Re: If it quacks like the Status Quo...

You're just like one of those GLs who tries to deny that GLs who do evil are really Girl Lovers.

LOL, Dante. If anyone has been outspoken about the fact that some GLers do evil, it is me. I recall pissing off quite a few people when I even suggested it. But the truth is the truth. However, there are also people who are NOT GLers (the definition of girl lover doesn't fit them; pedophile, yes, but that's qualitatively different--you have to love girls, it's right in the definition of the word.)

Mass ignorance does not make a terminology hijack into legitimate usage.

The difference here is, as I said to Baldur, that the Tea Party has resisted being pinned down on pretty much everything. Ergo, they bring it upon themselves when someone who doesn't meet their definition (whatever the fuck it is) tacks the TP label onto themselves. As far as I'm concerned, their own eel-like desire not to be defined invites anyone with the same broad goals to be considered part of their movement. And so it is. Sorry you don't like it, but them's the freakin' breaks. You play with a double-edged sword and it's gonna cut you eventually.

When the villagers storm the palace, the Baron's declaration that he's really a peasant doesn't erase his record. In order to believe the lie you state, you must deny the history of these people. It requires you to repeat even more lies spoken by those you don't like ( in part ) because of their history of lying.

Indeed, but a peasant has a clear and understandable distinction from a noble. It was the Tea Party itself that chose to be walk in the paradoxical limbo of "Don't define us--we're just people who want fiscal reform" bullshit. I know you'd prefer to keep their ulterior motives and their hypocritical side in the proverbial shadows out of convenience. It makes it much easier to deny one of them is a TPer when they do shit you don't like. Nonetheless, they have a caucus and that is their public face, so . . .