The Tea Party needs to be taken seriously, as Noam Chomsky has wisely pointed out.

The grievances of corruption in government, vanishing paychecks, political manipulation
and malfeasance are legitimate.

Their problem is that they mostly consist of hot-headed Libertarians (give me a government who will protect me from Libertarianism), evangelical Christians, and right-wing militia groups who are being manipulated by Dick Armey, the Koch Brothers and others who see this movement as a way to stay in power.

Corruption in government is not government itself but the corporatists who "own" it
by financing politicians that will do their bidding. The Tea Partiers are deluded in thinking that the enemy is the government instead of the corporations, the Greedy Old Party and wealthy CEO's who are playing the Tea Party for suckers.

The needs of the American people are in evidence in the complaints of the Tea Party, however. They and we all are being screwed.