Dean Barkley urging 'Tea Party' activists to join Independence Party
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One of the founders of Minnesota's Independence Party is urging so-called "Tea Party" activists to join the Independence Party, and change its name to the Tea Party.
Dean Barkley helped Jesse Ventura win the governor's race in 1998 as a reform party candidate. The reform party changed its name to the Independence Party while Ventura was governor.
Barkley says the Independence Party would be a good fit for fiscally-conservative tea party activists, who are concerned about the deficit and the scope of government.
"The core reasons why we're upset with our government are very similar, so I think if they went to our Web site and looked at our platform they would agree with 95 percent of what we stand for," Barkley said.
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Barkley says if enough "tea party" activists became Independence Party delegates through his party's online caucus, they could change the party's name at this year's state convention.
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