Tax day for Tea Parties

As tea party rallies spontaneously spring up around the state to protest tax day, the New York Times provides details about who supports the movement:

Tea Party supporters are wealthier and more well-educated than the general public, and are no more or less afraid of falling into a lower socioeconomic class, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. ...

Tea Party supporters’ fierce animosity toward Washington, and the president in particular, is rooted in deep pessimism about the direction of the country and the conviction that the policies of the Obama administration are disproportionately directed at helping the poor rather than the middle class or the rich.

In addition, they're generally more angry than the average Republican, they support Medicare and Social Security even though they want to shrink the federal government, and a plurality think Sarah Palin is unqualified to be president.

The full story is here.

ABC News pollster Gary Langer has more on the Tea Party movement and why polls differ in gauging their support for the still fuzzy goals of the movement.

In related news, Politico's Ken Vogel found a link between Sacramento-based Russo Marsh + Rogers, a Republican political consultancy firm, and the Tea Party Express. The story confirms that some GOP operatives see the tea parties as a cash cow.

Four in the morning

1. LA Observed gets a makeover. LAO

2. Dallas Morning News editor endorses "integrating" business and news: "I'm pretty much a traditionalist about journalism, but I'm also a capitalist." DMN

3. The cost to see Sarah Palin at a Tea Party? $349 + travel and lodging. TPN

4. Punditry: All the political spoils without all the responsibility. Time

GOP fashion statement

The Orange County Register snapped a shot of Irvine Councilman and Assembly candidate Steven Choi wearing a picture of Nancy Pelosi as Joseph Stalin on his back. The indecorous decoration angered liberal blogger Dan Chmielewski:

To portray Pelosi as Stalin, a mass murderer of millions during his reign of power, is nothing short of outrageous. Choi owes the Speaker an apology. He owes his fellow city council members an apology. He owes the residents of this city an apology for his embarrassing antics.

But Choi is comfortable with his use of tea party-esque agitprop. He told the Register:

I'm a Republican Party member and went there to express my disapproval of her policies ... I have big concerns with what is going on with the government pushing down the mandated health issues ... As a small businessman it would impact me.