The lone congressional Democrat to be endorsed by the Tea Party movement will accept the endorsement, even though his campaign is concerned about the optics. Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho) received the official electoral backing of the Tea Party Express (the largest group affiliated with the broader movement) on Thursday. The announcement was entirely unexpected for the Idaho Democrat -- the lone Democrat to get an endorsement nod from the group. "It was a complete surprise," said John Foster, a spokesman for the Congressman. And while Minnick is fine with the endorsement - "Um, sure," Foster replied when asked if the campaign was accepting the Tea Party's backing. "Walt is not in the habit of turning down support." The congressman is cognizant of the reception it could receive among the broader Democratic community/Huffington Post. More here. H/T: JT & Bubblehead.

• Originally posted at 10:42 a.m.

Question: Will the unsolicited endorsement from the Tea Party Express give Minnick a big boost in Idaho?