The tea party’s influence is being felt even in Democratic strongholds such as New York where Gov. Mario Cuomo has followed the lead of conservative governors across the country in spending cuts and holding the line on no new taxes.
That has some in the tea party movement praising Cuomo, the
New York Post reported Wednesday.
The Tea Party Patriots Tuesday lauded Cuomo for his efforts to close a $10 billion budget gap by trimming spending and without major tax increases.
"It's interesting to see a Democrat make serious budget cuts,” Mark Meckler, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, told the Post editorial board. “Cuomo sounds like a tea party member when you hear him talk.”
Meckler added: "You could see the tea party influence in his behavior."
Tea party groups across the country have influenced state lawmaker and governors as they grapple with historic budget shortfalls.
Many Republican governors have set the national agenda following the tea party mantra of no tax increases and spending cuts.