Lewis, Kingston pitch Tea Party ahead of Steering Committee

Reps. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) and Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) took their campaigns to be the next chairman of the House Appropriations Committee to the Tea Party Patriots the day before they were to pitch the House Republican Steering Committee for the post, the group said.

The Monday night conference call with the Patriots, one of a number of Tea Party umbrella organizations, featured hundred of thousands of listeners, the groups said, and 81 percent of the listeners voted afterward for Kingston. Only 15 percent voted for Lewis, who is currently the panel's ranking member.

The Tea Party Patriots sent material to members over the weekend promoting Kingston, who has the reputation of being less of a pork-barrel spender. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who is also seeking the gavel, did not participate in the call.

The three Appropriations Committee chair candidates will make presentations Tuesday afternoon to the Steering Committee, and the committee will make its recommendation to the full Republican conference sometime thereafter.

The same sampling of Tea Party members supported Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) to be the next Energy and Commerce Committee chairman over Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) by a margin of 53 percent to 3 percent.