Yeah, Lox,
The "Tea Party" has been known to be a largely "astroturf" movement for a long time now. Yes, a lot of the protesters are average citizens, but they are fed disinformation by the likes of Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, Michelle Bachman, and a host of right-wing talk radio jocks and the Fox "News" commentators, and the buses that take them to rallies are paid for in large part by the Koch brothers and other rich Republican donors.   
Trouble is, the "mainstream media" keep talking about them as though they were a true "grassroots" organization (self-funded by middle-class and lower-income taxpayers).