Newly Formed ‘Federation’ of Tea Party and Grassroots Groups Announced

In an effort to build its credibility and influence nationwide, the tea party movement on Thursday announced the formation of a "federation" of tea party groups. Mark Skoda, a member of the Memphis Tea Party, told a crowd of roughly 200 conservative activists gathered outside the state capitol that 21 factions of the movement will form the National Federation Tea Party. Skoda said the federation will act as a "rapid response" to "misinformation" allegedly put forth by the "mainstream media." The National Federation Tea Party includes groups like the Tea Party Express, which is currently on a 42-city bus tour across the country, as well as Tea Party Nation, ResistNet, Constitutional TEA Party and American Grassroots Coalition. But the conservative movement, which has prided itself on its refusal to formally merge with the Republican Party, refuted claims Thursday that the tea party seeks to form its own political party. "That would be political suicide," Mark Williams, chairman of Tea Party Express, told FoxNews.com. "America is a two party system and to create a third party is to reinvent the wheel. This federation was formed simply as a rapid response to put out brushfires in the mainstream media." "This is a not a single leadership formation," added Skoda. The federation also includes several conservative "affiliate groups" like Americans for Prosperity, American for Tax Reform, FreedomWorks and Citizens United. FoxNews