'World News' Political Insights: Tea Party Will Test GOP Unity

Nov. 07, 2010 — -- They came via a party. But this crowd doesn't care for the Washington dance.

Their majority in the House of Representatives secured, Republican leaders are now turning to the tricky task of corralling a class of brash Washington newcomers for whom Capitol Hill's traditions and niceties mean little.

Of a House Republican freshman class that will boast at least 84 members, roughly half consider themselves tea partiers. Tea party Senate candidates fared less well, but new senators from states including Kentucky, Utah and Florida owe their elections at least in part to tea party energy.

Toss in a few dozen congressional veterans who have embraced tea partiers, and that means a sizeable enough chunk of votes that the new GOP leadership needs to take their sentiments seriously.

Top Republican leaders know they wouldn't have the majority without the new members, and have spent the days since the election making sure the tea partiers' views will be accommodated in the new Congress.

GOP insiders say the new leaders are likely to support the concept of someone with credibility among tea partiers -- either a new member or a veteran who has embraced the movement -- to join the leadership team.

But that person is not likely to be Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who has announced a run for Republican Conference Chair against Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.

Though tea partiers don't speak with one voice -- virtually by definition -- the new crop of members of Congress rode surges of anti-government anger into office.

Many pledged to oppose additional debt, enact deep cuts in government services, and oppose special projects inserted into spending bills as earmarks.

One of the most prominent new tea partiers to win last week, Senator-elect Rand Paul of Kentucky, is serving notice that he will seek to cut even those areas of government that Republicans consider sacred. He said on ABC's "This Week" that the military budget should be among the areas targeted for cuts.