Tea Party Won't Challenge Kasich In May Primary

It appears that Gov. John Kasich will not have an opponent in the May Republican primary. Tea Party leader Tom Zawistowski says there’s a big reason there won’t be a challenger to Kasich on the spring ballot. “The candidates themselves are put under such scrutiny by the Republican Party," Zawistowski. "It’s not about your ideas. It’s about character assassination. And how many people want to do that?â€? Tea Party activists have been angry with Kasich over Medicaid expansion and other issues. Kasich was asked if he has a base problem, and said that while some conservatives might be upset with him, he’s still one of them. “I have a right to shape what conservative philosophy means. I have a right to move forward with programs that I think maybe in the short term may not be that popular, but in the long term may yield an awful lot of good.â€? Zawistowski says libertarian candidate Charlie Earl will be invited to speak before Tea Party groups, but that he hasn’t been endorsed.