Ron Paul Fans Return, as Tea Partiers

Libertarians like Paul, conservatives like Palin

(NEWSER) - Much as there are two Americas, there are two Tea Parties; one that's libertarian, and one that's socially conservative. Politico ran an exit poll on Thursday's massive tax day protest on the Washington Mall and found that about 43% said that the government needed to promote traditional values. Their favorite Tea Party leader was, naturally, Sarah Palin. A virtually identical 42% said the government shouldn't promote any particular value set. Their favorite politician: Ron Paul. More»

FreedomWorks president attributed 1.5M turnout to network

(NEWSER) - The organizer of the "Tea Party" protest in Washington yesterday falsely attributed a high estimate of the turnout to ABC News, the network reports. Matt Kibbe, the head of FreedomWorks, said on stage that ABC estimated the turnout at 1 million to 1.5 million people. In a correction, ABC states that it reported the DC fire department's estimate of 60,000 to 70,000 people. More»

Cross-country bus trip will hit DC on Sept. 12 for 'taxpayer march'

(NEWSER) - A California-based political action committee is sponsoring a cross-country bus trip designed to unite right-wing malcontents of all stripes, NPR reports. Dubbed the “Tea Party Express,” the bus will culminate its journey with a “taxpayer march” on Washington, DC on Sept. 12. “It’s about time for somebody to run to the front of the parade and try to herd all these cats into a semi-coherent message,” says conservative radio host Mark Williams, the PAC’s vice chairman. More»

UnitedHealth Group lays down AstroTurf

(NEWSER) - UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s second-biggest health insurance firm, has been encouraging employees to attend events protesting health-care reform, Talking Points Memo reports. In a clear-cut example of “Astroturf”—fake grassroots action—a memo to employees urges them to call an “advocacy specialist” who can provide talking points for a letter to an elected official or information on protest events in the employee’s area. More»

Health care takes center stage in 'consequential' recess

(NEWSER) - With health care reform hanging in the balance, the August congressional recess is likely to be a lot less relaxing than usual, writes Glenn Thrush in Politico. What to watch:

1. Health insurers’ response to Nancy Pelosi’s singling them out as the "bad guys" on soaring health care costs. Will we see a counterattack like the “Harry and Louise” ads of the Clinton era?
2. President Obama’s approval rating. If his numbers keep falling, it will make it tough for Dems “to sell anything.”