Two of the tea party's biggest success stories from the 2010 cycle brought a similar message they touted on the campaign trail to the CPAC crowd.
Freshmen Reps. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), who each defeated Blue Dog Democrats, got top billing Thursday at the conservative conference's opening, speaking of their humble upbringings and a desire to cut government influence.
Freshmen Reps. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), who each defeated Blue Dog Democrats, got top billing Thursday at the conservative conference's opening, speaking of their humble upbringings and a desire to cut government influence.
"None of us got here on our own. We all got here with your help," said Noem, who knocked off Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.).
Noem talked about having to leave college to help with her family's farm after her father was killed in a farming accident, and having to decide whether to sell the farm or take out a loan.
"We got hurt really hard with estate taxes," said Noem. "For me being young, having a tragedy in our family, and then immediately being told we owed thousands of dollars to the federal government because that tragedy happened to us was devastating."
Noem warned that today's generation wouldn't have the same educational opportunities as she and her generation did, saying she told a high school class not long ago, "Your worst fears have been realized - your parents are smarter than you."
"Our children may not have those opportunities because of what we're doing to our country," said Noem.
Labrador, who not only beat conservative Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho) but also the GOP establishment favorite Vaughn Ward in the primary, talked about being born in Puerto Rico before moving to Idaho.
"I'm proud to be an American citizen by birth - and I do have my birth certificate to prove it," Labrador said, taking on a "birther" attitude, of those who doubt President Obama was born in the U.S.
Tearing up, Labrador talked of being born to a single mother who had to grapple with whether to have an abortion or to give him up for adoption. Although his mother had idealized the Kennedys, after moving to Las Vegas in 1981, she decided to register as Republican after being inspired by Ronald Reagan. And, he emphasized, she sought help by having Labrador work for their local church instead of applying for welfare.
"In spite of all the hard times we had in our lives, she never asked the government from help," said Labrador. "She believed that government assistance would cripple the soul and part of her would have been destroyed."' Labrador also took a swipe at both the men he defeated, talking of the uphill climb he had against Ward, a Sarah Palin-backed candidate who was discovered to have taken part of his policy statements from other candidates' websites and part of his speeches from Obama's famed 2004 DNC speech. "The intelligencia in Washington D.C. believed he was the only Republican who could defeat the very popular Democrat incumbent in the general election, but I knew better," said Labrador. "I had a strong message--not a message that was crafted behind closed doors, but a message that was forged in the crucible of life. I followed my gut - not the polls, and not the pundits." Of Minnick, he said not even Republicans thought he could beat the "so-called" Blue Dog Democrat. "Bragging about being the least liberal Democrat in Congress is like a girl going home from a night out and bragging to her Dad that a boy told her she was the least ugly girl at the dance," Labrador quipped. "You can have all the money in the world and the support of the establishment and the pundits, but it's the message that inspires the grassroots support and inspires voters to get off the couch and work hard for you," said Labrador.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/02/noem-labrador-take-center-stage-at-cpac-10
Noem talked about having to leave college to help with her family's farm after her father was killed in a farming accident, and having to decide whether to sell the farm or take out a loan.
"We got hurt really hard with estate taxes," said Noem. "For me being young, having a tragedy in our family, and then immediately being told we owed thousands of dollars to the federal government because that tragedy happened to us was devastating."
Noem warned that today's generation wouldn't have the same educational opportunities as she and her generation did, saying she told a high school class not long ago, "Your worst fears have been realized - your parents are smarter than you."
"Our children may not have those opportunities because of what we're doing to our country," said Noem.
Labrador, who not only beat conservative Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho) but also the GOP establishment favorite Vaughn Ward in the primary, talked about being born in Puerto Rico before moving to Idaho.
"I'm proud to be an American citizen by birth - and I do have my birth certificate to prove it," Labrador said, taking on a "birther" attitude, of those who doubt President Obama was born in the U.S.
Tearing up, Labrador talked of being born to a single mother who had to grapple with whether to have an abortion or to give him up for adoption. Although his mother had idealized the Kennedys, after moving to Las Vegas in 1981, she decided to register as Republican after being inspired by Ronald Reagan. And, he emphasized, she sought help by having Labrador work for their local church instead of applying for welfare.
"In spite of all the hard times we had in our lives, she never asked the government from help," said Labrador. "She believed that government assistance would cripple the soul and part of her would have been destroyed."' Labrador also took a swipe at both the men he defeated, talking of the uphill climb he had against Ward, a Sarah Palin-backed candidate who was discovered to have taken part of his policy statements from other candidates' websites and part of his speeches from Obama's famed 2004 DNC speech. "The intelligencia in Washington D.C. believed he was the only Republican who could defeat the very popular Democrat incumbent in the general election, but I knew better," said Labrador. "I had a strong message--not a message that was crafted behind closed doors, but a message that was forged in the crucible of life. I followed my gut - not the polls, and not the pundits." Of Minnick, he said not even Republicans thought he could beat the "so-called" Blue Dog Democrat. "Bragging about being the least liberal Democrat in Congress is like a girl going home from a night out and bragging to her Dad that a boy told her she was the least ugly girl at the dance," Labrador quipped. "You can have all the money in the world and the support of the establishment and the pundits, but it's the message that inspires the grassroots support and inspires voters to get off the couch and work hard for you," said Labrador.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/02/noem-labrador-take-center-stage-at-cpac-10