Just as I suspected, most of those teabags waved and dangled at the Tax Day Tea Parties were not brought by the demonstrators from their own kitchens to show they were mad as hell and not gonna take it any more---they were indeed provided by the Republican National Committee at a cost of one millon bucks. Grass roots, my ass. Also saw footage of a recently unemployed attendee at one of these parties who got up and addressed the crowd. He introduced himself, asked how his fellow demonstrators felt, and asked them to cheer if they were making less than $250K per year. As expected, the cheers were overwhelming and deafening. Then he mentioned that those folks would be getting a tax CUT from the current Administration. The cheers stopped, replaced by boos and catcalls. Now wait a minute. These parties were supposed to be spontaneous protests by the middle class against what were perceived by them (rightly or wrongly) as undue taxation--current and threatened in the future--at the hands of the new Administration. But the minute someone spoke the truth to them, he was revealed as a Democratic "traitor."And in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry hinted ominously that if the Feds messed with Texas (or Texas' "sovereignty"), secession might be in order. (So far, he has yet to backtrack), Folks, these tea parties have been exposed for what they really were. They weren't about taxation or economic suffering. They were carefully orchestrated Republican campaign rallies for 2010 and beyond, designed to "cement the base" (ever shrinking and hardening) and--more disturbingly--exploit those not only intolerant of dissent but intolerant in general. They were, with only a few exceptions, "venting opportunities" for those displeased with the mere fact of Obama's victory and what they perceived and continue to perceive it represents---regardless of (and doggedly resistant to) persuasion by actual facts. This type of visceral resentment is the instrument the GOP "big lie" played so skillfully in 1994 with the Contract on America--already, as they characterized health care reform back then, the party is beginning to paint currently proposed health care, business and banking, and environmental reforms as insidious "new taxes." So now we know the secret to getting voters to oppose something that actually may be in their own interest: First, if you're in a position to and intend to profit financially at voters' expense (e.g., continuing to cheat them, fire them, take bailouts and bonuses, deny their legitimate insurance claims, cancel their credit, etc.), tell them that you share their "core moral values." Throw around terms like "sanctity of marriage," "freedom," "terrorism," and "pro-life" to boot, whether you have either the power or even the desire to do anything about them. Then, characterize everything that you don't like as a "tax" from "big government:" the magic buzzwords that apparently embody all that is evil and un-American. Fool us once.....