Tim Scott: Variety of opinions is good for Republican Party

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina defended the Republican Party Sunday and said the variety of opinions will help the party grow. "The reason why the party continues to grow is because we like disparity, we like the diversity of ideas. And when we have that diversity of ideas, it helps us to build the best party for the future," Scott said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Scott's comments were in response to a question about Republicans' criticism of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. "The fact of the matter is what you saw after the State of the Union is that there are many people in our party that are able to voice their concerns," he said. "So at the end of the day, what America needs is a party that is as diverse as the Republican Party. That is why the great opportunities for our future comes out of the GOP." Scott also brushed off criticism from William Barber, the head of the NAACP in North Carolina. "A ventriloquist can always find a good dummy," Barber said. "The extreme right wing down here in South Carolina finds a black guy to be senator and claims he's the first black senator since Reconstruction. Then he goes to Washington, D.C., and articulates the agenda for the Tea Party." Scott said he doesn't understand Barber's comments and argued that he's focused on j