Today the Institute for Justice filed opening briefs in our fourth case to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court.

IJ’s first trip to the high court came in 2002 and resulted in a landmark victory for school choice.  We also won our second U.S. Supreme Court case, defending the American ideals of economic liberty and unfettered interstate commerce by striking down a ban on the direct shipment of wine.

Our third case changed America forever.  A local government in Connecticut decided to bulldoze an entire neighborhood and hand the land over to a politically connected private developer.  The law was stacked against the property owners in favor of the powerful special interests.  IJ, defending the property owners, lost in a controversial 5-4 ruling.

This was the infamous Kelo case, and it resulted in an explosion of outrage and grassroots activism all across the country.  Ed Morrissey recently wrote at Hot Air that it arguably set “the stage for the all-out eruption of Tea Party activism a few years later.” This epic battle to protect private property rights, ultimately vindicated by grassroots activists just like you, is one that will never be forgotten:

And now, as children nationwide get ready to begin a new school year, the Institute for Justice is defending Arizona’s innovative scholarship tax-credit program before the highest court in the land.

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It’s time for Tea Party activists in Southern California to put up, or shut-up.

Despite California’s “flakey” and leftist reputation, there are certain pockets outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco that very much resemble suburban and rural areas in the mid-west (except with much better weather and baseball).  I happen to live in just such an area.

California’s 42nd Congressional District. It is a bizarrely shaped district that covers much of LA’s suburban mecca, Orange County (the place Ronald Reagan once described as “where good Republicans go to die”) and rural portions of Los Angeles and San Bernardino county.  The district is shaped the way it is so a Republican incumbent is sure to win year after year after year… and he has.

For the past ten years the district has been “represented” by Republican Gary Miller.  I put those quotes around his name because looking at his record I can’t, for the life of me, see how he has represented me or my family or my neighbors at all.  In fact, in light of recent revelations, it seems that Republican Gary Miller’s most important constituency is Republican Gary Miller’s bank account.

I will get into all of the reasons why Republican Gary Miller should be turned out of office in a bit.  First, I want to address the Tea Party concept and why primary season is so important this year.

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As Democrats continue to up the volume on their deceptive campaign to pass a new government takeover and bailout bill for bit Wall Street Banks, apparently there is some nervousness about the pressure Democrats are directing at the two Republican Senators from Maine. The mystery group Committee for Truth in Politics is back up on the air in the Pine Tree State with an ad opposing the Big Bank Bailout.

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“The Early Adopters” Report uncovers that most oppose a third party, many are new to politics

CHICAGO, —  A new study released today reveals that Tea Party activists are motivated by feelings of responsibility to future generations and belief in America’s founding principles, but still struggle with questions of leadership and identity. The study conducted by Sam Adams Alliance, The Early Adopters: Reading the Tea Leaves, also reveals that Tea Party activists are a diverse group trying – often for the first time – to change the political landscape by holding elected officials more accountable. The results of the full report can be found at www.activistinsightsreport.com.

The Sam Adams report offers the first-ever insights into the Tea Party movement that include a survey sample made up entirely of recognized Tea Party activists.

“A lot of surveys have focused on the Tea Party movement, but they’ve been about what others think of them, and don’t reveal the motives of actual Tea Partiers,” said Sam Adams Alliance chairman Eric O’Keefe. “We decided to learn what the Tea Party leaders are up to the old fashioned way: We asked them.”

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It has only been a matter of weeks since Neil Cavuto interviewed me to share my opinion regarding Michael Steele’s sudden interest in the Tea Party Movement. It appears Michael Steele is showing up with candy and flowers this Valentine’s Day. Using my experience as a Tea Party organizer I explained that the RNC was on probation and that I felt confident that the Republicans would have to stand up and show their outrage over spending, the trampling of our constitution, and a myriad of other issues before their status would change in the eyes of the American people. Republicans have often played the helpless victim while hardworking Americans (the true victims of this governmental meltdown) stand and fight.

At the same time I warned of the impending disaster that would result in the creation of a third party. To use some of the language popular with the current administration this would be a Tea Party equivalent to the “Nuclear Option.” The result would be a split vote that would turn the keys over to liberals for yet another term.

Before I go further I must clarify that Americans for Prosperity, 9/12 groups, and in many cases Tea Parties share the same doctrine and values. There are thousands of these groups that are autonomous and effective organizations in their own right. I respect these organizations and fully understand the importance of working with them as separate, viable entities in our fight for liberty.

