The Tea Party Went Down to Georgia and Defeated a Tax Hike

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:

A big loss for the T-SPLOST was a big win for the Georgia tea party, whose leaders didn't shy away Tuesday night from claiming giant-slayer status.

"We took on the governor, the lieutenant governor, the mayor, big business and slick political consultants. We emerged victorious," crowed tea party leader Debbie Dooley, celebrating with other T-SPLOST opponents at Hudson Grille in Midtown.

Looking ahead, some pundits read the T-SPLOST leaves as foretelling increased tea party clout on other state and local issues; others said the loosely knit group still lacks the muscle — and the money — to achieve sustained influence.

Many agreed, though, that the tea party, more than anyone else, placed its stamp upon the effort to tear down the $7.2 billion transportation referendum. With Tuesday's resounding victory, the group made liars of critics who had months ago written it off as as a passing fad whose power had peaked. 

Debbie Dooley, state coordinator of the Georgia Tea Party Patriots, said of the vote:

"The people are sending a message, and elected officials would do well to take heed: You aren't getting any more of our tax dollars until you can show you're responsible and can be trusted with the money you have now."

To paraphrase a certain American president, perhaps we need to find out what brand of tea they are drinking in Georgia and send a barrel around to all the states.