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Snitker Scolds Romney for Marginalizing The Growing Tea Party Movement

Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Alexander Snitker today blasted Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney over his recent remarks about the Tea Parties. In an interview on Tuesday with Newsmax, Romney discounted the growing libertarian sentiments within the conservative and tea party movements, and advised libertarians to get on board with the GOP.

Snitker, a 34-year-old former Marine and first-time candidate, scolded Romney for marginalizing the growing tea party movement, and pointed out the GOP's progressive policies of recent years. "This movement was started because politicians like you failed the American people," Snitker told the Presidential hopeful, "the Republican platform seems to be less about protecting the liberty of individual Americans, and more about retaining power at all costs."

Snitker pointed out that a Republican administration presided over the first TARP program, as well as a $700-billion expansion of Medicare. He also admonished the GOP for the PATRIOT Act, which he called, "one of the greatest blows to the 4th Amendment."

Republicans and neo-conservatives have been attempting to channel the discontent of libertarians and the tea parties of late, but with few results. One high profile example of the shift among conservatives was Presidential candidate Ron Paul winning the CPAC straw poll. Though Paul is a Republican, he is considered the father of the tea party movement, and a hero in the libertarian movement.

Snitker told Romney, "Republicans shoulder much of the blame for our problems, and a growing number of Americans no longer trust the GOP to do the right thing." While he agreed with Romney that President Obama and the Democratic Congress are taking America down the wrong path, he accused Republicans of helping to "blaze the trail."

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in America, and a growing number of independent voters are identifying themselves as libertarian. Romney urged libertarians to support GOP candidates or risk splitting the vote.

However, Snitker instead urged people to choose principle over party and to vote for the best candidate, regardless of party. "In races where the best Constitutional conservative is running as a third party, the people should vote for that candidate," said Snitker.

With the tea parties emerging as a powerful voting bloc, the conservative branch of the GOP and the Libertarian Party are engaged in a battle for their hearts and minds. Moderate Republicans like Romney and Senator John McCain seem to be doing their best to marginalize the movement.

But, at least according to Alex Snitker, the tea parties will not toe the Republican line.