Under the Constitution we band together as individual voters that govern individually with our ballots, this is our only legal tie. Grassroots voters harness power via their collective ballots, which captures the attention of organizations like the RNC. The RNC has a role similar to that of a labor union speaking on behalf of Republican candidates. Collective bargaining is the RNC’s desired result, as they want to harness the power of the massive grassroots organizing effort undertaken by so many Americans and their votes. We don’t have to negotiate with the RNC.

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As the Tea Party movement approaches its first “birthday”, the leadership is taking it to new levels.  The metamorphosis, which has been deliciously organic, has seen it go from street protests, to active demonstrations to serious political action.  All along the way, Big Media and Big Political Parties have failed to truly grasp what it is all about.  As Missouri lawmaker, Chris Kelly once famously said to another during Floor debate, “I can explain it to you, but I cannot understand it for you”.

At the end of the month, Richard Viguerie — legendary conservative activist, direct response fundraising pioneer, and currently chairman of ConservativeHQ.com — will deliver the keynote speech at the inaugural Leadership Tea Party training event to be held at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Westin Hotel.  In addition to Mr. Viguerie’s keynote speech delivered on Friday night January 29, the event will consist of 11 sessions of grassroots leadership training over 14 hours on Saturday and Sunday, January 30-31. Mr. Viguerie’s speech is free and open to both the press and the public, though a limited number of seats are available. (You can request a ticket online here .)

Viguerie, who was hired by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1962 as the director of Young Americans for Freedom, worked for the Goldwater campaign in 1964, pioneered the direct response fund raising techniques that financed the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, and has been a key leader in the movement for limited government for decades.  Tea Party activists of varying levels of political experience, most rigorously eschewing party labels, are hungry to learn the tactics to win on the political battlefield.  Like latter day militia men, the Tea Party activists have seen the whites of the eyes of the red coats reds, and they are trading their microsoft office suite applications for html and eblogger and are training in the dark political arts for the battle that will shape their Country for the sake of their children.

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After reading Warner Todd Huston’s article, Tea Parties: The Biggest Mistake We Could Make in 2010, I was incredulous.  It seems misguided to suggest top down management in a time when big companies, big organizations, and big government have received bailouts after spending like drunken thieves or failing in the marketplace. Under what premise can anyone make the case that the solution to our nation’s dilemma is a big organization, especially a Big Tea Party? In all cases big leadership has resulted in big corruption, which is at the root of almost every issue before us.

Since the onset of ‘change we can all believe in’, politicians at all levels seem to constantly point to small businesses as our hope for economic recovery. In an era of “too big to fail,” it would seem obvious that people, regardless of party affiliation, could agree that bigger is not better. I haven’t heard anyone speak of the positive impact that CEO-led mega-banks, automakers, or the Fannies and Freddies will have on economic recovery.

The idea that the grassroots tea party movement should become a third political party is counter productive and borders on the ludicrous. Tea Parties are about government accountability, not joining partisan politics in the corruption and incompetence that threatens American liberty. Our City Councils, State Legislatures, and Congress work for us, and it is high time that we reminded them of this and brought them into the fold.

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Within our own party, we need to make it clear that from now on there will be a price to pay for abandoning conservative principles.  The grassroots – activists from tea parties to town halls – have sent a message: no more ‘fake-it-until-you-make-it’ conservatives.  The days of merely espousing conservative principles and then, once elected, governing or legislating without principle, are over.

At least one senator has already got this message – Arlen Specter.  In early 2009, after years of distressing votes for big government, Specter’s vote for the stimulus bill provoked an outcry among Pennsylvania’s Republican grassroots.  Having barely survived a 2004 primary challenge from principled conservative Pat Toomey, Specter asked me what he could do to mend fences with conservatives.  I said he needed to stand with us against card check (which abolishes the secret ballot on forming unions) and against the cap-and-trade carbon cutting scheme.

He agreed, publicly declaring himself against those proposals – and soon after, he abandoned the party and became a Democrat.

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A couple weeks ago, we brought you the funny video of a Big Media Camerawoman trying to dismiss the relevance of home-grown citizen journalists. Today, we have new video from that same event, only this video is of patriotic tea party activists speaking some truth to Big Media’s power. Enjoy

As always, tip your waitress.