After returning from Glen Beck’s big rally last week, the head of the Portage County Tea

Party proclaimed at their meeting that they are “the true patriots.”

Unfortunately, we’ve heard this all before. For years, political factions have used hollow

rhetoric to accuse their opponents of being unpatriotic when they simply run out of

logical points to make on their own behalf.

Statements questioning the opposition’s patriotism are ridiculous. One has to be

completely delusional to think President Obama and his supporters don’t love this

country and all of its wonderful freedoms.

It’s absolutely ironic that the last time patriotism was questioned so strongly was during

the lead up to the Iraq war, when congress passed the infamous Patriot Act that took

away many of the constitutional freedoms that any true patriot would have fought for.

Instead of wasting their time with empty rhetoric, the Tea Party should work on a specific

platform. Many Americans would like to see a third party on the ballot, but a party

without specifics is dangerous for us all.

The Tea Party has some good ideals, especially when it comes to curbing wasteful

government spending. It’s unfortunate that these activists didn’t emerge early on in the

Bush administration.

But those same ideals, which include honesty, responsibility and love of country, are

shared by all of us. It doesn’t set them apart, and it surely doesn’t provide a rational

reason to support their cause.

Who among us wouldn’t want to see a reduced government debt? The main question is,

how are you going to fix this? We need specifics.

If you go to the Portage County Tea Party’s website, you will find their “issues” page

is completely blank. They didn’t even give reasons to support the candidates they

listed. Yet, they include a three-page PDF of protest slogans. This shows where the

organization’s true priorities are.

The time has come for the Tea Party to either step up or shut up.

The above editorial is the consensus of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.