It's wishful thinking to believe that your average tea partier is going to make a significant difference in Obama's Supreme Court pick, but it still represents a good move on the GOP's part. Mainstream Republicans and status-quo Republican groups need to incorporate tea partiers into their political maneuvers if they hope to see electoral success.
Meanwhile, the AP has another report out on tea party opposition. It's not new news, but it is a helpful reminder that whenever a group of Republicans takes a stand for something, it's necessarily going to spawn opposition. The AP focuses on http://www.crashtheteaparty.org, a group that infiltrates tea parties in what is now 65 major cities. Here's the money quote from Judy Pepenella, a co-coordinator for the New York State Tea Party.
Gandhi's quote is one we understand: 'First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.'