GOP White House hopefuls court Tea Partiers on Tax Day

By Shane D’Aprile, Jordan Fabian and Michael O’Brien - 04/15/11 06:05 AM ET

Several Republican presidential contenders will spend Friday, known to conservative activists as Tax Day, addressing rallies throughout the country.

Tea Party activists have organized events in several states protesting the use of tax hikes to cut government spending.

One of the most prominent rallies will be at the statehouse in Concord, N.H., the first-in-the-nation primary state. It’s sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a major Tea Party organizer, and will feature multiple contenders for the GOP presidential nomination.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer and businessman Herman Cain are scheduled to address the crowd. All four have formed presidential exploratory committees.

Pawlenty, who is attempting to reach out to Tea Party activists to shore up his conservative credentials, is also expected to headline the Greater Boston Tea Party Tax Day Rally at the Boston Commons on Friday. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), a Tea Party favorite and potential presidential candidate, spoke at the event last year.

Conservative favorite Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) will spend Tax Day speaking at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire.

Palin will attend a Tea Party Tax Day rally in Wisconsin on Saturday, according to an adviser.

Rebecca Mansour, an adviser to Palin, confirmed the former governor’s appearance on Twitter Thursday: "Yes, @SarahPalinUSA will be at the rally in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday."

Palin's appearance represents a slight change of pace — her political travel in 2011 has been relatively light compared to other potential 2012 GOP contenders, leading observers to speculate that she is becoming less interested in running for president.

Wisconsin's significance has increased ever since the heated debate over GOP Gov. Scott Walker's controversial union law, which served as a proxy argument over fiscal issues nationally.

And business mogul Donald Trump, who’s been flirting with a White House bid, is scheduled to be in Boca Raton, Fla., on Saturday to address a Tea Party rally, which will be broadcast Sunday evening on C-SPAN.

Trump has several ties to Florida, which is where the GOP convention will be held. He owns Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, as well as a large beach-front property in the wealthy enclave.