As a participant in the Tea Party Movement in Wisconsin, and the State Director of Americans for Prosperity, I TOTALLY agree with all your observations!!!

Richard, I'm a staunch conservative and liked your article, with the exeption of the following ..."..So, rather than focus solely on government, we also need to train a spotlight on the failed leaders of other major American institutions from Hollywood to Wall Street, including big business, banks, mainstream media, labor unions and organized religion (notably my own Catholic Church)."..in particular your inclusion of the Catholic Church in your comment. We already have too many individuals, institutions, and groups who think the Catholic Church is somehow a secular organization that is supposed to change in accordance with the desires and mores of secular society. They'd probably love to take a vote on whether the Catholic Church should continue to oppose contraception, embryonic stem cell research, abortion, and homosexuality. Yes, Catholics and their leaders have secumbed to temptation at times and we can only pray that God will have mercy on them for the scandals caused. But men fail, and not Christ and not the Magesterium of the Catholic Church which continues to enjoy the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You suggestion that we change the Catholic Church to fit our desires is akin to the sentiment of those who feel that the U.S. Constitution is a "living" document that we should change to reflect modern times, or even more to the idea that lowering ACT and SAT scores and college admission standards will somehow solve the failure of our public education system.

My sixth recommendation is, "never to tire, advance your ideology as quickly and aggressively as you can!". Never be on the defensive. Educate your neighbor. From my old SDS field manual. Now very conservative. Thank you, Richard!

We have an immediate peril in our midst. That's the Obama presidency, BO for short. He does not have the security and prosperity of our nation at heart. Rather he holds only a short-sighted desire to reorganize the country to be a socialist entity where the wealth is redistributed. He now exhibits a thinly veiled favoritism toward Islam that results from his Islamic upbringing resulting in approval of terrorist acts. I notice that he has not criticized any Moslem leader, has publicly bowed before a few, praises the sacrifice of those Americans killed by terrorists (as though it was a sacrifice in favor of Islam) and refuses to describe these attacks as Terrorism. Instead, he wants more of them on our soil; i.e. Gitmo transferred to Illinois. We have to understand that Islamic terrorism is not new. The only difference between today and 200 years ago (read up on "..to the shores of Tripoli" and Jefferson's struggles) is that the same sentiment is now powerfully funded with revenues from worldwide oil sales. In other words that sentiment (against all that are not Islamic) has morphed into a powerful movement over the past 50 years that cannot be persuaded otherwise, they can only be defeated by stopping all their moves. The most reason raison d'etre` is Jewish settlements in Israel, but if that did not exist, the movement would still be in place with some other rationale in it's place. To settle that matter, The Palestine region has always been a region of nomads. Most anyone that has resided there for a season can claim to be a native occupant. That some occupants do better than others is not a sound reason to exclude them... Back to BO, he should be impeached for many reasons, the most convincing is that he will not show proof that he is a natural-born citizen of the Unites States of America. This alone is a sound reason. Look for the development that this notion becomes a litmus test for the new Supreme Court Nominee. Regarding the constitution, look back to the Federalist Papers. See: http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/fedindex.htm See #43 for instance on the responsibilities of the government. These papers make heady reading. Far too detailed to be digested in a sitting or two. I've embarked on a project to write an index based on key words I identify. I'm only up to #9... it's slow going but it HAS to be done. Help would be welcome. Back to the Tea Party movement.... It needs a leader. Pray for America! Angelo Campanella a.campanella@att.net

A hugely important "leg" for conservatives to stand on is immigration control. This means not just halfhearted attempts to improve the border, but a genuine commitment to deport all the illegals in our country – all 12 million of them. And we must be explicit about our goal: not just to enforce laws (which are only a means to an end), but to protect our country: not from “migrants” or “immigrants” or “undocumented” workers, but from aliens who suck up social services, depress our standard of living, and dilute our culture. The overwhelming majority of Americans support this. Politicians, however, have been reluctant to support it vigorously because it invariably brings the charge of “racism” from the left, which makes many people—especially those in public life—scatter like frightened birds. Now Arizona is standing tall and not backing down. If instead of fearing being called names, conservatives would treat being insulted by the left as a badge of honor, millions would flock to our side. And what nobler cause can one champion than protecting and preserving for posterity the truly American nation our forefathers lovingly handed down to us? What more precious gift can conservatives work to conserve?

