ON BREAK

One of the items I read this morning on my new e-mail listings was a message from The Tea Party.net raising the issue that liberal politicians and liberal media outlets were actively engaged in a campaign to lessen the impact and influence of The Tea Party. The message also, at least twice, asked for a monetary contribution to help oppose these attacks.

There is no question that those members of our nation who are liberal/socialist/progressive in their approach to US national and international policy (in other words they support Obama) are actively engaged in undermining The Tea Party and its efforts. However, the sad truth is that Tea Parties across the nation are already engaged in conduct that is self defeating.

I know several politically savvy individuals who have taken leave of their local Tea Party and are no longer active in their organization. Not a single one of these concerned voters has become an Obama fan or has in any way strayed from conservative thought. The problem has been that their local Tea Party chapter has decided to become involved, on one side or another, of a local issue or local election, including primaries. These decisions could not be championed by all Tea Party members and each such endorsement caused someone in the active ranks to "take a break". Hopefully, each of these conservatives will rejoining the efforts once the focus is again on national and international matters.

By no means is a suggestion being made that Tea Party members should not be involved in local and state political matters. To state otherwise would be a grave error. However, to attract the greatest number of citizens to be involved in the effort to return America to the principles upon which our nation was founded and to restore conservative leadership in Washington and to insure that BHO is a one-term President, Tea Parties should not be thinned by an "official" endorsement in a local election much less a primary. Let Tea Parties provide a forum for all political issues and candidates but remain above the fight with endorsements only on federal offices.

I subscribe to the theory that The Tea Party is a "trickle down" organization. Once the Washington issues have been addressed and conservative leaders placed in federal office, then the focus of Tea Parties can, while remaining primarily national/international in nature, work toward city, county and state matters.

You have probably surmised that I am one of those Tea Party members "on break". That observation is true but not because of any particular endorsement or local position but rather because of the decision to officially endorse candidates in primary elections.

With any luck in 2012 the efforts of all Tea Parties will be on making Obama a one term President and the potential dangers of taking sides, officially, in local matters and in primaries will have been learned and not repeated.