The Hill

Tea Party Announcements

Tess Wafelbakker

According to a memorandum reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and released by Tea Party leaders, the Tea Party plans to keep a close eye on candidates that it has indirectly supported, even after the upcoming midterm elections come to an end. As stated in the memorandum, the Tea Party Patriots, one of the leading groups within the Tea Party movement, will work with 3,000 local groups around the United States to plan a “multipronged campaign that includes advertising, polling, hundreds of rallies, and a summit of newly elected members of Congress early in 2011.” Leaders of the group claim that they will attempt to block Democratic progress during the rest of their lame-duck congressional session. The Tea Party Patriots have very ambitious fundraising goals – upwards of $2.8 million – and they are planning to promote two thousand tea parties on April 15, 2011. This group is making it clear that the Party is fed up with the current leadership – even that of currently serving Republicans – and that it is ready to launch a political campaign, emphasizing accountability and the need for change in Washington.

• Memorandum: a written record or statement of something; can outline actions to be taken in the future.
• Tea Party: United States protest movement focused on fiscal conservatism.
• Lame-duck: refers to the period during which a governmental body is thought to be inefficient or incapable of getting much done due to the fact that a successor has been elected.
• Incumbent: the current holder of a given governmental post.

• The summit that is currently being planned aims to hold the new representatives accountable for what is expected of them, as Americans have become increasingly concerned with the direction in which our nation is headed, especially in terms of the economy and high unemployment rates.
• Mark Meckler, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, stated in an interview that incumbent Republican members of Congress and the party’s national leadership will not be invited.

Additional Reading

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/24/tea-party-group-looking-maintain-pressure-new-members-congress-elections/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303864404575572341160902392.html