As always…the demise of Tea Party influence has been greatly exaggerated

I’m constantly amused by sometimes concurrent, and often alternating references to the Tea Party movement’s continuing influence, or lack thereof, in American politics.  It is regularly said that tea partiers are either “in control” of the Republican caucus in Congress, or that tea partiers no longer have any influence in Congress.  As with most extremes, neither are entirely true.

Today’s tea party take du jour, touting tea party influence, comes to us from Fox News with this headline: “Death of Tea Party appears exaggerated, members in House appear to hold key fiscal vote,” and contains the following in reference to the “fiscal cliff” debacle in DC,

“Despite liberal-minded political analysts and others repeatedly pronouncing the death of the Tea Party, factions continue to fight and make themselves heard in Washington.”