Convention Brews Tea Party Tension
Activists In Connecticut - Tea party activists protest President Obama's appearance last October at a political fundraiser in Stamford, Conn. (Douglas Healey / AP)
The first-ever national convention for the Tea Party movement takes place next week in Nashville, Tenn., and Sarah Palin is the keynote speaker.
But the event has become mired in controversy, with most of the criticism coming from Tea Party activists who complain that the event's organizers are charging too much and trying to make a profit.
What's more, two prominent conservatives in Congress and heroes of the movement — Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) — withdrew Thursday as speakers at the convention. Neither was to get a speaker's fee, but each said the for-profit nature of the convention raised questions about compliance with Congressional ethics rules.
Still, organizers of the event say it will go on.
An Uproar Over Costs
The Tea Party movement has grown quickly over the past year, drawing conservatives who oppose big government to huge rallies and countless smaller protests, including one that greeted President Obama's motorcade in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday.
"Obama is a maniacal idiot!" shouted one protester.
Tom Burns of Jupiter, Fla., showed up for the president's appearance dressed as Darth Vader. Explaining his costume, Burns said, "May the force be with 'we the people' — that's basically my message. ... I'm here today because I'm a very concerned American."
These activists have been a force in elections in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia. Harnessing that force is what next week's convention is all about, says Mark Skoda, a Memphis-based activist who is the spokesman for the event.
"Part of what I believe is that rallies and excitement and signs are visually entertaining, but they do not change the actions at the state and government level," he says. "This is all about changing those actions."
The main mover behind the event, Nashville attorney Judson Phillips, has been the target of stinging critiques from Tea Party activists who complain about the $549 registration fee. What's more, it's a separate $349 ticket to attend just the Palin speech.
Then there's Palin's speaking fee, reported to be as much as $100,000, though organizers won't confirm that figure. Perhaps the biggest complaint is that it's a for-profit event. Phillips is accused of trying to cash in and capitalize on the movement.
Skoda says that is not so.
"Frankly, this convention right now is about to break even, maybe a few bucks ahead," he says.
Right-Leaning Blogs Criticize The Movement
But Erick Erickson of RedState.com, a leading conservative blog, posted an item calling the entire convention "scammy."
And his was not the only right-leaning blog to condemn the event. Mark Meckler, co-founder of the national TeaPartyPatriots.org, has described the event as a usurpation of a grass-roots movement.
"We're all suffering in the grass-roots environment," he says. "And a lot of our folks felt if they had that kind of money, they should spend it locally — and not at a fancy hotel or in Nashville at a convention."
But plenty of groups are still backing the Tea Party convention, including Teri Christoph with SmartGirlPolitics.com, a site for conservative women. She says she thinks the group is "getting picked on because there are some sour grapes."
"And believe me, there are sour grapes in many Tea Party groups," Christoph says. "It's just the nature of something like that — trying to get a movement together."
Skoda says all the controversy was unexpected.
"It goes to the key point [that] grass-roots movements tend sometimes to be unwieldy," he says. "These are not professionals. We are not professional corporate organizers."
In the Tea Party movement, some want to change the Republican Party and others want to form a third party. But that's a dream that has eluded many populist activists across the political spectrum for generations. And the Tea Party is just beginning to grapple with the challenge.
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MADELEINE BRAND, host:
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ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And Im Robert Siegel in Washington.
The first-ever national convention for the Tea Party Movement is set for next week in Nashville. Sarah Palin will be the keynote speaker. But lately, the event has run into controversy with most of the criticism coming from other Tea Party activists. Their complaint: The $549 registration fee, for one, on top of the fact that it's being treated as a for-profit event at all.
And there's more bad news: Two prominent congressional conservatives who had been scheduled to speak have cancelled.
NPR's Don Gonyea reports.
DON GONYEA: The T-E-A in Tea Party stands for the rhetorical question: Taxed enough already? A year ago it was no more than that but it's grown quickly, drawing conservatives who oppose big government to huge rallies and countless smaller protests like this one that greeted President Obama in Tampa yesterday.
(Soundbite of a crowd)
Unidentified Man: Obama is a maniacal idiot.
GONYEA: This Tea Party member, Tom Burns of Jupiter, Florida, was dressed as Darth Vader, though he doesnt exactly sound like him.
Mr. TOM BURNS (Member, Tea Party): May the force be with the people. Thats basically what Im saying.
GONYEA: Harnessing that force is what next week's convention is all about, says Mark Skoda, a Memphis-based activist who helped organize the event.
Mr. MARK SKODA (Member, Tea Party): Part of what I believe is that rallies and excitement and signs without execution are, frankly, visceral and wonderfully entertaining, but they do not change the actions at the state and government level. And this is all about changing those actions.
GONYEA: The main figure behind the event, Nashville attorney Judson Phillips, has been the target of stinging critiques from Tea Party activists, complaining about a $549 registration fee and the alternative $349 ticket price for those who come only to the Palin speech. Then there's Palin's speaking fee reported to be as much as $100,000, a figure the organizers won't confirm.
Perhaps the biggest complaint: It is not a non-profit event. Phillips is accused of trying to cash in and capitalize on the movement. Skoda says not so.
Mr. SKODA: Frankly, this convention right now is about break-even, maybe a few bucks ahead.
GONYEA: Meanwhile, Eric Erickson of RedState.com, a leading conservative blog, posted an item calling the entire convention, quote, "scammy." And his was not the only blog to condemn the event. Mark Meckler co-founded the national TeaPartyPatriots.org. He has described the event as a user/patient of a grassroots movement.
Mr. MARK MECKLER (Co-founder, TeaPartyPatriots.org): We're all suffering in the current economic environment. And a lot of our folks felt it was appropriate, if they had that kind of money to spend, to stay home in their local areas as opposed to taking all that money out of local elections and going and spending it in Nashville on a fancy hotel and a convention.
GONYEA: But plenty of groups are still backing the Tea Party Convention. Teri Christoph is with SmartGirlPolitics.com, a site for conservative women.
Ms. TERI CHRISTOPH (Co-founder, SmartGirlPolitics.com): It's the activists, the grassroots activists. To me, having - the reason that we're involved is not because Sarah Palin is involved.
GONYEA: As for the differences among conservatives the convention has ignited, Christoph says this.
Ms. CHRISTOPH: I feel like this group is getting picked on because there are some sour grapes. And believe me, there are sour grapes in many Tea Party groups. It's just the nature of something like that trying to get a movement together.
GONYEA: Yesterday came word that Republican Congresswomen Michele Bachmann and Marsha Blackburn - both heroes of the movement - backed out. Neither was to get a speaker's fee, but each said the for-profit nature of the convention raised questions about compliance with congressional ethics rules.
Mark Skoda says all this controversy was unexpected.
Mr. SKODA: I think, however, it goes to the key point about, you know, grassroots movements tends sometimes to be unwieldy. These are not professionals. We are not professional corporate organizers.
GONYEA: Some in the Tea Party Movement want to change the Republican Party. Others want to form a third party. Thats a dream thats eluded many populist activists across the political spectrum for generations, and the Tea Party is just beginning to grapple with the challenge.
Don Gonyea, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
