Tea Party Patriots on Laura Ingraham: 'When did she become Chris Matthews?'

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- After being called out by Fox News' Laura Ingraham for lack of influence on Dave Brat's primary victory over Eric Cantor, right-wing activist group Tea Party Patriots is firing back in the pages of the Washington Post.

"People say this is a big Tea Party victory, so people, understand this," Ingraham said on Fox News after Cantor's defeat.

"The national Tea Party Network, Tea Party Patriots, FreedomWorks -- I don't believe any of these organizations did anything for Dave Brat. Dave Brat couldn't get Jenny Beth Martin, who is the head of the Tea Party Patriots, the largest tea party organization in the country -- he couldn't get her on the phone."

In a profile in the Washington Post, Martin struck back at Ingraham, admitting to not prioritizing Brat's campaign, but criticizing the conservative pundit for never reaching out to her.

"She didn't know, she never talked to me. She was misinformed."

Tea Party Patriots communications director Kevin Broughton was less diplomatic, musing over vodka, Coors Light and through a cigarette, "When did Laura Ingraham become [MSNBC pundit] Chris Matthews?"

"When did she love to hear the sound of her own voice so much?"