The next stage in the Tea Party drama will be the break between legitimate populist activists in the movement, versus the phonies and the exploiters. The phonies seek to buy the Tea Party movement with dirty money from certain Tea Party charlatans. These are corporate interests pushing for greed and profit for themselves. The exploiters are Republicans who stand for the populism of Wall Street, banks, insurers and Big Pharma.

There are many legitimate grassroots members of the Tea Party movement. Some of them have much in common with populist progressives who share opposition to rampant greed and Wall Street excess. But then there are the phonies, exploiters and charlatans.

Tom Paine was a populist who gave his money to the troops. Sarah Palin is a charlatan who ripped off the Tea Party movement for $100,000, kept the dough for herself, before taking her quackery and confidence game to another venue, for another $100,000, and a little more fame.