Tea Party convention raises questions about movement's future

USA Today

A spat between organizers of the national Tea Party convention, which starts Thursday in Nashville and will feature Sarah Palin as its keynote speaker, has largely centered on fees, speakers and profits.

Those were among the concerns cited by two key conservative lawmakers, Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood and Minnesota Rep. Michele Backmann, as they pulled out of the event last week. They echoed similar complaints other grass-roots Tea Party supporters have been making for weeks.

But at the core of the division lies a more fundamental question of where the Tea Party should go from here and what it's really all about.

Supporters of the convention to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center say the national conference will build alliances across state lines, strengthening into a force that can press the Democratic and Republican parties to change their ways or face a threat to their existence.