The Honeymoon is Over

Organized around fears of America's problems -- not on facts and solutions --  the Tea Party's political candidates were doomed to be revealed as right wing whiners, windbags and rabble-rousers.

However, few could've predicted the Tea Partisans would fall apart so completely, so fast.

A flood of devastating natural disasters and big business boondoggles, combined with the on-going oil catastrophe off the Gulf coast, has forced Rubio, Palin and most of the other Tea Party all-stars into a R.U.N.T. (Republican Under New Title) retreat.

It's difficult to get folks to parade around with signs saying "Drill, Baby, Drill" and "Taxed Enough Already" when they're living in emergency housing or standing in the unemployment line due to an oil spill. But that didn't stop Rand Paul! Fresh off his primary win in Kentucky, Ron Paul's libertarian son went on a Tea Party media tour.

Dr. Paul, darling of the disgruntled Tea Baggers, went on Rachel Maddow's show to air his bizarre views in prime time. The son of a senator established that, as Bill Maher put it, "the shit doesn't fall far from the bat."

Private businesses should be able to do whatever they want -- Paul indicated -- including discriminate against minority groups or Americans with disabilities.

What about corrupt companies or negligent corporations like BP? As far as the good doctor is concerned . . . "accidents happen."

That's true. Of course, accidents can be avoided with proper assessment and preparation . . . a fact that cannot be lost on the Tea Baggers in Kentucky. As the campaign begins, their candidate has decided to decline all press interviews.

"I've heard nothing from BP about not paying for the spill. And I think it's part of this sort of blame game society in the sense that it's always got to be someone's fault instead of the fact that sometimes accidents happen."
-- Dr. Rand Paul

"When does my honeymoon period start? I had a big victory."
-- Dr. Rand Paul

Tempest in a Tennessee Tea Pot

It was just a few weeks ago when Mark Skoda -- chairman of the Memphis TEA Party -- was loudly complaining about paying high taxes.

Mark and his group of Tennessee patriots were fighting mad about the tax money they're shelling out and staged several anti-government rallies.

Questioned as to anger directed specifically toward the President -- who has actually cut income taxes -- Mr. Skoda reasoned, "Obama was the Pearl Harbor moment for conservatives."

But now Mark and his fellow Tennessee Tea Baggers are facing a new crisis moment.

Flooding from two days of heavy rain is wreaking havoc in Tennessee. Up to 20 inches of rain has fallen in parts of the state over the weekend. The rains have washed out major roads, caused evacuations, and prompted dam failures. In Nashville alone, more than 600 people were rescued from the water this weekend, reported emergency management officials.

Of course the rescue missions, emergency shelters and other services are supplied by local, state and federal GOVERNMENT.  And they cost a lot of MONEY.

The TN Emergency Management Agency has already requested help from the National Guard.  The state will now appeal to President Obama for federal relief.

Needless to say . . . the anti-tax protests from Mark Skoda, and the angry complaints about taxes from the Tennessee Tea Baggers, have instantly dried up.