All this cheerleading is good for the soul – but when it comes to defeating the DC Leviathan, it – and the Tea Party – is a BB gun at a charging rhino. Some examples reflecting the delusion: “In 2008, Republicans lost three Senate races because of conservative third-party candidates. Those losses have made it more difficult to oppose and defeat liberal judicial nominations, Obamacare, cap-and-trade legislation and other policies that, that, even in a best-case scenario, will take conservatives years to undo.” Wrong on several points. The Republicans lost because they failed to field candidates who stuck to even a vestige of the long-lost, long-co-opted Republican mantra of “small government, minimal taxes, individual rights, free markets”, thus making 3rd party candidates more attractive to the conscientious voter. Blaming “third-party candidates” for Republican failure is typical Blame Gaming that always points the finger of responsibility at someone/something else. Republicans and Conservatives need to man-up on this basic level first before they can even get a grasp on solving the rest of the problem. As for “… even in a best-case scenario, will take conservatives years to undo.” When has that ever happened? Ever? As Vin Suprynowicz (“Saved by the GOP Sweep”, www.lvrj.com) wrote recently in “Saved by the GOP Sweep”: “Did they [Republicans] make any serious effort to repeal the graduated income tax anytime after 1913? To repeal Social Security anytime after 1933? Medicare or Medicaid anytime after 1965? Did they even shut down the counterproductive federal departments of Energy and Education, as Ronald Reagan promised to do in 1980? Have the Republicans -- or anyone in living memory -- ever reduced federal spending below current income, picking up the phone and telling the Treasury boys: "Stop selling bonds; we're now in surplus and we don't need to borrow any more. In fact, let's start calling in some of our old bonds and paying them off early"? When was that? Their apologists will say, "They've never had the votes." They never had the will.” And examining the Republican response since the passage of OmbamaCare, there is zero reason to believe the unadulterated “Repeal and Replace – Elect Us!” crap coming from the GOP in anticipation of a November “Big Sweep”. Even if the R’s won every seat in November, they would still be short of a veto-proof Congress. How will that “Repeal and Replace” work out for ya then? “As a practical matter, the two major parties have rigged the rules against third parties, all but ensuring defeat. If conservatives fall into the third-party trap, they will split the right-of-center vote, thereby guaranteeing the left's control of America for at least another generation. The opportunity of a lifetime will have been wasted.” True, the rules have been rigged. But they have also started to become UN-rigged. Ohio has a full slate of Libertarian Party candidates this November for the first time in the State’s history. And it wasn’t because the candidates weren’t there. In addition, if ballot access is a problem, wouldn’t the vaunted strength of the Tea Party be able to change that merely by focusing their bodacious and relentless energies at demanding their State change (un-rig) the rules to allow greater participation at the ballot box? The “opportunity of a lifetime”, lost to a Party which has consistently lost opportunities for the last 100 years is the ultimate in political redundancy and naiveté. “This doesn't mean we should automatically support whatever candidates Republicans put up. The tea party electoral strategy should be simple and consistent: We must run principled conservatives in the primaries and then throw our support behind the most conservative major-party candidates in the general election. ” The fatal flaw in this perpetual line of “reasoning” is the stunning oxymoron “principled conservative”. The “fatal” in the “flaw” is “Conservatives principles” – whatever they claim to be - are as flaccid as the Republicans are spineless. In fact, this is why the GOP is drooling in the crowd at every Tea Party party. No matter how you phrase and re-phrase the “Tea Party Mission Statement”, it still comes out sounding like a gang of RPO (Really Pissed Off) Republicans. The GOP thinks if it just makes nice, their side will get the TP votes after some of the now SOPP (Standard Operating Podium-Pounding) decrying the “out of control government in Washington!” Interestingly, the Tea Party didn’t throw its first full-dress Sign and Speech Fest until after GWB went back to TX after bloating up the Leviathan more than all the evil D’s before him (until you get to FDR). Now that the Big Zero has added a few more comas to the debt and grown a few more tentacles of regulatory grasping, now…NOW…we’re really, really, really pissed!” Ya gotta admit, when put in perspective, it sounds more than a tad disingenuous and a lot less “revolutionary”. The “flaw” is perpetually bally-hooing the fantasy that there really is a “principle” in “Conservative principles”. In his op-ed piece for the Christian Science Monitor after a Rockville, MD Tea Party event, author James Bovard writes: “Many “tea party” activists staunchly oppose big government, except when it is warring, wiretapping, or waterboarding. A movement that started out denouncing government power apparently has no beef with some of the worst abuses of modern times. Unfortunately, there is scant evidence that most tea partyers have studied the copies of the Constitution they generously hand out to bystanders.” Call it Bovard’s Bull’s-eye: The “principle” is the Constitution. It’s “Constitutional principles”, not “Conservative principles” – whatever that means. Anything else is a bloviating discharge of pent-up frustration fueled by an overdose of adrenalin. It might feel good but that would mean “Conservative principles” are based on something as thoughtless and baseless as “feelings”. Unless/until the Tea Party embraces and understands the Constitution more than that pesky 10th Amendment and mans up to responsible, accurate application, the RNC/DNC Machine will marginalize you, grind you up and make you yesterday’s news. Constitutional Principles are your WMD in this battle. Compromise Constitution with “Conservative” and your WMD becomes a Super Soaker.

