From Reagan biographer Steven Hayward, writing for National Review Online:
Push specific policy initiatives that are consistent with the principles motivating the protests.
If the Tea Party movement wishes to stand for something concrete, and sensibly avoid being co-opted by the Republican party, it might consider embracing Reagan?s Economic Bill of Rights [a balanced budget amendment, a supermajority requirement before taxes can be raised, a constitutional ban on wage and price controls] (perhaps with the addition of term limits and an anti-earmark provision just to make sure the politicians stay away). It is not necessary that agitation for constitutional amendments actually succeed in getting the amendments adopted in order to have a significant political effect. There is no chance that the current Congress would even bring any of these amendments to a vote, though the Tea Parties could agitate for resolutions from state legislatures. … Advocating amendments to secure new limits to government would have the salutary effect of putting liberals on the defensive, just as the balanced-budget movement and tax revolt of the 1970s assisted the rise of Reagan and conservatives in general in the 1980s.
You are planning to attend the Take Back Our State TEA party in Raleigh Wednesday, aren’t you?
