MSM Finally Acknowledges Existence of the Tea Parties

Over the last year, Americans who sided with their local Tea Party and staged protests railing against the encroachment of big government, and rallied in the streets of our nation's capital by the hundreds of thousands, were largely ignored by the media. Who can forget the adversarial role cable news channels took, like the confrontational CNN reporter at one rally or the mainstreaming of sexually explicit term by the crew over at MSNBC?

Well now the Tea Party is getting some attention, but there seems to be one common theme in the reporting. See if you can see a pattern.

CNN: Fractures Emerge as Tea Party Convenes

ABC: Whose Tea Party Is It? Nashville Convention Stirs Debate

Much has been made lately about a group of Tea Partiers holding a convention in Nashville that comes with, for many of those who support the effort, a steep price tag. My reaction has always been, so what? If you want to pay the money to attend more power to you. I have yet to figure out why this is such a big deal. It would seem the narrative being pushed in the media is that because this movement is supposed to be all about the common man everything they do must come with a Wal-Mart style price tag.

So while the Democrats are holding fundraisers in Hawaii, and their defeated candidates can go to Washington, DC to accept donations from big unions and others are holding campaign fundraisers at posh resorts and venues, the press thinks it is despicable for the Tea Party folks to holding a event that are charging for.

I think maybe it has more to do with Sarah Palin being the keynote speaker and the fear she embodies in the liberals and they are afraid of what might happen if the movement, which is really a bunch of local organizations, should get organized under one banner.

For the record, I don't think the Tea Party should be a national organization. It works best when it remains focused on the local level and holds local politicians accountable more then when they take on trying to present a solid, one size fits all, type personality.

No, trying to reign in the Tea Partiers is like herding a bunch of cats. It is an endeavor best not entered into.

The good news is that an organization that couldn't get an honorable mention on the nightly newscast last year is now having their every move scrutinized. Like they say in Hollywood, there is no such thing as bad publicity.