Guarding the Tea Party Image from appearing “Extremist” is tantamount to protect the movement from being marginalized, destroyed by leftist opposition. Unfortunately a recent AP Article, titled “Okla. tea parties and lawmakers envision militia.” Immediately 6,000 comments, mostly negative were posted concerning a group of Tea Parties wanting to establish a Oklahoma state militia. The web address of the AP article is provided below: The article also posted on a Homeland Security website.

The Oklahoma Legislature should not approve a volunteer state militia that would consist mainly of Tea Party members and their affiliations. That could give the appearance Tea Parties had their own military force. It is foreseeable non-Tea Party people and groups might feel threatened by a Tea Party Militia and form their own militias—legal or otherwise. A Tea Party forming a special militia could cause a “public relations disaster” for the Tea Party at large should U.S. voters question why the TEA Party agenda includes influence over a military force within a State government (Oklahoma.) It should be foreseeable to all Tea Parties that voter concerns about Tea Parties forming militia(s) could drive off the voters Tea parties are trying to attract. The Tea Party, like every other political organization in America, should keep its political interests separate from government military functions.

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100412/ap_on_re_us/us_tea_party_militia