For Rep. Bilbray, no sign of shift to center

Congressman appeals to tea party despite a more Democrat-friendly district

Written by Christopher Cadelago

11:43 a.m., Nov. 25, 2011

If there was any doubt whether Rep. Brian Bilbray would stick to his guns on immigration and economic policies heading into a tough election year, the six-term congressman answered that this week.

In an appearance before local tea party activists, Bilbray, R-San Diego, burnished his conservative credentials, including votes against the stimulus package and the bank bailout.

“Anybody here, will you please remind the media and the elected officials that tea party — ‘tea’ stands for what?â€