"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." ~ Thomas Paine, 'The Crisis'Another February birthday! Today marked five years since the Tea Party's inception...
Mark Levin, who gave the keynote address at the event today, joined Neil Cavuto this afternoon to discuss the movement's direction...AFP: US Senator Ted Cruz stood before hundreds of conservatives and with a pointed jab proclaimed that the small-government movement which sent him to Washington last year is alive and kicking.
"I'm a little bit confused," he said, the edges of his mouth rising into a smirk. "I could have sworn I read in The New York Times that the Tea Party was dead."
And with that, America's most influential -- some would argue disruptive -- new political force in decades marked its fifth anniversary, reminding Washington it has bounced back from the political tundra to thrust itself to the fore in time for November's congressional elections.
The grass roots Tea Party movement, which grew out of a "Taxed Enough Already" campaign that launched on February 27, 2009, swept dozens of fresh-faced lawmakers like Senator Rand Paul into Congress the following year on a platform of lower taxes, free-market principles, limited government, fiscal restraint and adherence to the US Constitution.
They rallied against President Barack Obama's health care proposal, the seemingly never-ending federal bailouts, and skyrocketing national debt.
Related links: Limbaugh: Can You Imagine If The GOP And The Tea Party Unified?
WATCH Ted Cruz’s FULL SPEECH at the Tea Party Patriots
Ted Cruz a Rock Star at Tea Party Patriots 5th Year Anniversary (Video)
Levin: Obama Has No ‘Constitutional Authority To Do Half of What He’s Doing’
UPDATES: Posted Cruz & Levin's full speeches...enjoy!
