Turns out they are no great friends of the Republican establishment. No real surprise if you’ve actually tried to learn about the movement. If you’re not aware of this, you need to question your news sources.
Whether it’s the loose confederation of Washington-oriented groups that have played an organizational role or the state-level activists who are channeling grass-roots anger into action back home, tea party forces are confronting the Republican establishment by backing insurgent conservatives and generating their own candidates — even if it means taking on GOP incumbents.