Tea Party Express targets Titus

WASHINGTON -- The Tea Party Express said Thursday it is targeting Rep. Dina Titus for defeat in November, but organizers said it was not clear what actions the group will take against her.

The group announced an updated list of nine U.S. House members it wants to see beaten, including the freshman Democrat who represents Nevada's 3rd Congressional District of suburban Las Vegas.

At the same time, Tea Party Express strategist Sal Russo told a rally the group was endorsing one of Titus' Republican opponents, Joe Heck.

But while Heck will have kind words from the Tea Party Express , coordinator Joe Wierzbicki said he did not know what resources it will commit to help him.

Seven House candidates have been tagged for help, but Heck isn't one of them.

"I would not be surprised to see him on there" at some point, Wierzbicki said.

"We need to be realistic," Wierzbicki added. "We can't go ahead and say we are going to endorse 50 candidates because then we won't do a good job and nobody will take us seriously."

Heck had no comment Thursday as his campaign was trying to confirm the endorsement and figure out what it means.

Titus accused Heck of "running away" from moderate positions on taxes, Social Security and Medicare to court the conservative right.

"It's no surprise the Tea Party would throw their support behind him," said Titus spokesman Andrew Stoddard.

Later , the Titus campaign made the Tea Party Express announcement the centerpiece of a new fundraising appeal.

Explaining the opposition , Wierzbicki said Titus was "someone who promised a good game, but when reality met the road, she was much more of a partisan ... than what she was representing herself to be."

"Her tone has shown a lack of willingness to go ahead and work across party lines," he said.

Stoddard said the criticism was "off-base."

"She has been doing the things she told the people of the 3rd District she was going to do" on health care , job creation and foreclosure aid, he said.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.