Tea Party group blasts wrong Rep. King

The conservative Tea Party Express targeted Rep. King for blistering criticism Wednesday — it just hit the wrong one. 

The conservative outside group blasted out an email Wednesday criticizing Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), who formed a leadership PAC this week aimed at thwarting conservative members like Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.).

{mosads}However, the group accidently named Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a staunch conservative and vocal opponent of comprehensive immigration reform. The group quickly corrected itself. 

“CORRECTION: We sent out this email earlier and made a glaring error that we apologize for,” the email said, this time naming Peter King.  “We mistakenly wrote Steve King when it is Peter King that we have issue with. Unlike Peter King, who has been attacking the Tea Party with lies and smears, we hold ourselves accountable for the inaccuracies we make.  We are sorry to you and our friend Steve King for the mistake.”

The New York congressman was one of the most vocal opponents of the conservative tactic to use government funding as leverage to defund ObamaCare, which ultimately led to the government shutdown in October. He appeared endlessly on cable news blasting the effort. 

He had dustups with conservatives earlier in the year as well over his support for funding for Hurricane Sandy recovery, which a majority of the GOP voted against. 

King formed the PAC this week as a way to promote candidates like himself, rather than people such as Cruz and Paul, who he described as out of touch. 

He made the announcement while in New Hampshire, as he considers a run for president. 

“Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, who Congressman King likes to criticize, are exactly the kind of conservative leaders we need more of in the party,” the Tea Party Express said in the email.  

Targeting Peter King, the email added, “at a time when the Republican Party’s priority should be embracing the conservative Tea Party movement in order to take control of the Senate and White House, efforts to attack grassroots conservatives are destructive.”