Are tea partiers going to throw the baby out with the wash water?

There are conservatives locally, at the state level, and nationally, who have been in the trenches fighting for conservative causes for years. In their zest for representation, are newly-energized tea partiers going to throw the baby out with the wash water?

Mark Tapscott writes today in the Washington Examiner about Michelle Bachman's challenge to conservative Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling and questions why a conservative who has been in the trenches for years is being portrayed as "establishment," a name that is being carelessly tossed about these days:

Molly Hooper of The Hill has a long piece today on Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann's challenge of Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling to succeed Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana for House Republican Conference Chairman.

As Hooper notes, Bachmann is portraying the contest as the Establishment GOP versus the Tea Party. Such a narrative probably makes sense to liberal journalists, but it misrepresents a key aspect of the struggle in recent years between faithful House GOP conservatives like Hensarling and those such as Jerry Lewis and Hal Rogers who went whole-hog for the old politics of earmarks and pork barrel.

Tea Party advocates are absolutely right to take down the Lewis and Rogers brand of Me-Too Republicanism, but what about those like Hensarling among the House GOP caucus who have been fighting the congressional GOP's drift leftward for many years?

Do many in the tea party movement not realize the history of those who have fought for years against higher taxes, entrenched politicians, and "business-as-usual"? Are they instead following a meme to "throw out the bums"? They may want to research those so-called "bums" because, in their zeal, they may be going after some of the good guys....