"Tea Partiers" Turn Out to be Surprisingly Independent

For those who thought the groups who were gathering in various parts of the country and putting on "tea parties" to protest the current administration’s wild spending and overbearing policies were staunchly Republican…think again. The group is turning out to be surprisingly independent, and seems perfectly willing to kick incumbent Republicans to the curb if they don’t adhere to the "less is more" theory of government. Dick Armey, chairman of FreedomWorks, an anti-tax, small government advocacy group, noted, "We will be a headache for anyone who believes the Constitution of the United States isn’t to be protected."

Apparently Armey really means it too when he notes, "We’re not a partisan organization, and I think many Republicans are disappointed we are not." Some examples of the group’s independence are on display in Florida. The national Republican party is firmly in favor of Governor Charlie Crist in that state’s Senate primary, but the activists have chosen to support former state House Speaker Marco Rubio instead. The abandonment of Crist by the group is due to the Florida Governor’s support for President Obama’s stimulus package.

Said Everett Wilkinson, an organizer for "Tea Party Patriots," "We were very disappointed with Governor Charlie Crist when he supported the stimulus, the bailout, and he appeared publicly with President Obama. The opposition comes from Crist’s support for the largest spending plan ever and the environmental policies he’s pushing on the American people." Said Andrew Moylan, a director for the National Taxpayers Union, "It’s an outgrowth of the frustration people have had with the Republican Party. I think a lot of people have been angry at Republicans for betraying our trust."