Tea Party blasts GOP 'Stupak defectors'

WASHINGTON, July 28 (UPI) -- Tea Party activists Thursday denounced four GOP House members for breaking a pledge to vote against a debt-limit increase without a balanced-budget amendment.

Tom Trento, national security chairman for the Tea Party National Convention and a director of the Tea Party Founding Fathers, called out GOP Reps. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Allen West of Florida, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Bill Flores of Texas for agreeing to House Speaker John Boehner's plan to raise the debt limit, which does not include the "cut, cap and balance" budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"These Stupak defectors have flip-flopped to say they'll vote for Boehner's wimp-out bill that only cuts $7 billion, less than two days of U.S. borrowing," Trento said, referring to former U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who promised conservatives he would stand against President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare reform legislation but eventually supported it, ensuring its final passage.

"Stupak stupidly killed his career and had to exit Congress. GOP debt defectors are heading off the same cliff," Trento said. "In his desperate effort to give away the store to President Obama, Boehner seems determined to force his caucus into dishonor and tragic 2012 primary and general election defeats. We are calling on Reps. Lankford, West, Kelly, Flores and all debt limit pledge-makers to honor their word to the Tea Party, to reject Boehner's cave-in, and to stand firm for the CCB cuts and Balanced Budget Amendment," Trento said.