Not surprising

If anything is surprising about this, it's that it took them so long.

Email from the Tea Party Patriots this morning:

There is much talk of the formation of a third political party based on the tea party movement. In Florida, a Democratic operative with absolutely no connection to the tea party movement has filed papers to form a third party called the Florida Tea Party. He has issued legal threats against local tea parties demanding that they cease using the name "Florida Tea Party."

Tea Party Patriots is issuing this statement in order to make it clear that we are not associated with this, or any attempts to form a third party. Additionally, we believe that such efforts are unproductive and unwise at this time. The history of third party movements in this country is one of division and defeat. We believe that it is instead time for all Americans to rise up and demand appropriate reform within their own parties. The mechanisms exist for citizens to participate in their parties, and to drive their parties in the right direction.

Part of what has made the Tea Party movement a success is that it is a true grass roots movement; despite what the political establishment and their running dog lackeys in the Main (or "Lame") Stream media want us to believe, the Tea Party movement is barely, if at all, organized on a state, let alone national scale.  The Tea Parties have been organized by local activists, often with the participation of politicians and elected officials, but never formally by any party apparatus.  (At least not higher than county level, although the chairman of the WA state GOP was at the Independence Day Tea Party we attended.  He was a rather harried looking man, too, what with the local GOP representative having voted for Crap & Tax...)

No doubt the Sunshine State donkey mentioned in the Tea Party Patriots' email thinks he has found a way to effectively kill the Tea Party Movement.  Me, I think he's just gonna piss people off, and make matters worse.

As for the Tea Party patriots' contention that the "history of third party movements in this country is one of division and defeat", yes, the Republican party did start as a third party.  A single swallow does not a cup of tea make, or however it goes...

UPDATE:  Eric Odom weighs in at Tax Day Tea Party.