REBELS WITHOUT A CLUE (but with plenty of green)

I was told by someone who probably didn't know what he was talking about that the TEA in Tea Party stood for Taxed Enough Already.  Maybe so.  Who cares.

Philosophically, the Tea Party wants to retake control of the government, to wrest power from what Tea Partiers perceive as an entrenched elite that is not responsive to the American people.  As a couple of big Tea Party muck-i-mucks wrote in 2010: The Tea Party  "... is a populist reaction to the smug elitism of our political class."

That's what any self-respecting rebel group, out there fighting for the little guy, would say. 

"We're takin' on THE MAN.  We're stickin' it to THE MAN.  That's what us Tea Party rebels are all about – tearin' down THE MAN."

Yeah.  Okay.  Fine.  Sounds Good.  Who doesn't favor helping the little guy?

But what about Tea Party leaders who actually are THE MAN.  How does THE MAN fight against THE MAN?

As one blatant example -- Take Dick Armey.  Please.

If there's anyone who personifies THE MAN in Washington elitism it's Armey.

Armey was former House Republican leader but then jumped ship when he saw which way the wind was blowing and became chairman of a Tea Party group called FREEDOMWORKS. 

As chairman of FREEDOMWORKS Armey's fight against THE MAN included such perks as a $500,000 yearly salary, first class air travel and a chauffeured car.

Nothing says rebel like a limo and driver.

Armey just quit FREEDOMWORKS because of differences over some Tea Party purity minutia.  As part of his anti-elite, takin' on THE MAN, Golden Tea Party Parachute, Armey -- the rebel fighting against politicians identical to himself, gets an $8 million going away bonus.

Did you say EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS??!!

Yes.

Wow.  Nice rebel work if you can get it.  That's 8 million reasons to take the fight to THE MAN, even in retirement, even if you're THE MAN.

Another rebel, cut from the same rebel cloth as Armey, fighting against THE MAN, is Jim DeMint.  

DeMint just quit his job as US senator from South Carolina to take on the fight to take on THE MAN in his new position as leader of the Heritage Foundation.

DeMint says his move is because this is "…a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle for ideas."

Battling For Ideas.  Fighting for ideas.  Wrestling with ideas. That's the kind of battle any Tea Partier who likes to battle THE MAN can sink his teeth into.  Battling for ideas beats actual battling any day.

Be assured that DeMint's move is for the highest motives (it's all about ideas) and has nothing to do with the elitism that the Tea Party can't abide.

DeMint's Senate financial disclosures reveal he has a net worth of about $40,000.  His Senate salary is $174,000 (more than three and a half times that of the average American).  Conveniently for the Senator, he'll get a nice bump over at the Heritage Foundation.  DeMint's new job pays $1 million a year.  Better even than Armey's compensation in the battle against Washington elitism and vested interests.

DeMint is another rebel, he knows how to fight for ideas in the battle with THE MAN, but more significantly DeMint knows where THE MINT is.