Continuing on my Federalist papers interests, I did a bit more on the idex and i have noe posted an html of it on my website. the link is: http://campanellaacoustics.com/ange/Fedpsort.htm The full papers are found at http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/fedindex.htm My file is an index of topics you can use to guide you to the passage about topics you want elaboration. Mind you, this file is a work-in-progress. There are 85 of these papers, a rondo of letters between Madison, Jay and Hamilton, as they cooked and seasoned thee US Constitution in the 1780's. So far I have done only seven...;:;(> I can use help in finishing it. It's a humble start. Ange

Richard-- Thanks. I agree. The tea party folks have never made clear what they want except in a negative sense. Look at the signs. That is what reporters see. Every tea party should be sub-titled with the goal: "Pursuing The American Dream" That's what they are doing and let the reporters try to tear that down.---Dick

Joy has a good point... That TP is somewhat rambling, but that has its good points... We won't find the truth by standing still... We have to search for it amongst trees in a forest of lies. The real strength of TP is can and will firstly listen carefully to what candidates say, then encourage and support those that say and mean what we want, namely smaller government, a balanced budget, a strong military and last but not least putting God back into the national lexicon. Reagan was really good at that! Rather than suicidally put up an independent candidate, we shall support the one Republican candidate that offers the most of these goals in our view. Figuring that TP can influence 10% of the electorate (physicist's guess), we can steer the conservative movement in the proper direction...... As a backdrop to this, my quest to get he Federalist papers "out f the closet" is to place on display all of the reasoning and wisdom that our Founders discovered, generated and used to forge the Best-on-Earth so far. They thought out the many options they had in making various federation arrangements; monarchy vs republic vs democracy, etc. Paragraph after paragraph they logically eliminated one traditional form of government after another, taking full advantage of Monday morning quarterbacking the follies of Europe from antiquity through the 18th century, ending up with the successful self-motivating and competitive triumvirate of Exec., Rep. & Court that we live under today.. "Those who do not study history are bound to repeat it." Ange.

Richard, great article, the best I've seen yet for all of those constantly trying to give Tea Party members advice. I have long wanted to tell those who question the movement and the fact that it has no leader, "We ARE the 'We the People,' and we will prevail. We do not need a leader because we are the leaders. Don't tread on us!" In particular, I especially agree with the advice to stay independent, this is incredibly important to us as we can think for ourselves and can discern the truth about what our country needs to prosper. I also agree with the get involved/stay involved advice and firmly believe that we are committed to staying involved. We won't back down and the left's attempts to implement Saul Alinsky tactics to isolate and ridicule us will simply not work. We know the truth. The biggest advice, "avoid the third party trap," most folks I know are there with you. We don't want to see another Perot to end up giving us the leaders who are destroying America today. Putting our policy on the offense and pressuring institutions to change are two items of advice that we are in the midst of and should definitely keep up, following our Founders advice to remain vigilant. If I could add anything else, I would encourage all to teach their children the truth about the founding of this nation and the Christian heritage that permeated it. Reagan was right, this is the world's last best hope and if it goes, there is no where else to go. We won't give up, we won't back down and we won't give in for our nation, our families and our posterity. Richard, thanks!

I would love it if civics was mandatory in all high schools. Lesson 1: The study of modern day Greece (or, the USA, if we don't do something soon)