Now that the Tea Party has not only demonstrated its power to force the Republican Party to begin acting like a true party for less government, it has also shown that it has staying power. The elections of 2010 were just the beginning of the Tea Party’s ascent to power in Washington, and the liberals are running scared. And when they run scared they begin calling names.

In a two-hour, closed-door Democrat Caucus meeting, Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania angrily said, “We have negotiated with terrorists. This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money.” Vice-President Biden agreed: “They have acted like terrorists.” Biden later denied that he had said that, but after Politico published the remarks, spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said: “The word was used by several members of Congress.”

And many prominent elite liberals are now using similar terms to describe the Tea Party enemy. In one of his columns in the New York Times, Thomas Friedman described the Tea Party as the GOP’s “Hezbollah faction.” And Maureen Dowd wrote that some Democrats were describing the Tea Party as “the Republican ‘Taliban wing.’ ” Read more at thenewamerican.com

Over the past three months the Republican Party, the Tea Party and conservatives activist organizations in general (even Libertarians) have produced their own adaptation on the theme — a dark comedy that would, in any other era be funny. While the tendency in politics to criticize one’s own smacks of treason, it is time for a reality check. Joseph Curl delivered one such critique in his April 10 piece for The Washington Times just ahead of Campaign 2012. He stated, in essence, that even publicity-hound Donald Trump knows more about strategic politics than the current “sad sack” cast of characters with their hat already in the ring. Or, sort of in the ring, depending…. To wit: Newt Gingrich (“perennial benchwarmer”), Tim Pawlenty (pictured above: “’milquetoast’ is too racy an adjective”), Mike Huckabee (last go-around’s third-place finisher), Rick Santorum (“who?”), Haley Barbour (“polls at just 1 percent”), Sarah Palin (with “negatives out-matching Newt Gingrich”), Rep. Michele Bachmann (“political lightweight”). He then produces a long list of dark horses with baggage but no ideas, and miscellaneous “hotshots” who can be counted on to take potshots instead of demanding the proverbial pound of flesh.

Bottom line: Conservatives have failed to comprehend new media gimmicks. They understand the appeal of web sites and include tabs to “Contact Me,” but they do not understand what it takes to actually “connect” in that environment, nor do they care to. Instead, they’re doing what Boomers’ parents used to call “cutting off your nose to spite your face.” Read more at www.thenewamerican.com