By DAN NOWICKI
The Arizona Republic
PHOENIX - Fresh from big victories in last year's congressional midterm elections, the conservative tea party movement convenes a policy summit Friday.
The three-day event for the Tea Party Patriots, a national coalition of more than 3,000 local tea-party groups, will feature speakers such as former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas; and Herman Cain, former Godfather's Pizza chief executive, all of whom are possible presidential hopefuls.
Conservative commentator Dick Morris and provocative blogger Andrew Breitbart also will make remarks. An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 tea partyers are expected to attend.
Historically, outside political movements rarely last more than a few years. Usually, one of the two major political parties winds up absorbing their key principles and philosophies. But the Tea Party Patriots say that they intend to stick around and that their American Policy Summit is looking long term.
"We have a 40-year plan to instill in the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans the core values of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free markets," said Jenny Beth Martin, a national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots. "This weekend, we are going to be further developing the plan to achieve that goal."
The tea party movement revved up as a protest to the expensive government bailouts that marked the end of President George W. Bush's second term and the beginning of President Barack Obama's term.
Obama administration priorities such as the 2009 economic-stimulus package and 2010 health-care law only fueled the anger of the loosely affiliated national organizations and local groups that formed in communities across Arizona and the nation.
Tea-party activists received much credit for revitalizing fiscal conservatism in wake of Obama's 2008 election and for helping Republicans make electoral gains last year.
A next step for the party is to demonstrate governing influence, which it appears to be doing, said Kareem Crayton, a political scientist and associate professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
The new Congress that convened in January has a strong tea-party flavor because so many members feel some level of solidarity with the movement.
A new bloc of votes is emerging that consists of House tea-party allies who are not "just loyal soldiers for the Republican cause, as defined by what Speaker Boehner wants," Crayton said of Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio.
"The tea party is defining itself as a distinct political entity in Congress. The Republicans' control really depends on their ability to respond to the tea party and align their own interests with those of the tea party."
But another national expert said the tea partyers would be more likely to ensure their movement's long-term viability by acknowledging that "compromise is not a dirty word" and working closer with Republican establishment leaders such as Boehner.
"They have made their point, and they now have the attention of at least the Republican Party and a lot of Democrats, too," said Charles Dunn, a distinguished professor of government at Regent University in Virginia and an expert on "outsider" U.S. political movements. "They're in the ideal position to move forward, but not as flamethrowers."
The Arizona Republic