Surprisingly, many on our side -- Republicans and conservatives -- are still clueless about the Tea Party or have a negative view of it.  They have fallen prey to the mainstream media's rhetoric that we are a bunch of anti-government extremists with a few redneck racists thrown in for good measure.

But folks, this is not an accurate description of the Tea Party.  Not by a long shot.

Ten years ago, at a social event, a politician told me he ran for office as a Republican and lost.  Without skipping a beat, he said he was running again as a Democrat because they promised him better financial support.  I thought, how is this possible?  How can someone reverse their values to further their political career?  Man, was I naive.

Though referring to Republicans, my buddy Joe eloquently nailed the problem in politics today: "As long as this is a party of men who seek power, rather than fight for principles seared into their souls, then the Republican Party stands for nothing other than being the opposing party to the Democrats."

"Principles seared into their souls."  Such are the kind of candidates we in the Tea Party are seeking and rallying around: character-driven candidates who say what they mean and mean what they say.  It is truly a sad commentary on the decline of our culture when such expectations are deemed fanatical.  Good Lord, how far we have fallen.

Remember the elementary school tale of George Washington, where he was confronted by his father for cutting down the cherry tree?  "I cannot tell a lie, father, ...I did cut it with my little hatchet."  I know, I sound like a sappy old fart, expecting my elected representatives to be trustworthy.

Resentment against the corrupt modus operandi of both political parties has been festering in the hearts of the American people for years.  We have silently tolerated their governing against our will and best interest -- spending to win votes and seeking power via ever-increasing intrusive government controls over our lives.  Obama in his unprecedented arrogance and lawlessness was the straw that broke the camel's back -- thus birthing the Tea Party.

Due to my traveling on six Tea Party Express national bus tours, speaking and singing at over three hundred Tea Party rallies and related events, hearing people speak poorly about the Tea Party sparks the same emotional response in me as talking badly about my momma!

My anger is a righteous anger because hearing the mainstream media and other Obama minions unfairly trashing millions of good people solely to provide cover for an out-of-control, lawless president should make any decent fair-minded person angry.

For the Obama camp and mainstream media to have the unmitigated gall to say the Occupy movement is equal to the Tea Party makes for off-the-chain arrogance and shameless lying.  In three years of Tea Party rallies, the only incident of violence was when Obama's SEIU thugs beat up a black conservative for selling "Don't Tread on Me" flags.  OWS has grown increasingly violent.

No one has been raped at a Tea Party. Rapes are occurring at OWS.  No property, government or private, has been vandalized or destroyed by Tea Party patriots.  OWS has been trashing businesses.  No feces has been thrown or used to make a point at a Tea Party, but OWS dumped a bucket of feces in a public building.  No arrests have been made at a Tea Party, but we have over 7,000 at OWS.

And yet, Democrat Nancy Pelosi said God bless OWS while calling the Tea Party Nazi.

Initially the Tea Party was millions of frustrated, concerned Americans coming together at rallies to confirm that something has gone terribly wrong in our country.  Obama was simply the tip of the iceberg, the poster child for the left's Progressive/Socialistic movement to overthrow America as we know it.

Over the past three years, the Tea Party has grown, morphing into a tremendously powerful, sophisticated, and stealthier activist movement.  The mainstream media is reporting that the Tea Party is dead.  Most assuredly, we are not.

To all those Republicans and Conservatives who say it is time to dump the name "Tea Party" because it is "too divisive," I say shame on you.  When will you understand that the mainstream media will trash us no matter what we call ourselves?  Also, if it were not for the Tea Party, Republicans would not be enjoying a majority in the House.  What happened to "Dance with the one who brought you"?

This is no time to change dance partners by backing away from the Tea Party.  We are more focused, educated, united, and powerful than ever.