[ejdrapes]

I've never seen people so paranoid over someone who supposedly is no threat to Palin. I see posts that so and so won't support Bachmann because of her ineffectual leadership of the tea party caucus, then others who slam her for (in their minds) trying to cast herself as the leader of the tea party by creating the tea party caucus. Palin Derangement Syndrome indeed.

[rob777]

"I see posts that so and so won't support Bachmann because of her ineffectual leadership of the tea party caucus, then others who slam her for (in their minds) trying to cast herself as the leader of the tea party by creating the tea party caucus."


Pure lunacy. BTW, she has repeatedly credited whatever success the Tea Party Caucus might have in pressuring the GOP to hold the line to the larger Tea Party movement. As for the impression being given of "casting" oneself as the leader leader of the Tea Party movement, here is an article from last year by the Tea Party Patriots: http://www.teapartypatriots.org/BlogPostView.aspx?id=2d180076-dcee-4106-8aca-8991b2722fa1 They are a loose coalition of about 2500 - 3000 local groups and are by far the biggest group to bear the name. They took issue with Sarah being portrayed as the Tea Party leader after scoring a hefty sum to speak at a Tea Party convention:

"Palin’s contract, according to Shreeve, who had a look at it, called for her to be paid $100,000 for the event. It also included $18,000 for private jet travel for her and her entourage."