Conservatives in Tea Party stir: A fight of the right, by the right and for the right

Conservative Tea Party activists hope to make a political mark in 2010, but an Orlando attorney's effort to run candidates under the "Tea Party" label in Florida is being met with suspicion and outright hostility by many in the movement. The flap illustrates the allure of the Tea Party brand, which was more popular than the Republican Party in one recent national poll. It also highlights the decentralized, grass-roots nature of the Tea Party movement, which sprang up in Florida and across the U.S. in 2009 to rail against the federal stimulus bill and healthcare overhaul efforts. There are as many as 80 Tea Party groups in Florida alone. Attorney Fred O'Neal registered the Tea Party with the Florida Division of Elections in August as a political party. O'Neal is closely tied to Orlando political consultant and anti-tax activist Doug Guetzloe and has worked on anti-tax issues, but hasn't been involved in Tea Party demonstrations. O'Neal says he wants to recruit candidates who favor low taxes and limited government to run for local and statewide office under the Tea Party banner. South Florida Tea Party Chairman Everett Wilkinson and many other Tea Party organizers around the state oppose the idea. "This is exactly what we're fighting against — political consultants and parties, politicians trying to make deals," Wilkinson said...read more