Tea Parties and the GOP: Fatal Attraction?

That's Tabitha Hale, with Representative Michele Bachmann, and former House Majority Leader Dick Armey. See, "Today’s Code Red Rally":

The tone from Hill staffers and Capitol Police was less friendly than it has been. I'm getting the impression that they're sick of seeing us. Well, guess what guys, we're sick of having to go down there. I'd rather not babysit Congress every day, trust me. If they had their junk together we wouldn't have to do this every few weeks. The Senators seem a little more freaked out than the House members did about having constituents in their offices. One highlight was Senator Lieberman's office threatening to arrest Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Mark Meckler.

Click the link for the video.

Personally, I'm still trying to figure out if the tea parties are going to remain a populist insurgency, putting killer pressure on both parties, or whether they'll be coopted by the GOP. If by "GOP" we mean Bachmann and Governor Sarah Palin, then I'm all for it. But if a bunch of RINOs start angling to leverage grassroots activism into political power it's going to be rude awakening for those Scozzafava-clones.

Andrew Ian Dodge has more on this, "Are Some Tea Partiers Selling Out to the GOP?":

Groups like FreedomWorks and Tea Party Express may portray themselves as “aides” to the grassroots, but the reality of the last few months is something different. They try to control activity and influence who is in charge of local tea party groups across the country. They play rival groups against each other and support the group which bends to their will. It all smacks of top-down politics, and now the mainstream media is claiming a “split,” portraying the movement as at each other’s throats:

Some Tea Partiers have voiced anger and concern over whether the powerful groups are “astroturfing” what is supposed to be a grass-roots coalition — the idea that the movement is being organized by old-fashioned GOP bigwigs to promote their agenda.

Those involved in the D.C.-managed groups state that we need to “stick together” and focus on “common goals.” The thinking is in terms of two parties, and doesn’t recognize that in some states the Republican Party is not the answer. In states controlled by RINOs, no former Republican, libertarian, or anti-socialist is going to be fooled into helping RINOs retain power.

Across the country I have spoken to tea party organizers who tried to make nice with the local Republican Party, only to face a steamroller attempt to co-opt the tea party for partisan means.

The tea party movement will stand or fall on its nonpartisan nature. The movement is growing by leaps and bounds because of Obama, Pelosi, Reid and their chums, who ignore the movement at their peril. It would be a great shame if those seeking glory, money, or future office were to sell out the movement for short-term gain in 2010. The stakes are far too high to throw it all away for one election. The socialists in both parties won’t all disappear in 2010, and neither should the tea party movement.

RELATED: Chris Smith, "Code Red Healthcare Protest Summary."