For tea party, victories may trigger identity crisis.

[elleng]

Rep. Bachmann's announcement Wednesday that she will seek a House leadership post broadcast loud and clear that she hopes to secure a prominent place for the emboldened tea party movement in Congress.

But the news also seemed to contradict the definition of the tea party: the outsider, anti-government phenomenon that shook up the Republican Party this year and helped to oust dozens of incumbents across the country. As the founder of the Tea Party Caucus in the House and a favorite of the conservative movement, Bachmann, a two-term Republican from Minnesota, has embraced that outsider image.

As a result, her bid to be the next GOP conference leader - the No. 4 leadership spot - highlights the question of how incoming House members and senators who prevailed Tuesday under the tea party banner will make the transition from outside the Republican Party to inside, from criticizing policy to making it, and from opposing the government to being part of it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/03/AR2010110308699.html?hpid=topnews

[TlalocW]

1. Tea Baggers are going to have to walk a knife's edge

As soon as they start working within the system - which they will have to if they want to have an effect - their supporters will go all Scott Brown on them.

TlalocW

[elleng]

2. Yes. Good to watch.

[exboyfil]

3. Well they are like parrots

"Tax cuts" "Tax cuts" "Tax cuts" that is all you hear from them.

Let the Bush tax cuts lapse but figure out how to get more money in the pockets of Americans with wealth creating jobs.

I can give you one possibility that just might stir the pot:

Eliminate the Social Security cap but adjust the withholdings downward to make it revenue neutral for three years. After that make it pay as you go with a draw down of the trust fund. You have potential support from everyone making less than $105K, and you will put money in the pockets of individuals who will be more likely to spend it on todays goods - jolt for the economy. If possible I would also extend the withholding to all income. I don't see why wage slaves should be the only ones who contribute to the system.

[pinto]

4. Great point.

:think: