From the proverbial "main street" to the chambers of Congress: The story of the Tea Party movement puzzles many. But success comes with a price tag. Polarization has taken precedence over constructive criticism.
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For many Europeans the massacre in Arizona is another evidence that political violence is spreading in the United States but this unfortunate event was the deed of a mentally ill person, not a political activist. There is no evidence of an increasing political extremism tearing America apart. Using phrases and images from the American Revolution is natural for a political movement against government power.
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The Tea Party is here to stay. Republicans use the movement to get the dirty work done but have no intention to alter their politics. The disgruntled base has lost its coherent agenda.
