Earmark moratorium is first post-election test for Tea Party

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took on the Tea Party once before — and lost. Six months after backing an establishment Republican over Sen.-elect Rand Paul in his home state of Kentucky, McConnell is now at odds with the Tea Party over earmarks.

Yesterday two major players in Tea Party politics — Dick Armey-led FreedomWorks and the Tea Party Patriots — declared their support for a two-year earmark moratorium. The groups have asked their members to contact Republican senators in hopes of swaying Tuesday’s vote.