A Militant Response

Newt Gingrich describes the Tea Party perfectly.

While speaking last night in Pennsylvania, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) predicted that the Tea Party movement would be an important part of the Republican party -- the "militant wing," in fact.

Gingrich said that the Tea Party movement is a "natural expression of frustration with Republicans and anger at Democrats," the York Dispatch repots. However, he said that it would not turn into a third-party movement, but is instead "more likely to end up as the militant wing of the Republican Party."

End up as?  I'd say they are already there.  Still, "militant wing of the GOP" really does describe the Tea Party movement on a number of levels.  Certainly some have called for revolution, other have rallied around open carry laws, others have recruited from the ranks of the military who are dissatisfied with the country and its Commander-in-Chief, others have referred to themselves in the Tea Party as members of an army or mob, have talked about marching on the capital, etc.

The word "militant" is an entirely appropriate adjective on a number of levels.  Some of those levels should be raising alarms as well.