Mike Lee blazes new kind of tea party influence

"I think it's understandable why I would be interested in finding other candidates out there who share the political views that I do," Lee said. "It's a good thing to have colleagues, including present and future colleagues, who share the same viewpoint. …

"The candidates and I talk a lot about not only what their platform is and what they'd like to accomplish, but also about why their views are the way they are and why they believe or profess to believe the way they do. When you get into the details of not just 'what' but 'why,' it helps you understand the way someone thinks and that is very helpful when you're trying to discern what someone's intentions are and what kind of a colleague they might be."

Although Lee's call for a balanced budget amendment ultimately fell short, he finds solace in knowing he affected the public debate and helped set the stage for the important legislative battles to come.

"Overall this has been encouraging," Lee said. "It has given me hope and encouragement that the political process works, that when voters speak it has an impact. That message (from voters) last year has caused us to change course — perhaps not as much or as quickly as some of us would prefer, but it definitely has changed our course."

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