Phony movement?

I don't know, it looks pretty real to me...

Felicia Cravens and her friends call themselves the Houston Tea Party Society, part of a national movement in which thousands of people in cities across the country plan to stage Tax Day Tea Parties on Wednesday to protest the federal government’s billion-dollar economic stimulus packages and bailouts for the banking and auto industries. Tea parties are planned for nearly a dozen cities in the Houston area, including Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Friendswood and Pearland.
...
Critics have derided the Tea Parties as a phony movement drummed up by Republicans angry that Barack Obama won the presidency.

They have it wrong. It's the leftists who employ the astroturf. And it should be noted, of course, that every account of the tea parties has the organizers saying it's not a partisan thing -- not just in Houston but everywhere else too. Like one of the commenters said, they'd be ticked no matter who was spending their money...or, I might add, their children's and grandchildren's money. Honestly, why should it be a partisan issue? Republicans voted for the bailouts too, and as Mr. Vanderboegh points out, even certain Southern Republicans, who should be among liberty's staunchest allies, are starting to cave on other things...

(Alabama Congressman Spencer) Bachus discussed a number of topics in his speech Thursday morning. He did not give the response some small city officials were hoping for when they asked if he would oppose all gun bans.

Instead, he said, it may be necessary to ban some assault weapons to keep hunting rifles and guns from being outlawed.

Vanderboegh goes on to point out that Mr. Bachus said this with the knowledge that 65 Democrats signed a letter to the Attorney General telling him to back off trying to pass such a ban. Ignorant and a chickenshit to boot. Personally, I don't understand how banning some guns will save the rest, especially considering what can be done with a scoped bolt-action deer rifle in the hands of a skilled marksman. I shudder to think of how many people focused on the tools of John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo as opposed to their tactic.
"They used an eeeevil assault veapon!"
"Well YEAH, but they coulda pulled it off with that thirty-aught-six boltie you bought last deer season too. It would have been easier for them too, with the fine scope you put on that thing. You really think your guns are safe?"