Was the TEA Party Movement Co-Opted?

Strongly worded opinion here that, indeed, the TEA Party movement's been taken over by the Establishment Pubbies (conservative branch.)

The movement, that came to be officially recognized almost a year ago but whose roots go back further than that, has been snuffed out and replaced in the public mind. The movement that began as a people’s movement of angry independent, libertarians and conservatives will now be thought as the movement of people like Palin, Dick Armey, Judson Phillips, Mark Skoda, etc. Essentially, a wholly owned subsidiary of the “Official Conservative Movement” and the Republican Party.

Well, maybe.

Speaking for myself, I'll simply quote Groucho:

"I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member."

Anyhoo:

Palin talked about standing up to Iran, defending Israel and making the world safe for Democracy. All noble goals, I suppose, but what was she doing justifying and perpetuating the foreign policy of George Bush at a tea party convention?

The tea party I’m familiar with was concerned more about the collusion of big business and big government than the War in Iraq. The tea party I’m familiar with was more concerned about rejecting the bailout of Wall Street while looking for ways reinvigorate the economy of Main Street than looking for Al-Qaeda. The tea party I’m familiar with seemed more concerned about restoring the Republic at home than Democracy abroad.

Well, kinda. It's certain that domestic issues are front-burner--or at least, they WERE so in Madison last April and in Milwaukee this September. (Those were the events I saw.)

That Wilsonian FurrinPolicy crap is decoration for a cake, but the cake ain't baked yet.

We'll see.