a tea party favorite?