Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) founder and Service Employees International Union organizer Wade Rathke acknowledged that the tea party movement has been more effective than Occupy Wall Street in influencing American politics.

Rathke was unequivocal about the Occupy movement, telling The DC that “in no way has it had the political impact that the tea party movement has.” Yet because Occupy organizing is “still in its embryonic stages” while tea partiers have been organizing for more than two years, he cautions that “comparing the tea party movement to OWS is apples and oranges.”

While watching ACORN implode in the United States, Rathke has thrived in his new role as community organizer to the world by remaking ACORN International, known as Community Organization International in the U.S., into a worldwide community organization with near-global reach and power. And former ACORN board members say Rathke’s remarkable global turnaround is proof that most observers completely missed ACORN’s bigger picture and its broader goals.

Rathke generally had positive things to say about both the tea party and Occupy movements. “They are substantially mobilizing individuals around a set of principles,” he added. “It’s fascinating that they’re both appealing to many of the same people.” Read more at dailycaller.com

Based on what Comrade Lochhead tells us, we’re guessing that by the time you finish reading this post, there will be another new Republican prez race front-runner. It’s been that challenging tracking the latest GOP flavor of the month, to quote Gov. Palin, in this year’s Baskin-Robbins GOP primary race. Not since 1964, have so many different Republicans led the field BEFORE the voting started.

Part of the reason: There’s a definite split between Republicans who identify with the Tea Party and those who don’t. Rarely have the two been in sync.

The National Journal notes that in the 13 polls national CNN/ORC polls taken of GOP voters this year, “six different candidates have led among tea party supporters: Huckabee, Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Herman Cain and most recently Newt Gingrich. Among those who don’t identify with the tea party, a similar group of six candidates have held the top spot: Sarah Palin, Gingrich, Trump, Romney, Giuliani, and Perry.” Read more at blog.sfgate.com

The Daily Journal’s reprinting on Aug. 23 of an editorial dated Aug. 18 by the News Journal in Wilmington, Del., really rankled me. Specially the statement that the tea party is “less popular than much maligned groups like ‘atheists’ and ‘Muslims.’”

If this statement is true, it is compliments of the leftist media in this country that work night and day trying to ruin the tea party — just like they did Sarah Palin. They dwell on any blooper made by conservatives, while any bloopers (and there have been many) made by President Barack Obama get a total free ride.

I invite anyone with negative feelings about the tea party to attend the meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Elmer Grange, and I guarantee you will come out of there feeling “by God, there are still some true Americans left.” Read more at www.thedailyjournal.com

After saying that the tea party movement has “schizophrenia” in its views on the deficit, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) is set to get on earful Monday evening from onetime supporters disappointed by his vote to raise the debt ceiling earlier this month.

All 300 tickets for West’s early evening appearance at a meeting of the Palm Beach County Tea Party sold out quickly, with locals eager to give him a piece of their mind.

“Some people are focusing their hostility and their anger on Allen West,” the group’s co-founder, Pamela Wohlschlegel, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. But not everyone in the local movement is opposed to him, she said, noting that some supported the debt ceiling deal because it included some spending cuts and is seen as the best agreement fiscal conservatives could get at the time. Read more at www.politico.com

The Senate’s Tea Party Caucus will face a tough decision when it comes time to vote to raise the national debt limit: Fall in line behind Republican leadership or go rogue.

The founding members of the new caucus – freshman Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and second-term Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) – are each considering whether to mount a filibuster to block an increase of the $14.3 trillion national debt ceiling.

But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his leadership team are quietly voicing concerns about a filibuster, saying their preferred strategy is to force Democrats to find 51 votes among themselves, so they can be solely responsible for raising the national borrowing limit. Since 60 votes would be needed to overcome a filibuster, at least seven Republicans would have to ultimately back a debt limit hike if the party didn’t want to take the blame for forcing a default on the nation’s creditors – which would badly muddy the political message. Read more at www.politico.com

During the election season, tea party activists declared deficit-reduction one of their primary goals. The nation is swimming in red ink, they noted, posing a huge burden for generations to come. So I’m waiting for those tea party activists to mount a huge protest over the tax deal between President Obama and Republicans. It is expected to cost $858 billion over ten years.

Where’s that tea party protest? Are they headed to Washington to denounce the deal, as they did repeatedly with the health care plan — which will lower the deficit over ten years?

Yes, there are other things in the deal besides tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. But extending the tax cuts for all Americans for two years cost $675.2 billion. Extending them for the richest Americans — along with generous cuts to the estate tax — will cost about $50 billion over two years. Are the tea partiers at all concerned about that?

Then were the ethanol subsidies, which most reasonable people agree are a spectacular waste of government resources — a giveaway to corn farmers. But farm state legislators wanted ethanol subsides included in the package, and they are there. Read more at blogs.ajc.com

During the election season, tea party activists declared deficit-reduction one of their primary goals. The nation is swimming in red ink, they noted, posing a huge burden for generations to come. So I’m waiting for those tea party activists to mount a huge protest over the tax deal between President Obama and Republicans. It is expected to cost $858 billion over ten years.

Where’s that tea party protest? Are they headed to Washington to denounce the deal, as they did repeatedly with the health care plan — which will lower the deficit over ten years?

Yes, there are other things in the deal besides tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. But extending the tax cuts for all Americans for two years cost $675.2 billion. Extending them for the richest Americans — along with generous cuts to the estate tax — will cost about $50 billion over two years. Are the tea partiers at all concerned about that?

Then were the ethanol subsidies, which most reasonable people agree are a spectacular waste of government resources — a giveaway to corn farmers. But farm state legislators wanted ethanol subsides included in the package, and they are there. Any day now, I’m sure, tea partiers will gather on the Mall to protest this big addition to the national deficit. Any of you have your bags packed for the party? Read more at blogs.ajc.com

The influential Tea Party Patriots group is starting to take sides in key House chairmen races, pushing for Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) over Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) for the Appropriations panel.

The group has also criticized Rep. Fred Upton’s (R-Mich) as not quite conservative enough to chair the Energy and Commerce committee.

The organization is also sending out information about contenders for House gavels ahead of a conference call Monday evening in which some of the lawmakers are scheduled to participate. The steering committee will hear from chairmen candidates this week.

“Some of the most important positions in Congress are the chairmanships of committees,” group leaders wrote in an e-mail. “Never before have the people been involved in trying to influence who chairs these various committees, but times are changing, and our voices need to be heard!!”

The group is encouraging Tea Partiers to contact members of the steering committee to express support for certain candidates. It lists the names of all steering committee members on its web site. Read more at www.politico.com