CONCORD, N.H. (Reuters) - A small group of
conservative Tea Party activists protested against U.S.
presidential candidate Mitt Romney's presence at a rally
Sunday, in an embarrassment to the former Massachusetts
governor.
Some 20 protesters gathered to give Romney a rude welcome
at a Tea Party rally in Concord. They accused Romney, who is
seeking the Republican nomination to take on President Barack
Obama next year, of only paying lip service to Tea Party fiscal
conservative principles.
"We do not need leadership that puts up a finger in the
wind to see which way the wind is blowing and then changes
direction," said Tim Carter, a demonstrator.
Romney, the most moderate of the top three Republican
candidates, is disliked by some conservatives in the party who
particularly object to a healthcare reform he enacted in
Massachusetts that was a model for Obama's 2010 national
healthcare overhaul.
He was invited to Sunday's event by the Tea Party Express,
but another wing of the Tea Party movement, headed by
libertarian activist group FreedomWorks objected to him being
there.
The protesters were outnumbered by about 200 other people
who turned up to hear Romney in Concord, where he was giving a
speech.
In recent weeks, Governor Rick Perry of Texas, favored by
many Tea Party supporters, has taken the lead in the race to
become the Republican presidential nominee. A recent Gallup
poll showed 29 percent of Republicans would likely vote for
Perry, while 17 percent would support Romney.
(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
© 2026 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.