Russo is the tea parties' 'potent force'

Longtime California Republican hand Sal Russo is riding high with the success in GOP primaries of tea party candidates. His Sacramento-based Tea Party Express political action committee "is the advertising muscle behind the tea party insurgency," the L.A. Times says in a Sunday mini-profile.

Much of the group's success is because of Russo, whose political expertise gives the PAC media firepower in its efforts to elect fiscally conservative candidates.

"It's great to blog and have signs and demonstrations, and we do all those things," Russo, 63, said in an interview. "But we believe in changing through the political process."

Sacramento attorney Steve Merksamer, who was Russo's boss when both worked for Deukmejian in the governor's office, said the group had an edge because of Russo.

"A lot of these tea partyers are extremely frustrated Americans who are new to politics," he said. "He's a talented political operative who has been doing this a long time."