Democrats wonder: How do we counter the tea party?

Many Democrats have chosen to run against the Tea Party — as opposed to the Republicans in Washington — by repeatedly pointing out positions they believe general election voters would not cotton to, like privatizing Social Security, abolishing entire federal departments, upending certain civil rights laws and outlawing abortion, even in the case of rape. Not all Tea Party candidates share these positions, but many have spoken in favor of one or more of them…

But a growing group of Democrats believe that their best move is to yoke the Tea Party to the policies of the Bush administration, Newt Gingrich and other Congressional Republicans whom President Obama has said drove the nation into a ditch before he was elected.

“I think it is necessary to associate them with the Bush administration and the Republican Party,” said Jim Burn, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. In that state, Pat Toomey, a Tea Party candidate, is in a tight race for the Senate seat held by Arlen Specter, who was defeated in the Democratic primary by Joe Sestak.