Thanks and kudos to the tea party for putting up five candidates in Republican Senate primaries in 2010 and 2012 who later lost to Democrats in the general election. The incumbents the tea party candidates defeated in the primaries were moderate Republicans who were heavy favorites to win election to the Senate.

Because all five tea party Senate candidates lost in 2010 (Nevada, Colorado and Delaware) and 2012 (Indiana and Missouri), the Democrats now control the Senate. If the moderate Republicans had run instead of the tea party candidates, Republicans would now control the Senate and the House.

Thank goodness for the tea party.

BILL WREN

Johnson City