Tea Partiers shaking up races across country

A once-dismissed loose confederation of Tea Party activists opposed to big government, bailouts and higher taxes is causing heartburn for establishment candidates across the country. About 50 activists from 30 states gathered in Washington over the weekend for a conference that former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, helped put together. Armey, a lobbyist until late last year, has made it clear he doesn't want to be the face of the movement. Some of those attending were equally resolute that their marching orders will continue to come from the grass roots, not political professionals in Washington. "We get people who call us all the time, politicians or other organizations, and they say, 'Hey, we need you to do a protest across the country on this date.' And we just laugh because it's a fundamental misunderstanding of the movement," said Mark Meckler, a California lawyer and board member of Tea Party Patriots, an umbrella group...read more