GOP lawmaker ripped by Tea Party activist

Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo (N.J.) received heavy criticism from a Tea Party activist at a recent town hall meeting in his district. 

In a YouTube video, the eighth-term congressman is grilled on his knowledge of the Constitution after he misstates the content of Article I Section I of the document.

The man who criticizes LoBiondo's knowledge of the document is donning a "Don't Tread on Me" t-shirt, a Revolutionary War slogan popular among Tea Party activists.

The lawmaker represents what is considered a safe seat but the video is an illustration of a recent poll that shows four in ten Tea Party activists are Democrats or independents, suggesting that Republicans may not receive their full support in the fall.

Though the group's approval of Republicans is high (71 percent), congressional Republicans receive lower rank (57 percent approval).

On Wednesday, embattled RNC Chairman Michael Steele posted a blog on the committees website saying that he believes the party is doing what's necessary to earn the support of Tea Partiers.

LoBiondo was swept into office with the 1994 Republican Revolution but has been known to take the middle-ground on several issues, such as environmental regulations.

VIDEO, courtesy of the Newark Star-Ledger